Structuring Your Biz Bestie Relationship

00:00:24 - Amber Hawley
Welcome back to season one of the My Biz Bestie podcast. I'm Amber Hawley.

00:00:28 - Maelisa Hall
And I'm Melissa Hall.

00:00:30 - Amber Hawley
And today we're going to be talking a little bit about how to structure your biz bestie relationship. And we'll be talking about how we unstructure our relationship. Yeah. And we got this idea from going all these places and talking to different people and meeting people who already had their biz bestie. And we realized that obviously people structure this in so many different ways and which we find really exciting.
It's about finding out what works for you and what structure or unstructure works for you. So because of talking to all of these people, we have decided that we're going to add a monthly... meet your biz bestie kind of episode. So we're going to be interviewing people who already have biz besties and talking to them about how they structure things, what works for them, what didn't, any kind of adjustments they made.

Because I always find that really valuable to see how do people do it, you know, practically, how do people make that happen? And it can be nice not to like compare yourself to anybody, but to get those ideas of how could I do this differently?

00:01:34 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And it's so different. Every time we talk to someone, they have a different way that they met and a different structure that they use to either keep one another accountable or check in with one another. And it was so awesome to hear all these different people that we were like, we have to interview them.
So we're both really excited about that. And next week is going to be the first one. So little sneak peek there. You'll want to tune in next week for the first other biz bestie interview.

00:02:05 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And yeah, it's going to be really exciting. And so we'll be doing one in December. And then when we come back in season two, that's going to be a regular structure that once a month we'll be interviewing other people that have their biz besties or their biz bros, because we do have some men that we're going to throw into the mix too.
But I do think it can be really valuable because it might be that they do something in a certain way and you think, oh my gosh, I never thought of that. That's wonderful. And so, you know, We want to help you in this journey of finding your biz bestie and your support tribe.
But at the same time, it's like, well, then what do you do with it to maximize that once you found that person? And so we're hoping to offer a lot of value in that. And I know I love hearing from other people.

00:02:47 - Maelisa Hall
I know, me too. And it's, I don't know, it's inspiring, but it also gives you ideas. And then you can hear cool terms, you know, like the productivity pub crawl thing. which is some of the biz bros we would like to interview. That's a term that they created.
So I don't know. You just hear fun things from other people.

00:03:05 - Amber Hawley
Yeah, fun ideas. And I will say, so as we've been talking to people and meeting them, There are times where they talk about how they've structured it. We think, okay, we'll try. And I will say probably the one that stands out the most for me is the use of Voxer.
Yes. I'm so glad we're on the same page with that, by the way. Oh, I know. This is why we're biz besties, because we typically are on the same page with a lot of things. We heard about this from so many amazing women. And especially when you meet somebody and they're like, such an amazing caliber of business person and just individual human being, you think, oh my gosh, I got to give this a try, right?
But it did not work for us.

00:03:44 - Maelisa Hall
No, we just don't get it. But Voxer, if you don't know what it is, it's an app that's like, it's kind of like a voicemail service. Or if you're messaging iPhone to iPhone, you can do that too, where you can just leave little sound bites instead of texting or whatever.
But I don't know. It just doesn't make sense for us. Not for us.

00:04:03 - Amber Hawley
And I do see the value of it, of you are able to communicate because it's so much easier for me. I do talk to text a lot and then it always looks wonky and crazy. So people just know to ignore it. If it looks really random, then it's probably talk to text.
But when you can leave those To actually hear someone's voice, I think is really valuable. And rather than having to go through somebody's voicemail system and then, you know, whatever, it is easier. Like I do see the value in that. But as far as our relationship, I find that we talk so regularly and it's the right then in the moment interaction back and forth that I get the most value out of.

00:04:40 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And I guess, I mean, this is kind of a nice segue into how we structure our relationship, which is that we do talk on the phone a lot, like live phone calls. So we do text one another and we do Facebook Messenger, but that's usually in the middle of the night if both of us are awake.
Or if it's way too early for one of us to talk to the other because we don't think the other one is awake yet.

00:05:05 - Amber Hawley
And we're not really morning people.

00:05:07 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, I don't want to talk to anybody at 6 a.m., including my husband. Usually... We'll just call one another and talk on the phone. And that's mostly what we do. And we do that almost every day, weekday.

00:05:18 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And again, I know a lot of people would say, oh, that wouldn't work for me because of my schedule or for your kids. And that's exactly it. It's not for everyone. We get that. But we have tried a few different things and realized it's just what works best for us.
And yeah, if we're unable to connect with one another... we just send like a message. Like we send a text message or a Facebook message. And it is really funny. I've told people there are times where Melissa and I will be interacting via text and then she sends me a Facebook message.
And I always laugh so hard because I'm like, why the Facebook message? We're in the middle of a conversation and she sends me some link. And I do understand it now. She explained it, but I find it hilarious.

00:05:58 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. And it's because I have an iPhone and it's really easy if people... are both on an iPhone. You can Facebook message one another from your computer. So I will do that with other people. But if I want to like send you something that's a link or a file or a picture, then it's easier to just do it on Facebook, especially if I'm on my computer at the time.
Then it's like switch back and forth from the computer to the phone.

00:06:23 - Amber Hawley
It is true. Although I still find it hilarious because sometimes we were having two different conversations in the two different things at the same time. So that kind of cracks me up.

00:06:31 - Maelisa Hall
But that's really us.

00:06:32 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. I know. One other thing that we did try in this efforts of trying to find our, you know, our ideal structure when working together is we tried to do what a lot of people have talked about in doing a once a week accountability check where, you know, we kind of posted these are the things I'm working on.
This is what I'm trying to accomplish. And either there was like a daily check in and we tried doing that via Basecamp or Or there was a weekly check-in where we had a structured phone call.

00:07:03 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And it's funny because I even forget that we tried this at some point, but it really just didn't work that well because I think the big reason the phone conversations work for us is that with you and I, it's a lot of this in-the-moment kind of stuff.
So if I'm thinking about something, I can call you or vice versa. But with Basecamp... It sort of felt impersonal because we were like going in there to jot down whatever, but I still wanted to talk to you. Yeah. So it was like, what's the point of this?
And then I don't know about you because I don't even know how much we've actually talked to one another about this. But for me, it also felt like as soon as there was that requirement, then it was like all these other things started popping up. Like I felt guilty if I hadn't done it.

Or I felt pressure to do it. Whereas I never feel that with our phone conversations.

00:08:00 - Amber Hawley
Yeah, I agree. And I don't know if this is some of the ADHD stuff, but I'm going to guess that people that don't have ADHD feel the same way. Our lives are very, we're not using the B word, so our lives are very full and there's a lot going on. And the last thing I need is that this BizBestie relationship is another requirement.
It's my respite. It's my support. And we do offer each other a lot of value, I feel, a lot of feedback and support and some accountability, but it's not done in such a structured way. And I deeply value that. And again, if you're somebody who really needs that structure or really enjoys it, then do that.
But I also think it's okay to not enjoy that.

00:08:47 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And I think because both of us, that's not naturally what we do and we like having the flexibility, it also puts in this extra pressure if one of us is taking the lead with that. That's neither of our strengths per se. And then for one of us to feel like we have to chase the other one down or feel like we are letting the other one down.
And that's why I think we had mentioned in... one of our other episodes talking about something like a mastermind, for me, that's why I would pay for something like that. If I want accountability and I want someone to structure something and set it up for me, I am willing to pay for that because I know that's not my strength and that's something I want someone else to do.
But that's not what I need from my biz bestie. Right.

00:09:30 - Amber Hawley
And we're both doing that where we're paying people in masterminds exactly for that reason, because we do see the value in that. We do know that when you you know, set a goal and say it out loud and have accountability around it, it's, you know, the likelihood of achieving that is much greater.
And at the same time, I don't think that's how we feel. I don't feel like that's where we find the value in our relationship. Some of that happens, but that's not to me the primary reason for it. Absolutely.

00:09:59 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And I feel like there, I'm sure there are people listening to this who are the opposite, where for you having a biz bestie would be having someone who you can check in with regularly and you would like having that structure and knowing exactly what to expect.
So, I mean, I totally respect that and I can see how a lot of people would prefer that type of relationship and wouldn't enjoy what we have. So I think that's the important thing of, you know, making sure that you're on the same page about that kind of stuff and that you're not trying to fit into some mold that's that you don't naturally fit into.

00:10:34 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And that you both have the same, that you're similar in that, what you're looking for, right? Because if the one person is feeling like they would like that flow and unstructuredness, but their biz bestie is very structured and needs it, that could be a problem.
And so not everybody's your biz bestie. They can still be part of your biz support system. And they could also be a friend, right? But that's not really what we're talking about here. But it's okay. It's okay to be different. And I think so many times I hear people, especially as a therapist, I'm hearing people, it's like putting value judgments on it, that this is the right way.
And then, or you could do it this other way, but that's not as efficient, effective, productive, whatever the words are. And we happen to know that's total crap. So as therapists, we can tell you that. And all it ends up doing is making one person feel like shit.

And, you know, usually the person who's the more unstructured one. And I think it's like, it doesn't need to be that way. It should, the support system should be whatever it is you're needing from the support system. And those things can vary and change.
But, you know, hopefully when you hit gold like we did, you get a little bit of everything. But I do know you're right that other people don't want that. And that was some of the people we talked to about their BizBestie relationships is that they said that they're looking more for that business structure support.
So it's a little bit different.

00:11:59 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And maybe I wonder if it would help people too to kind of know like what it is that we talk about, especially since we talk to one another so regularly. Yeah. And I think, you know, and I think that's part of it, too, is, you know, sometimes you and I talk for like 10 or 15 minutes in a day.
And sometimes we will talk for over an hour, even, you know, without doing this podcast together. Right. And I think we do end up talking about kind of any and everything. But we talk about our businesses a lot and business in general, and we share resources.
And Part of it is that you and I both really, really enjoy talking about business and marketing and online marketing and all of that stuff. So that is something that is a big interest topic for both of us that we could talk to anyone about.

And so I think that's a big part of our relationship is just that we have this common interest.

00:12:53 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And even though both of us, just to be clear, both of us have excellent relationships. support networks as far as friends and family go. And so we have those other, especially both of our husbands are rock stars for sure.

00:13:05 - Maelisa Hall
They are super supportive.

00:13:07 - Amber Hawley
Absolutely amazing. And so we do have that. We have, we have people where, you know, we just go and we have fun and you do our girls night out and you know, whatever it is that we do, all those other wonderful things, but not everybody wants to talk about this stuff all the time.
And even the people who are into it, like I still feel like, again, there's, there's a limit. I can sense that, that sometimes like, oh, okay, yeah, great. And then they, or they feel a little overwhelmed. Like, you know, the, I'm sure you've heard this as well.
Like, it's almost like we've turned a fire hose of information on them. And I even have clients, I have a lot of clients that I see that also own businesses. So I know I get so jazzed when I get to talk about that stuff in sessions as well.

So it's just very exciting. And we could just talk about it all the time, but not everybody wants to do that. And so, yeah, a big part of it is that sharing and tools and tips and, you know, podcasts and books and thoughts and concepts. So we definitely do that in general, but it's also the specific feedback because we both understand each other's businesses.
And so being able to give that strategic support and I think it's really valuable. And sometimes, you know, it's like you or I will come up with an idea or a direction or we've consulted with somebody else or, you know, because like we said, we participate in a lot of programs and things and we'll get feedback and then we tell it to each other.
And when the other person is like, oh, yeah, that makes sense. Then it's even more solidifying, like we're on the right track here.

00:14:40 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And sometimes it's having a sounding board because we're both sort of thinking out loud and talking about something. And I think we're both good at facilitating that for one another. So we don't have somebody who's limiting those ideas or, you know, sidetracking us on that.
Kind of like we talked about with I think it was in the Myers-Briggs episode. Sometimes if you're a dreamer, you need someone who's not going to stop you and say like, wait, how are you going to break that down? You need someone to just kind of help you formulate that big dream.
And so I know that is really helpful. But at the same time, I can call you if I am trying to formulate that dream and say like, oh, here's what I think is step one and step two. What do you think about that? So I know that I have that level of specific support and you're someone who's familiar with my business and someone who's familiar with even like the technical tools that I might be using for something or like, you know, about, you know, marketing funnels and stuff like that.

So I can get into the nitty gritty as well.

00:15:44 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And, you know, there are those times where I think too, when, when each, when either of us is like questioning of like a, like a thought or something, the way we're going to go about something. And it's always in a respectful way, but just even that questioning of it helps us critically think through it.
Right. So, you know, the idea of, you know, there's been some recent things about your, the focus of your business and kind of where you're at. And I was like, Oh, well, why would you have to get rid of this other site? And you were able, I think, to articulate like what the thought process was there.
And it made a lot of sense, but I think there's value in being able to talk about that with somebody who who is outside of your business.

00:16:24 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And someone, you know, I think we've talked about this too, like that you have mutual respect for. So I respect your business savvy and also your personality. And I think that helps a lot too, because I know that if I am being a little, I think we both do this for one another, since we do tend to be overly optimistic, then you're someone I can call and be like, is that really going to happen?
And you'd be like, yeah, probably not. And I feel like, okay, maybe I need to plan out my day a little bit differently, right? I know.

00:16:56 - Amber Hawley
And I feel like we could have a thousand examples of this. And as you were... As we were talking just a little bit ago, I was thinking of that. I was like, what was that? It just came up recently. And I was like, I don't know about that. I don't know if that's going to happen.
And then sure enough, you give yourself some flexibility. But even when we're recording the last episode, because we have the best of intentions, but we also have very full schedules. And there's all these clients needing to get seen and all this other stuff, like emergency stuff this week.
And you said, okay, let's do a 15-minute episode. And I just started laughing. I know you did. And I'm like, no, we can do it.

00:17:32 - Maelisa Hall
No.

00:17:32 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And you were really sad. You were like, no, we're going to be, both are going to be thoughtful. And we're going to, and then I, and then at the end of it, it was 23 minutes and it'll probably be less when it's edited. But I was like, ha ha ha. I know.
Cause we are so unrealistic. And that's, I mean, not so it was a few minutes off.

00:17:49 - Maelisa Hall
Right. But, but yeah, I just, but that time you were more realistic about it. Right. Like you were not shy about being like, yeah, that's not going to happen.

00:17:56 - Amber Hawley
But I think that's the beauty is when I'm not, Like in that space, I think you do that for me and then vice versa. So that's the nice part is we can be like, hmm. And then the other thing that I think makes our biz bestie relationship so good and beneficial, what I always feel supported is we're so flexible.
I mean, we're still going to try to show up for each other because like you said, there's that mutual respect that we don't want to let each other down or we're not trying to take advantage. But we're also flexible when we do these things where we're maybe not being realistic about time.
Because I know we were supposed to record that last episode last week. And then, you know, a series of things happened. And I was like, well, crap, I have a client in 15 minutes. Do you think we can get an episode out? And it was like, no.

00:18:42 - Maelisa Hall
And that time I was like, no. Yeah, exactly.

00:18:44 - Amber Hawley
And so we said, okay, let's just move it. And then we ended up, you know, switching everything this week around and saying, okay, we're going to do it on Monday. Which at the time we were like, oh, we've got like four hours or three hours or something.
And then all of a sudden it's like shorter, shorter, shorter. So I think the nice part is we're both very flexible with that, even though we do have a lot of things going on.

00:19:04 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. Yeah. And like we talked about before, it's just whatever you need. If you need someone who's not so flexible, then make sure that's because I and I feel like also knowing what you value. Right. Because I think for both of us, that is a big value is being flexible.
And for someone else, that might not be as big a deal either way. So knowing what are those key things that you need in any kind of relationship can make it really, really helpful. And I did also want to say, we do talk about personal stuff too. So we're both just kind of obsessed about business.
So we do talk about that. But we can also talk about things like things that are going on with our family, or if we're feeling stressed in general, or if medical stuff is going on. So I feel like there's not anything that's really off limits for us to talk about.
And some days we may end up spending more time on personal stuff Because there's just something going on than we would talking to one another about business.

00:19:56 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And like this morning, we did kind of our morning check-in, which is, again, unofficial, but I'm just noticing the trend. And we don't always do it. It just depends. But we did the morning check-in because we knew today we actually recorded a summit interview for an amazing summit we're going to be a part of.
And then we knew we had the podcast. But before that, I had a client session. And then after this, we both have client sessions. And so pretty much my whole day has been scheduled. And then in there, I had to call in payroll and do a bunch of other things.
But I feel like that morning check-in, it was all personal stuff mostly. And so sometimes that happens. And we did lose like 20 minutes because we were talking about It wasn't like personal per se. It was all kind of intermixed, but just kind of talking, inventing, and going through things while we're setting up for the podcast.

And that happens. And yes, I know we could probably be a little more on top of that when we know we have such a tight schedule. And at the same time, I think our philosophy is like, eh, it'll work out. It's all going to work out. It'll be okay. We might have a little panicked rush at the end somewhere, but it'll be fine.

00:21:03 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, yeah. And I think it also helps that we... we do both trust one another that no matter what stuff's going to get done and whatever we have to do, we're going to make it happen. So there's no, there's never any doubt about that.

00:21:19 - Amber Hawley
That, that is true. And I think that's the one piece like we will, if shit's going to hit the fan, we'll rally. Like we'll make sure that this, you know, whatever it is, whether it's getting a podcast episode out or whatever, we're going to make it happen.
And so that's the trust. There's a trust piece there. So we are offering flexibility, but it's not, again, it's not taking advantage and it's not like, hey, let's just not get back to this. Because we do have successful businesses, we obviously have to get stuff done at some point, right?
But it's just understanding that everything can't be a priority and that sometimes stuff happens and you got to make adjustments.

00:21:54 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And it's interesting, as you were talking, I thought of something else with the whole trust factor, which is money. And when... When you have a biz bestie, I think part of the benefit is being able to do things like meet up every once in a while if you're further away, go on trips together if you're going to conferences together, even just going to have lunch together if maybe you do live nearby.
And one of the things that I have appreciated about our relationship is that we can very easily work out the money stuff, whether it's splitting a hotel room or... like, okay, I'll buy this meal, you buy that meal or whatever. I feel like neither of us is either really super extravagant or super miserly.

And so we tend to be on the same page with a lot of that stuff as far as what we would like to invest in, what we're willing to spend money on. And I trust that if there is something that's kind of like unequal in the middle, like it's going to work out and I can trust you to pay me back for things.
And I think that's something that could end up being a big conflict because inevitably the money stuff's going to happen at some point.

00:23:06 - Amber Hawley
Right. And first off, I just have to stop and say, I love that you don't think I'm extravagant. That just makes me feel so good. I did say super extravagant.

00:23:17 - Maelisa Hall
I was going to say, I mean, come on.

00:23:20 - Amber Hawley
I'm just semi, I'm like realistically extravagant. Like, again, we all have different priorities, right? Yeah. But I agree. I think that is such a good point that I hadn't really thought of before because it does just kind of work for us. But that really comes, I mean, it comes up in so many relationships.
I mean, even marriages and romantic relationships, right? Money's number one. And so part of me is like, well, duh, we should have thought of that. But I love that you came up with it. It's true. I think that When you start to feel... And this can happen even in good relationship.
It doesn't make you a bad person or the other person a bad person. It's just that money is a really difficult thing and it brings up a lot of stuff for people. And so if you're ever in that situation with your biz bestie where it starts to feel like one person feels taken advantage of or you feel like things aren't being equal or some of that stuff is coming up, I guess my suggestion would be to be really thoughtful about boundaries.

And so... I would then, that's where I would get structured. If I felt that that was happening, I would say, okay, we need to be really structured about going in and making sure that every, let's just always do 50-50 split. You know, when you go check into a hotel, give both credit cards, make sure that it's, you know, happening like that.
And I know for us though, the problem was we would do that and they still ended up screwing up and not charging someone and charging someone twice or something like that. But you know, you gotta try, right? Like that, that would be my suggestion to people is getting really clear about it.
And I know that I do appreciate that because I know that I'm willing to always pay my share and like you are too. And so, but I don't sweat it. Like I don't sit and think about it because that's like, this is where my thing is.

I'm not so good with that. I would rather just suck it up and pay for it for a while until I can get to it because it's just one more of those paperwork detail kind of things.

00:25:15 - Maelisa Hall
But we do it well.

00:25:16 - Amber Hawley
And I think for us, now that we actually have a podcast together, we actually did create a spreadsheet for that so that we could really track that and see it. So that was a good thing for us to do. If you don't have anything shared together, I would say It's okay to go back and forth and have that flexibility, but you're right.
Money is one of those things where people can get really, it can destroy relationships. So it's like, hey, rather than have that happen, just be a little more diligent about the boundaries because you don't want to feel like you're chasing someone down for money, especially when they're your friend and support or they feel like they're dodging you for the same reason.
It's like, that's no good.

00:25:53 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, and I think it's one of those things you may not think about ahead of time and then something happens and then you're like, oh, we have totally different values around this or different beliefs. And like you said, and then it can become a big deal really quickly.
So even if you're somebody who is at the beginning stages of your biz bestie relationship, maybe you do create a spreadsheet so that you have it together or at least talk to one another about it before you go on a trip or do something like that together.
say, you know, like, how do you want to do the payments and kind of be proactive about that?

00:26:28 - Amber Hawley
Yeah, that's a good thought. And because we are sharing now, because we have this passion project together, we definitely wanted to do that because that way it could be like when we spelled everything out, like of what if each of us has paid for, we can see like, oh, is it starting to lean one way, you know, too much or whatever?
And then like, okay, let's bring it back and kind of bring it back to zero. So do an adjustment, right? Yeah. Like, okay, I'll give you a PayPal payment for all of this. So now we're at even and then we kind of go from there. The other thing we did, if you're doing a lot of travel with your biz bestie and you're not sharing a business, is this was twofold for us.
One, we created a spreadsheet where we had every event or conference listed. And then we had the little checklist of, Did we like it has each of our names and it says, did we buy our tickets? Because obviously, you know, ticket to the event that's separate.

So it would be like Melissa ticket, Amber ticket. And then it was flight, Amber flight, Melissa. And then it was hotel. And one, we did that because we were forgetting to like, oh, crap, I got to book a flight. I totally forgot to book it. Because if you're joining these events far in advance, you might forget to do that.
And then the other piece of it was, it was a good way of seeing like, oh, okay, Melissa took care of the hotel. Let me call and book the next hotel. That way it's not always falling on one person. So some of that is sharing the workload, but some of it is also the financial component too, right?

00:27:48 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And then it also helped us remember like, oh, okay, so if I book the hotel, then they probably have my credit card info. So then yours is the one that we need to add. So it just made everything a lot easier. And then I also didn't have to worry if we were doing like, you know, playing phone tag during the day and I had a question about something, I could just go to that spreadsheet and look and be like, oh, okay, that one's already taken care of.

00:28:09 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And that's really valuable. And thinking about, you know, while we're on the money topic of how we structure this, even in our bigger group, you know, we have the group of nine women and we talk about doing these little smaller retreats where probably like four or five of us will go sometimes and because of location and being close to each other.
And on those, when we have booked like Airbnbs and we've made a commitment like, okay, I'm going to go, we're going to go do our little mini GSD on this weekend. We all have made an agreement that once we have committed to that and paid for it, that even if for some reason something came up and you had to back out, that you're still paying that share of the housing because everyone made a commitment based on the number, the amount that they thought was going to happen.
And so that's something that, you know, all we did was say that verbally.

It's not like we have a contract or anything, but because we respect and care about each other, like we understand that that's, you know, that's the thing we're willing to do. So it's like a cancellation policy of sorts. And so, yeah, so we wanted to make sure that everyone feels good about, they get to keep their original commitment.
And we know that once somebody says they're in, they're in for that kind of thing.

00:29:20 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, for sure. And it's been, and I think that's where trust comes in. You have to kind of feel one another out and see how that's going to go. And maybe you start off with smaller commitments to make sure that you can trust people to do that kind of a thing.

00:29:34 - Amber Hawley
But once you have that trust solidified, it makes all of that stuff so much easier because I'm really not stressed about any of that part of it. that it does happen more than we think. And people can be untrustworthy or weird about money. And so we are very fortunate that the people we're interacting with are very trustworthy.
And so we're lucky in that sense, but you should build up to that. I think that is a good piece of advice.

00:30:06 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And also, I mean, I think it also might have to do with how we all met, which was reading that book, Get Rich, Lucky Bitch, which is a money mindset book. And so we all did meet one another because... we are vested in improving our money mindset and our businesses as well.
So that's like a shared value we all have.

00:30:27 - Amber Hawley
For sure.

00:30:27 - Maelisa Hall
Well, do you have anything else to add? I mean, I feel like we could talk forever about what we talk about. But do you have anything else to add as far as like how we structure or we could go on and on about potential structures for your biz bestie relationship too.
But I think the important thing is to know what you value most and what you need.

00:30:49 - Amber Hawley
So this makes me think about the talk we just gave when we were in Atlanta. And we had the women in the audience really take some time to identify what their values were, what they were wanting out of a relationship. And so some of that was, are you looking for emotional support?
Are you looking for logistical tips and tools? Are you looking for mindset stuff? Which I feel is something we're always... Mindset is an ever-evolving thing, but we're in different spaces at different times, right? So... getting really clear about what it is you're looking for in a relationship and what your needs are will help you decide if the people you meet are really the best biz besties for you.
And that's the vetting process.

00:31:31 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And on the flip side, also thinking about what you can contribute both as far as time and logistics, but also emotionally, like, you know, where do you feel you are in your business and who do you feel like you could support and help without being feeling resentful or anything like that.
Yes.

00:31:50 - Amber Hawley
And it could be that if somebody was trying to be my biz bestie and only wanted to talk once a week, we would not be a good fit for each other because that's not what I need. But it might be all they can give. And there's nothing wrong with that. Again, it's just about understanding.
It's like a primary relationship. You need to make sure that that those needs and values are a little more in alignment. And the expectation, I guess, is what it is. It's all about setting the expectation. And in no way did we say we need to talk every single day.
It's just through time we realized that's naturally what feels good to us. And there's also days where we don't talk and I might call her a couple of times and she doesn't answer. And we never worry about that either. I never feel rejected or feel bad.
I think, oh, she's busy because you know what? She's got a life and she has a business. So that's the other piece of it is there is no expectation.

There is no like, you have to call me back. It's not like that. It's because we want to and it's all about flow. But I do think getting clear about what you're needing will be helpful in this process. And so, yeah, like you said, we could give a million structures and potentials, but I think that's why we want to do the BizBestie interviews so that we can just talk to other people and see what works for them and get those, you know, let's shortcut those learning lessons.
But doing the work for yourself and getting clarity for yourself, I think, will be immensely helpful in that process. Absolutely.

00:33:12 - Maelisa Hall
So we are super excited to share the first BizBestie interview next week. So make sure that you are subscribed so that you will get that on your phone or however that works on the Android.

00:33:26 - Amber Hawley
It's the same thing as iTunes. It's just Stitcher. Or there's a few other, however that is, but you don't want to miss it for sure.

00:33:36 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. So you will hear more and more ideas about how you could potentially structure your own BizBestie relationship. And if you are looking for someone to be your BizBestie or maybe you have a BizBestie already and got some new ideas and just think that we're awesome and want to share us with other people...
then please do share. Share this episode with someone that you think would find value from it and really find it enjoyable.

00:33:59 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And thanks for joining us today. We'll see you next week with two other fabulous and fun ladies who are going to share their BizBestie journey. And we look forward to connecting again.

00:34:10 - Maelisa Hall
Bye.