JOYFull Productivity - Wheelhouse Lifestyle Solutions

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and professional development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Janifer Wheeler, Founder of Wheelhouse Lifestyle Solutions, located in Round Rock, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

🦹🏻‍♀️What I Do: I create personal & professional development for human beings who are dealing with chronic stress & burnout due to overload, overwork, and overwhelm. I love helping people find and fill their gaps so they can turn chaos into #JOYFullProductivity for the purpose of DOING LESS and BEING MORE!

🔥How I help: My brain loves nothing more than to collect, process, and repurpose useful information, so you don’t have to. I’m like a librarian, a professor, and your favorite fourth-grade teacher, all rolled into one. Basically, I am Wikipedia for exhausted introverts looking for more time, money, freedom, and JOY!

Who I Serve:
🙋‍♀️ Female Entrepreneurs
🙋🏻‍♀️ Moms with Full or Empty Nests
🙋🏼‍♀️ Caregivers
🙋🏽‍♀️ The Sandwich Generation
🙋🏾‍♀️ GEN-X
🙋🏿‍♀️ Introverts

Tell us about yourself

In 2012, after 20 years in the workforce, I had my first traumatic burnout experience. Sure, I had been tired, frustrated, exhausted, and overwhelmed before, but it was NOT like this. Even though I was running 25 miles a week and eating healthy, it wasn’t enough. Let’s face it, exercise and nutrition are for ENERGY and EFFORT. If your life is still chaotic and your to-do list seems to never end, you aren’t managing your time well. The energy may be there to fuel the system, but if your system is CHAOTIC, then nothing really changes, which is what I found out the hard way. I basically had a breakdown and knew I had to leave classroom teaching in public ed.

From this experience and a lot of intentional, focused personal growth, I was able to see that my biggest issue was disconnected values! I crave freedom and autonomy - not readily available in most work environments, so I decided to make my own.

My entire business is based on helping other frazzled females get their shit together once and for all using the concept of #JOYFullProductivity. I am no longer a victim of the TOXIC Productivity mindset that says we should be producing results all the time, no matter if we are tired, grieving, sad, overwhelmed, or celebrating. Pushing yourself beyond your limits on a regular basis leads to BURNOUT, and burnout has its own set of physical and mental symptoms such as irritability, insomnia or poor sleep, headaches, body pain, low immunity-frequent illnesses, digestive issues, or self-medicating with alcohol, street or prescription drugs. It is my life’s greatest goal to give my fellow females the tools they need to let go of this toxic way of living.

When I feel low, when I feel like I want to shut it all down and get a “real job,” I remember what motivates me to keep going. It’s the desire to “Be the change I want to see in the world.” I want to be the reason the world lets go of Toxic Productivity and embraces JOY instead. As someone with rebellious tendencies, I am ready to start radical change through the #JOYFullyBadAssRevolution!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Understanding myself better & honoring that. I am not always as financially successful as I’d like to be in my business, but I am not only in it for the money. I think you have to define success for yourself and work towards THAT. I am more interested in a business that is aligned with my values, work style, and life goals.

I have been able to let go of comparison and focus on creating MY business. This helps me stick to it no matter how many ideas fail or how many shiny objects distract my attention. I am also really good at setting boundaries and acknowledging my own energy source. I know when I am overloaded or overwhelmed, and I know how to address it. I am completely clear on how to keep myself at my best.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Delegation. We are conditioned to think that we should do everything. If we don’t know how, just watch a video or buy a course, regardless of whether or not it’s in your zone of genius. Even if we can, why? Trying to do everything causes burnout and steals all the joy from running your own life and business.

It’s so hard to let go of control and let people help you, especially when you are a driven, high-achieving woman who constantly feels like only SHE can do it. Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you should.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Develop a relationship with yourself. Spend time understanding who you are, what you want, and how you show up in the world. Meet yourself for coffee. Journal. Take Quizzes. Ask hard questions. Pay so much attention to yourself that you know immediately when something is out of whack. We do this for cars, kids, and partners... are YOU any less important?
2. Implement Boundaries. This one is hard because it is so easy to let an “important” distraction interfere and derail your plan. As I used to tell my fourth-grade students, “If I am working at my desk, you can only interrupt if you are bleeding, barfing, or otherwise dying.” It was amazing how many emergencies faded into thin air once this expectation was in place. Now, I just put DO NOT DISTURB on my devices, and I DON’T respond unless they meet my criteria!
3. Limit Social Media. Too much social media seriously steals your JOY. Not only can it be filled with toxic language and behaviors, but it is also the worst time suck since Netflix stopped mailing you DVDs and started streaming! So that I can maintain my self-esteem and get some shit done, I put timers on my devices when I go on SM and actually stop when they go off! I also delegated all SM posts to my virtual assistant, so I am not getting sidetracked by my posts and shares.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

When I’m not helping you crush your goals and level up your productivity, you can find me in my little RV… by the water, communing with nature. It’s what I do to drop my stress and re-focus. I’m also an introvert and super big reading nerd (yes, I’ve totally been known to read a book #likeaboss at parties, concerts, ballgames, etc.) I never leave home without my Kindle!

I’ve built my life on the idea that efficiency and productivity have the power to make life spacious enough to hold your dreams. If you snuck a peek at my resume, you’d see that I’m a Certified Teacher & Curriculum Designer, Certified Diversity Professional®, International Best Selling Author and I have over a decade of experience as both an adult educator and business operations expert.

Did I mention I take getting things done seriously? I won’t give you more hours in the day, but I can help you get so much more juice and life out of the hours you have.

“If it’s not JOYFull, I am not doing it, and neither should you.”

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://janiferwheeler.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_joyfull_badass/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiferwheeler/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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