"I am passionate about the work I do in the world... but I am not my business."

Chronicles of the High Powered Female CEO Episode 9 with business maverick Kelly O'Neil.

#FemaleCEOChronicles

IMPERFECT TRANSCRIPTION

Melisa Keenan 00:23

Welcome to Chronicles of the High Powered Female CEO with me, your host, Melissa Keenan. And today we are interviewing Kelly O'Neil. Hi Kelly!

Kelly O'Neil 00:33

Hi, nice to be here with you.

Melisa Keenan 00:35

Thank you. I'm so glad that you're here. This is episode nine. It's my intention in running these series that women everywhere who are working to create success and impact in the world, recognize that despite all the pressures that we're feeling, we are not alone and that we can carve and pave our own path on the way to success. So, Kelly, I'm so excited to have you here today. Can you introduce a little bit about who you are and what you've done?

I didn't expect the personal journey to be as prominent as the business journey.

Kelly O'Neil 01:06

Sure. So my name is Kelly O'Neill and I am a brand profit, a brand profit and marketing, a brand marketing and profit strategist. And I work with really exceptional entrepreneurs all over the world to help them not only really position themselves as thought leaders in their industry, but also help them scale their businesses from multiple six to seven to eight figures and beyond. And man, as hard as what I've done in the, in the industry. I mean, I've been at this for a while. I've had my own company for 21 years now. And really doing the same thing my entire time that I've been in business in different, you know, different programs I have, I do consulting. I own a brand agency where we specifically specialize in developing brand platforms for thought leaders. And I also have a consulting organization. Plus I've got a few other companies that I run that don't have anything to do with this. More companies cause I'm an entrepreneur.

Prior to that, I actually was in corporate America. I did brand marketing and public relations for high-tech companies. And I worked with some really prestigious organizations and help them to really achieve their goals. Whether that was, I kind of was like a sharpshooter I'd get hired in to help them achieve their goals, whether that is going public or getting acquired or building their business valuation so they can get better or more funding you know, or ultimately, you know, sell their solar organization. So that's, I mean, I've done a lot of things.

Melisa Keenan 02:52

It's so amazing. I've already gained so much from our relationship Kelly. So I'm also a client of Kelly's in one tiny corner of her company, and I had gained so much from being in that space. It's really, up-leveled my business. So yeah, let's drop into kind of more the intention of this interview. I think the first question I want to ask you and kind of let that lead us is in your journey to the top.

What was very surprising to you? What did you experience there that you didn't expect?

Kelly O'Neil 03:36

Oh my gosh. I've experienced so many things that I think I didn't expect the personal journey to be as prominent as the business journey. I thought it was just, you know, I'm going to grow companies, I'm going to market, I'm going to sell things.

And really what that saying is true. Your business will only grow to the extent that you do. And this has been just a ginormous growth experience for me, as I transitioned from, you know, an employee. To a small business owner to a service provider. To a CEO, to a thought leader in my industry, that's required a ton of personal growth.

And it has not always been easy, you know, for those of you who have read Gay Hendricks’s book, The Big Leap, you hit your upper limit. Right? And I've hit multiple upper limits where I would start to self-sabotage based on old patterning, and then I would have to remove that patterning and working with healers and working with personal development experts to consistently uplevel my game. That has been just a tremendous part of my growth as a CEO and as a leader.

I go really hard and then rest and then go really hard and rest. That's just how it works well for me

Melisa Keenan 05:10

That's so fascinating, right? Because it's kind of frustrating. Like you think you can just kind of be a machine and it's like, if I learn all the right things to do and do all the right things, that's all I need to do. And then you find there's this whole other side that has to be nurtured and maintained.

Kelly O'Neil 05:28

Yes. Yes.

Melisa Keenan 05:30

You're with me before kind of like a snapshot into your day. And I was so fascinated by this because I think in so many ways you really have stepped into a mastery of both your masculine and feminine energies as a CEO. Would you be willing to share that? Because I mean, there's some serious when you talk about personal development, you are not joking.

Kelly O'Neil 05:54

So, okay. So like just kind of talk about like a typical day. Yeah. So I'll give you an example okay? and then I'll give you an example of tomorrow. So or even I'll give you an example of Monday too. So Monday's my team day. So I always get up in the morning and I always start my day out I work out with my personal trainer.

So I get up, I go to the gym, I work out with my trainer. I need my trainer. It's not that I don't know what I'm doing. It's that she pushes me to levels that I would not be able to obtain by myself. And it keeps me on track. And then Mondays, like really team days. So I have all my meetings on Monday with my teams and then I always take a break at like about 1:00 PM. And I'm a napper. So I actually build in time for me to rest. And then I come back for a few hours at the end of the day. Like I need that time, that break time. And then in the evening, what I do is I'll work on, stuff that doesn't require me to speak to people because I don't know how many other lady CEOs get like this because again, I can’t hold that level of masculine drive, I have to break. And then I like to do more quiet work or creative work and then Tuesday. So today is Tuesday and say it got up, I went to the gym, came home, got myself some snacks. I have an assistant that takes care of a lot of my stuff for me like my laundry and my food prep and takes care of like runs my life.

She's basically like my wife, thank God I have her because I would not be able to do what I do without her. Literally, I'm just like, oh, when is she going to be here? Even my dogs are excited when she comes over because she is the food source. She feeds them and walks them while she's here. So and then I had a bunch of meetings today.

This interview, I did some consulting for my clients. I've had some collaboration meetings with some of my epic women entrepreneurs. And then after my meetings wrap up around one today, again, I'll have some downtime and then I have a massage book this afternoon. And then tomorrow it's gonna be much of the same workout, some meetings in the morning, and then Wednesday afternoons I actually do some self-care. I go and I work with my shaman who does a lot of energy work with me. And so I have a two-hour Reiki session every Wednesday, and I also get an IV. So I balance it throughout the day because, in order for me to operate at that peak performance, I have to really take exceptional care of myself.

And that is down to everything from making sure I get enough sleep, making sure I get enough exercise, making sure I get enough water. My assistant makes these for me and keeps them in the fridge so I can just grab them in between. So I go really hard and then rest and then go really hard and rest. That's just how it works well for me

Melisa Keenan 09:03

I love that you say that too like everyone is different, but you have found a way to honor your own natural, rhythms, and goals. And that's what we all, you know, must do. If we want to actually enjoy the fruits of our labors.

We need both that masculine drive and we also need to be able to tap into all of the gifts that our feminine energy brings to us. So for me, I strive for balanced energy

Kelly O'Neil 09:19

Yes. Yes. And I mean, and I do, I work hard. And I don't overwork cause I still worked smart. Like I don't work extra hard for no reason. I'm not a believer in that. Like, you know, my old saying is strategy is the new hustle, right? So it's not that I'm overworking, but I, I work really, really focused and efficient and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then I rest. And then on Thursdays and Fridays, typically Thursdays, I'm actually doing a lot of interviews for my upcoming epic conference. And then I'll take off in the afternoon. I take Fridays completely off and then over the weekend I take time off and then sometimes I'll do some of my more creative work if I feel inspired.

Melisa Keenan 10:10

That's so cool. Okay. Thanks for that. Yeah.

Kelly O'Neil 10:12

And that’s my preference. Again, it's not, I don't work because I feel I'm like, I need, it's not, I feel called to do it. And it's part of how I balance out my week of being available to my team and to my clients. But then also having this uninterrupted time where I can be in that creative mode and I can focus and I can get work done. So again, that's what works for me.

Melisa Keenan 10:37

And I think often there's this misconception out there that to really, you know, access your feminine or be a part of the divine feminine. Some of these phrases, we just picture somebody who's super flighting who has no schedule, and the thing is, if you really want to create massive success, like Kelly has, there is a very strong level of management around this.

This schedule doesn't happen by accident. So we think of divine feminine, and we think, oh, I have no schedule or I have no commitments or whatever, and you can't create success and you can't create the impact that you feel called to create in that space. So that is not actually what the feminine is. We need so much structure to support so that you can just flow through your week and flow through days.

So I just really love that. When you shared that, because I haven't created these levels of in terms of my business, these levels of success, it was like you opened up my mind even to different possibilities of how I can help my clients create that. Awesome

I'm only as good as my team is.

Kelly O'Neil 11:45

And I think for me, one of the things I, you know, you and I have talked about this before. One of the things for me is that I feel strongly that to really run a business successfully, you've got to have balanced energy, right? We need both. We need both that masculine drive and we also need to be able to tap into all of the gifts that our feminine energy brings to us. So for me, I strive for balanced energy.

And that's part of the reason why I can go really hard and be in, you know when I'm driving or I'm consulting or I'm in that masculine mode. And then I break and I nurture. And then I come back to it, you know, so I found a way to really just balance my energy well, so I can be at both because before I used to be in my masculine all the time and I would just get health issues and burn out and it just, I wasn't as effective.

Melisa Keenan 12:45

So, part of why this is such a big emphasis in my work is because when we can relieve some of the mental load that comes with the business, it frees us up to access other things that are so vital to us experiencing a fulfilled life. It's like, have your cake and eat it too. And one of the things that I have seen often in really successful women is two fears. And I'm just curious what your thoughts are or whatever you feel the call to share around this. I see that women feel very afraid to lose the momentum that they've created in their business. That's something that shows up always, right? It's like I've already sacrificed so much to create this thing.

I'll do whatever I can to preserve the momentum. And it's this cognitive dissonance that plays in our minds every day. Like, and I also don't want to do this alone. Like I don't want to end my life alone. And that's why I'm here having these conversations. Right? Because those personal relationships play such a role as well.

So I'm curious, like how you've seen that play out in your life?

Kelly O'Neil 14:02

Yes. I mean, I definitely think the momentum thing is important because I think that's an important driving force behind any business. Now I also don't think we can do it alone. So I'm only as good as my team is. So if my team is strong and supportive and handling their business, I'm a much stronger leader.

And if I've got people that maybe aren't the best fit or, you know, something's going on and they're not super strong at the moment, then, everything suffers. I suffer, the company suffers, and the client suffers. So I don't think we can do it alone. So yeah, I think, you know. Here's the thing. I try. I really make a concerted attempt not to make decisions from a place of fear. So I don't look at it in myself or in my company as if like I have a fear of losing momentum. I have a drive to keep momentum going, which I think is a different place. Like, I understand that we need that to happen. So, but it's not like I'm like making fear-based decisions. Like, oh, if I don't do this, I'm not gonna have momentum.

It's not that it's more of like, We're in momentum. We'll stay that way, guys. Like here’s a plan to do that. Okay. And yes, this piece of now, again, I'm really good at, I'm really good at balancing. So, you know, my partner and I just block off time to spend with them, you know right now, like I said, I have this very large women's conference coming up. And so I am working Thursdays again, but actually, I wasn't, I wasn't working Thursdays or Fridays because those are his days off. He's a pilot and those are his days off. So I just scheduled my business around it because I can, because I own it. And my boss is amazing and she lets me do what I want.

So I just reallocated my schedule to make sure that I have that balance. And there are ebbs and flows. As I said, you know right now up until this event, I'm going to be putting more energy and intention and effort into that. And then after that event, over the summer, it's going to slow down for me. Because I'm not going to have this big event going. I'm not, you know, and I take a lot of time off in the summer. I am an outdoors girl. I've got a boat. He and I are on the lake or the river constantly. We love to go glamping. We like to travel. We like to play tennis. Like, there's all like, there's things. I got things to do. I got like a full schedule and I'm not going to get to Wimbleton if I don't keep up my tennis games. So I got to keep that practice too.

If my team is strong and supportive and handling their business, I'm a much stronger leader.

Melisa Keenan 16:48

It's so cool. I love this and, I really do see the uniqueness in your approach to your whole life. Being able to show up in all ways that you want in your life. And so I just so appreciate you, Kelly. Is there any last things you'd want to share here? And then I have one more question that I ask every interviewee, but any final words of wisdom you want to share here?

Kelly O'Neil 17:15

Yeah. I mean, I think it's really important. You know, one of the things I stand for in my work in the world and, in the epic conference that I have coming up is we get to choose to be epic. You know, we are at choice in the life we want to create. And part of that is about getting really clear about what you want your life to look like and what you want your business to look like and to start designing it and making decisions from that place. You know, there's lots of things I could do that are… I could make mediocre choices, but then I'm going to have a mediocre experience and I just choose to consistently uplevel and move more and more, always towards the vision that continually unfolds. I'm getting, as I get older, my vision changes. And so I adapt the decisions I'm making in my life, but I'm not here, as a woman entrepreneur, I am passionate about the work I do in the world, but I'm not my business.

I have a life and my business is designed to set me up to create the life I want. And that is epic.

Melisa Keenan 18:22

I love that so much. And I'm so excited about this event. I'll be there as well. Like what is it? Give us dets. June something.

Kelly O'Neil 18:30

So it's called epic. And this is really a conference that's specifically for accomplished women thought leaders who are wanting to become the go-to authority in their industry. Right? And really moving from like an expert or a service provider to a thought leader. So we're looking at disrupting markets, we're looking at innovating, we're looking at how we brand and position ourselves, and also how we set up our lives and businesses to be epic.

And because I believe that we, as women, we do best in a collaborative environment. This is really going to be a think tank of 75 of the most profound women business leaders from around the world coming together to rewrite the rules of how we do life and do business. And we're going to be sharing that all with one another.

So it's June 5th through 7th at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, which is really, just the most inspiring place to have this conversation. I was telling my event manager the other day, she'd never been there and I was really married to this property and she kept going, can we not do it somewhere else? I'm like, no, this place is epic. And she came and she goes. You are the master. I understand why we are hosting this at this place. Like I can't wait to go back. I said, yes, it's absolutely stunning. So 5th through the 7th and then you can check out the information at, and just let me know that you came from Melissa's interview. You can check it out at www.epiceventsinvitation.com

Melisa Keenan 20:06

Awesome. Perfect. Okay. One last question. And I want to ask everyone this, just to get a little peak at who you are, and your heart. What is a time in your life that you would say was one of the most fulfilling experiences you've ever had?

I have a life and my business is designed to set me up to create the life I want. And that is epic.

Kelly O'Neil 20:22

Oh my gosh. I’ve had so many because I really designed my life to be fulfilling. I would say it's a collection of experiences. And the collection of experiences is when I'm doing my work with already very successful entrepreneurs. But you know, a lot of them have already reached a million dollars, but they've lost their lives and they're burned out and they're about to throw in the towel and then I'm able to show them the path to having it all, and then watching them over a course of three or six months, make those transitions, and then they have it all. And the gratitude from them is so profound because it's not just like we were able to give them the financial life that they wanted. The process that I consult around was able to get them their life back.

So they'll say things to me. Like I now have time to be. In my son's school, like I'm no longer missing out on him growing up. And like you gave that back to me, or I was able to take my family on an unplugged two-week vacation. And I haven't been able to do that in 20 years or, you know, I finally feel like I have the courage and the power to be able to share my voice in the world. The way that I always knew that I was meant to, but was never able to before. And so I feel like my purpose is fulfilled. It's, I have chills right now. Like chill. Those are the things that are the most fulfilling to me. Is it. Are those moments.

Melisa Keenan 22:13

Oh, I love that. Thank you so much for sharing Kelly and thanks for being with us today.

Kelly O'Neil 22:18

Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

Melisa Keenan 22:20

Great guys. Make sure you follow all of these on my website, www.melissakeenan.com. And thanks again, Kelly. Bye.

Kelly O'Neil 22:27

Bye-bye.