167. Building the Right Business and What I Learned from Researching Human Design on YouTube

6. Slow Down to Speed Up: How Focusing Your Energy Creates Exponential Growth

What if the next level of growth in your business doesn't come from doing more? In this episode, we're talking about one of the biggest misconceptions in entrepreneurship: that more effort always equals more results. The truth? Many founders are spreading their time, energy, and attention across too many ideas, projects, offers, and opportunities, then wondering why growth feels slower than expected. I'm sharing why focus is one of the most powerful growth strategies available to you, how scattered energy creates hidden bottlenecks, and what it actually looks like to slow down enough to create momentum that compounds. If you've been feeling pulled in multiple directions or questioning what deserves your attention right now, this episode will help you simplify, prioritize, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence. In This Episode: * Why doing more is often the very thing slowing your business growth * How scattered energy creates friction, confusion, and slower results * The difference between being busy and building momentum * How strategic focus creates exponential growth over time * Why saying "not now" can be one of the most profitable decisions you make * Practical ways to identify where your energy will create the biggest impact right now If you're ready to stop chasing every opportunity and start creating sustainable momentum, this episode is for you. Resources: Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about] Purchase my book here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/ [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/] Podcast website: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast] View the full show notes for this episode: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode6 [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode6] Interactive Human Design Chart: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamannanichols] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba [https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba] Connect with Anna Nichols: Instagram: @iamannanichols [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/] (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/])

5. Fulfilling Your Soul Mission Through Entrepreneurship: Incubator Open House

This episode is something different, and something Anna has never shared publicly in this format before. On June 11, Anna hosted the Incubator Experience & Open House, a live showcase of the Spiritual Business Incubator's comprehensive, academic-style business development model. This is the full replay. Inside, Anna walks through the future of business in the new age, the real challenges that are holding mission-driven entrepreneurs back from building sustainable companies, and the four-stage curriculum that the Incubator has been intentionally designed around,  from startup solopreneur all the way to a scalable organization. This is not a masterclass. It is not a workshop. It is an honest, detailed look at what it actually takes to build a purposeful, profitable, and sustainable business, and how the Incubator bridges practical business education with conscious energetic alignment. Inside this episode: * Why the future of business is being led by awakened, mission-driven entrepreneurs * The most common challenges that keep founders stuck at every stage of business * The four stages of business development and what actually needs to happen at each one * How Human Design, astrology, Gene Keys, and numerology are woven into every track * What makes the Incubator's academic-style model different from coaching, masterminds, and traditional programs * The admissions process, tuition structure, and how cohorts are intentionally built * Live Q&A: what to do if you're between stages, what a typical week looks like, and more If you have ever felt like you were missing the foundational pieces of building a real business ,  or like you were in a room where the teaching wasn't designed for the stage you're actually in ,  this episode was made for you. Resources: Apply for Summer 2026 enrollment:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfLbgzSFAWdInEcb5fmDWCV7DUVfs891p_EvjFxiS_RcJCQQ/viewform [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfLbgzSFAWdInEcb5fmDWCV7DUVfs891p_EvjFxiS_RcJCQQ/viewform] Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about] Purchase my book here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/ [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/] Podcast website: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast] View the full show notes for this episode: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode5 [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode5] Interactive Human Design Chart: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamannanichols] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba [https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba] Connect with Anna Nichols: Instagram: @iamannanichols [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/] (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/])

4. The Money Mindset Shift You've Never Heard and Will Change Your Business Forever

In this episode of the New Age CEO Podcast, Anna shares a powerful money mindset shift that completely transformed how she views entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. What if the biggest shift you need isn't another sales strategy or marketing tactic, but a new way of seeing your relationship with money? Anna explores the idea that every founder who has invested their own savings, income, credit, time, energy, or expertise into their business is already an investor. This perspective changes how you steward resources, make decisions, and lead your company. Rather than seeing yourself as someone sacrificing for your business, you begin recognizing yourself as someone intentionally investing in a mission you deeply believe in. Through personal stories from building the Spiritual Business Incubator and reflections on stepping into a larger CEO role, Anna shares how this identity shift creates greater confidence, responsibility, and alignment in the way you grow your business. Episode Takeaways: • You are likely the first investor in your business, whether you've invested money, time, energy, or expertise. • Viewing yourself as an investor changes how you make decisions and steward resources. • Every investment should be connected to the mission and long-term vision you are building. • Founders often treat outside investment more seriously than their own contributions, even when their personal investment is significant. • Stepping into the identity of both founder and investor can create a profound shift in leadership, confidence, and business growth. Resources: Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about] Purchase my book here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/ [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/] Podcast website: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast] View the full show notes for this episode: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode4 [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode4] Interactive Human Design Chart: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamannanichols] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba [https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba] Connect with Anna Nichols: Instagram: @iamannanichols [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/] (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/])

3. Lessons Learned: What I Did Right & What I Wish I Did Differently

In this personal episode, I'm reflecting on my journey from solopreneur to CEO and sharing the lessons that helped me build a business that feels purposeful, profitable, and aligned. Looking back over the last five years, there are things I know I got right, and there are definitely things I wish I had done differently. If you're building a mission-driven business and wondering whether you're on the right path, this episode offers an honest look at the mindset, decisions, and experiences that shaped my entrepreneurial journey, and what I hope other founders can learn from it. In this episode, I share: * The #1 thing that kept me moving forward when things felt uncertain * Why commitment matters more than having everything figured out * What I wish I had understood sooner about time, energy, and money * The biggest mistakes that slowed my growth and what they taught me * How stepping into the CEO role changed the way I approach business and leadership Resources: Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about] Purchase my book here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/ [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/] Podcast website: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast] View the full show notes for this episode: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode3 [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode3] Interactive Human Design Chart: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/hdchart] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamannanichols] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba [https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba] Connect with Anna Nichols: Instagram: @iamannanichols [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/] (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/])

2. Intentionally Moving through the Four Stages of Business

What stage of business are you actually in, and are you building in alignment with that stage? In this episode of The CEO Shift Podcast, Anna Nichols breaks down the four stages of business development and why so many founders stay stuck trying to force strategies that don’t match where they are in their journey. From solopreneur beginnings to stepping fully into the CEO role, this conversation explores the structural, emotional, and leadership shifts required to build a purposeful, profitable, and sustainable business. Anna shares why entrepreneurship isn’t just about sales, marketing, or mindset alone, it’s about learning how all of the pieces work together while evolving your identity as a leader along the way. This episode is a powerful reminder that business growth happens in stages, and the more intentionally you move through them, the more clarity, confidence, and sustainability you create for the long term. If you’ve been feeling scattered, stuck, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you understand where you are, what your business needs now, and how to move forward with intention. In This Episode: * Business development happens in stages, and each stage requires different skills, structures, and leadership capacities. * Your business can only grow sustainably when the foundational cycles and activities of your current stage are complete. * Entrepreneurship requires more than just one focus area like sales or energetics — long-term success comes from integrating vision, structure, marketing, finance, systems, leadership, and team. * Your role as a founder evolves as your business evolves, and stepping into the CEO identity requires intentional growth. * The speed at which you move through business stages depends on factors like resources, self-awareness, leadership maturity, and support. * Building a business intentionally creates more clarity and sustainability than constantly chasing strategies or “shiny objects.” * Purpose-driven businesses require both practical business strategy and alignment with your deeper mission. Resources: Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/about [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/about] Purchase my book here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/ [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/] Podcast website: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/newageceopodcast [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/newageceopodcast] View the full show notes for this episode: https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode2 [https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/episode2] Interactive Human Design Chart: https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/hdchart [https://spiritualbusinessincubator.circle.so/hdchart] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamannanichols] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba [https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba] Connect with Anna Nichols: Instagram: @iamannanichols [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/] (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/ [https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/])