In this structured episode, Chelsea Husum, Owner of chelseahusum.com, shares her strategies for cultivating transformative habits and personal practices that have enriched her life.

You will discover:

– the lies every entrepreneur must overcome
– why and how to set the boundaries you need to succeed
– why we should all stop pretending things are perfect (and what it’s costing us)

Episode Transcript

Scott Ritzheimer

Hello Hello and welcome welcome once again to the secrets of the high demand coach podcast and I am here with you guessed it yet another high demand coach and consultant and speaker and just all round amazing person it is the one the only Chelsea Husum, who stands out in the male dominated construction industry exemplifying entrepreneurship, personal growth and empowerment through her successful startup. Her newest book real vibes, only an unapologetic confession sorry of a hot mess mompreneur merges entrepreneurship and motherhood with resilience and honesty. What truly distinguishes Chelsea is her rely on her relatability and self deprecating humor, making her an inspiring and relatable figure. She doesn’t just share stories, she brings them to life motivating listeners to feel connected and seen in a world filled with curated content. She offers authenticity. And I can attest to that. In the short time I had to prepare for this. It was all over in everything that I read. It’s just a genuine, authentic experience. I had a lot of fun with it. I know our listeners are going to Chelsea, welcome to the show. So excited to have you here.

Chelsea Husum

Thank you so much. I’m so excited to be here.

Scott Ritzheimer

Awesome, awesome. Well, so I asked you this question ahead of time, because your typical years is not the typical entrepreneurial journey, especially from an industry perspective. So how did you as a female entrepreneur, find your way into the construction industry?

Chelsea Husum

Mm hmm. So I, I have a Spanish degree in broadcast journalism degree. And I thought I was going to be the next Barbara Walters did not end up going that route, because I didn’t want to make 20 grand and work nights and weekends. So actually, after college, I worked in experiential and tradeshow marketing for a while, like five or six years, then I got just didn’t feel like I was doing anything worthwhile with my life. So I quit that got my master’s in education and became a high school Spanish teacher for 10 years. And then one day, a kid called me an effing waste of space. And I was like, oh, okay, it was just like, Yeah, I don’t love this anymore. And so I, I was just like, oh, my gosh, what am I going to do with my life? I felt kind of like pigeon holed, and I didn’t, I had no clue what what I was going to now do. And so I literally, I applied for all these jobs, no one called me, which was really, really sad and depressing at the time. But the only job I got offered was a office manager for a different construction company. But it got me into commercial construction. Really, I got trained, like two days learn the hard way. It was rough. I cried a lot. I was like, What is all of this? Because it’s a whole nother world. And then in March of 2020, I started my company. And yeah, then and I actually work to two years ago, today was the was the day I quit that other the second job, and I finally so I worked those two jobs for a couple years, and then finally stepped out into build, you know, running my own company solely, which was amazing.

Scott Ritzheimer

Wow, what would you say along this journey, especially as you stepped into the entrepreneurial world and started your own? What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced being both an entrepreneur and a mom?

Chelsea Husum

Yeah, I mean, there’s lots of them. You know, being an entrepreneur is difficult. It’s not, it’s not immediate success. You know, you, I learned the hard way. And I asked a ton of questions. And I remember, you know, when I first started the company, and a client would call me like, I was just so nervous. And, like, what if they asked me something? I don’t know. And now I can ramble on about it forever, right? Because I know it inside and out. But, you know, it just took a while to actually feel comfortable with what you were doing, and really know it. You know, like I said, inside and out. Um, but juggling everything. I mean, it’s hard, you have to set boundaries, you know, I go to bed really early. I by I’m by nine, I am in bed at the like the latest during the week, because I get up at 530 I go to the gym, first thing because my phone starts ringing at six or seven in the morning, and start you know, it’s early, they’re all out on the job site calling. So it’s I’ve found that for me, I have to set my day up really well get some energy. That’s the only time I have because I don’t know about you. But like, if I’m like I’m gonna work out later today, I’m tired, something happens, it always is derailed for me. So I know if I do it first thing in the morning, all my excuses are not going to come into play. And just you have to set boundaries with your time, you know, early on, I’d have all these insurance people or bankers being like, hey, can we have coffee? I want to support you know, see how I can support you. And it’s like, and I used to take all those meetings. And now I just nicely say no, because it’s like I’m not switching banks or insurance. It’s not it’s a waste of your time. It’s not a good use of my time, right? So you have to as you grow I think you realize what your time’s worth and what you need to spend it on. Like, is it moving your business forward? Or not?

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah. What do you think are some of the advantages that you had based on your background? Being a mom being a female in the construction industry? What are some of the advantages that you felt like you walked in with?

Chelsea Husum

Um, I think I’m just a really hard worker in general. And, you know, not giving up. So there are really hard days, but it’s just keeping, you know, you keep going and you know, Hey, okay, I don’t know the answer, but I can call somebody to find out, or, you know, you got to be kind of scrappy and and just figure it out, because you’re not going to know everything right now. But yeah, I would say that was probably the biggest thing.

Scott Ritzheimer

Awesome. What were some of the lies that you feel because I one of the things that I’ve found for, especially for entrepreneurs, before we jump in, we don’t really recognize how personal the journey is, right? We kind of think business is business and but when it’s you, right, it’s a deeply personal endeavor, what were some of the lies that you felt like you had to break through to really get to success as an entrepreneur?

Chelsea Husum

I think a lot of us will, for me, specifically, but probably many other people feel deal with impostor syndrome like, Well, who am I to start this company? Who am I to be successful? Like, who am I to like I’m creating, I’m going out into a market in Denver, you know, it’s not a small market. Who am I? Why would people want to work with me? And honestly, eventually, you have to say, No, I know what I’m doing. I know what I offer, I know the value I have, right? And know that the people that are meant to work with you are going to work with you. And the beauty of you being the boss, you if somebody comes to you, and you don’t it’s not aligned, you know, or they’re not treating you well, or it’s just not going well, you don’t have to work with them. You get to choose not to right. So it’s yeah, it’s being aligned with that, for sure.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah. Another thing about the journey we don’t quite know, before we jump in is just how hard it is. Right? You’ve talked several times about it’s just that this kind of doggedness, what are some of those those challenging moments for you? And looking back on them now? What did they form in you to help you create the success that you have now.

Chelsea Husum

One specifically, I mean, I’ve had a lot and it’s just kind of, you know, growing pains, learning how to manage employees, that’s a lot, you know, we’re having a bunch of assets and, you know, having having cashflow, you know, operating operating expenses coming in, that’s always a tough one. But I mean, I’ve gone through hard times in general, and, you know, up until December of 23, for like two and a half years, I was in a really intense lawsuit. And so honestly, that having to wake up, be a mom, be a wife, run a company, and not just like lose your mind every day, due to the stress and the absolutely the heaviness and the overwhelm constantly, you know, being attacked and living in fear truly, for two and a half years, I would wake up in hives, I would just, I really wasn’t okay. And so that was hard. Personally going through that, and, but still having to pull it together in every way and keep going forward. But I really one day I woke up and I’m like, I’m not okay. And this was a ways into it. And I texted a friend who’s a therapist, and I said, I need help. I’m not okay. She’s like, I got you. So knowing that I just was not okay. And it, you know, I’d wake up in the middle of the night like, oh, it’s not a nightmare. This is real, or my kids asking me Mommy, when are we losing our house? Mom, here’s $12 You need it more than I do. Like, literally just broke my heart. I was like, I can’t do this anymore. So that was extremely probably it was extremely difficult. And probably in probably by far the hardest thing I’ve gone through while also having to live life and perform right. So I you know, I’d say I say that because life is hard. And we all go through adversity. Every single person, that’s a guarantee of the human experience, right? But it’s okay. You have to do the work when you’re in it. Because it feels like it’s gonna break you at that time. It won’t, but you, you have to dig out and you have to do things that make you physically and mentally feel okay. Or you’re not going to get out of it, you know, or you’re going to be you’re not going to come out of it stronger.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah. Why is it because I found especially in a moment of kind of sobriety or honesty, just about every entrepreneur has passed through that kind of challenge, right. They’ve had those moments. Why is it that there’s such a pressure to glamorize the process?

Chelsea Husum

Yeah, I mean, I’ve heard that like the majority of really successful people have declared banker So you have been sued have gone through really, really hard times, right. And with with my book I’ve kind of found, it’s a bunch of story, short stories from my life of things I’ve gone through. And really my goal with that is to say, let’s all stop pretending we need to appear perfect, and appear like nothing’s bothering us. Because I know, every time I put something out there, people are like, Thank you for just saying it. And for being real, because I’ve been feeling this. And, you know, but I feel like I’m alone, right? So why do I don’t understand why we feel we need to suffer in silence or have to act perfect. If you actually are authentic and real and vulnerable. The connection with your people who you’re supposed to connect with are so much deeper.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, that’s so true. So I’m wondering if just practically, because one of the things I love about entrepreneurs is that we can be both this kind of philosophic on where we’re going and why. But then there’s also this deeply practical aspect of what we do. And you even mentioned a couple of these things before earlier. But I’m wondering if just practically, how is it that you do juggle everything from your own needs and self care to being an effective business owner to showing up for your family? What does that look like on a weekly basis?

Chelsea Husum

Well, I’ve learned really quickly things i There are things I do very well. And there’s things there are a lot of things I don’t do well, so for me, it’s like, okay, I, its delegate, you know, I’m horrible, I hired a CPA, I don’t want to spend, you know, years in prison, because I don’t do my tax as well. Like, that’s just not my thing. So hire somebody, hire somebody to do this, like, delegate the things that you are not good at that, you know, for me, it might take me a whole day, but somebody else it will take them 20 minutes, right? Like, why am I not paying them to do it? So help you, you know, find ways to help yourself out? And, you know, ultimately, for me, I asked myself the question, because yes, there are days when it’s really intense, and exhausting, you know, and then there’s others where you have more of a balance. But if you’re being asked to go to like meetings or events, is it moving your business forward? So is it you know, really, drastically going to benefit my business? I asked myself that and if it’s not, I don’t go, I don’t need to be at everything is, is whatever I’m being asked to do? Or whatever is being presented to me like, is it going to? Is it directly aligning with my future personal goals? Or like really lighting me up? And if not, then I kindly say No, and that’s actually complete sentence. Your eyes sometimes, you know, I feel a nice, nice girl and I feel bad. And I’m like, Oh, well, you feel like you got to elaborate this whole, you know, no, but blah, blah, blah, no, it’s okay. You could say no, thank you. I already have commitments that night. You know, and you really, there, like I said, it’s not always gonna be a balance, but if you know, what is important to you personally, what are your non negotiables in life, you have to build your life or you have to build your business around that. Or in let’s say, 20 years, your business will be quote, successful. But you’ll look back, you’re you’re getting divorced. Your kids hate you. Your health is failing. You’re miserable. You work 80 hours a week like that, to me, that is not success at all.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, yeah. So on that note, one of the things that I noticed, just as I was reading through some of your work is just this this lightheartedness about the way that you approach life. What what role would you say laughter has played in your success?

Chelsea Husum

Um, I think you have to laugh at yourself. Like I’ve done enough ridiculous things in life that now I’m like, just tell it just put it out there. Because, you know, you have to laugh at yourself and have some fun with life. It’s not that serious, you know, I mean, and the world is a heavy place like, it’s, you could allow yourself to be bogged down and brought down by all this heaviness and negativity out in the world, right. But I personally choose to kind of live under a rock like, I don’t watch the news because it depresses me. I can’t handle it. I’m an empath. And I’m like, Oh my gosh, what happened? I jokingly call it death and destruction to my husband because he loves the news. And he’s like, so we laugh about it. But yeah, you have to stay positive and laugh. That’s that’s the only way for me. I don’t know. It’s way more fun.

Scott Ritzheimer

If there’s one thing if there was one secret that you wish everybody knew, right? If you wish it wasn’t good. It could not be a secret anymore. It just everyone knew it. What would that one thing be?

Chelsea Husum

I would say and I don’t know how much of a secret this is but like, I don’t know if enough people actually do it is find your people that love you completely The good, the bad, the ugly and they are Still just cheering you on, and they want you to succeed. Because there’s people out there that will if you’re a high achiever and you’re out like doing things in life, there’s always going to be the haters there is. And so find the people that you go hang out with you feel filled up, they energize you, they inspire you, because that actually will help propel you even further, you know, past where you’re at right now.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, that’s fantastic. And I think being careful with who those people are, right? Because some people, you know, especially when you start to split the world of family and entrepreneurs, and there’s some people who are family who want to see you succeed, but may even see your business as a threat to that because it’s scary for them, too. So I couldn’t agree more, especially in those early days. And we never graduate from this. But I think the early days, it’s easiest to overlook it. Because we’re so busy doing so many things. I think that’s powerful. Now, tell us just a little bit about your book. Why did you feel you needed to write it? What what are you hoping that readers get out of it?

Chelsea Husum

So I have to just say, I never ever wanted to write a book. It was not on my goal, like not a goal of mine at all. I met this woman who owns a publishing house in Denver, and I was like, I just love her energy. So I talked to her and I’m like, I think I could do that. And then I’m like, still have no clue what the book would be about. And I just sat down. And I it ended up being all these short stories of things that I’ve gone through in life, some are pretty traumatic summer kind of in the middle of summer lighter, in but just like I said, kind of sharing it in a vulnerable, you know, different way. And just saying, I’m a hot mess most of the time, but I am trying my best. I’m like, I want to be a better person I want to grow, right. And so it’s really honestly, kind of putting myself out there to give people permission to drop your shame and guilt around stuff that’s happened to you love yourself, let’s be real, let’s actually share because I guarantee if you’re a mom or whatever, and somebody out there is feeling the same way I guarantee it. But you’re like you aren’t connecting. And you’re feeling alone. Because you’re you’re not saying anything about it. Right? So I just want to help people Yeah, not feel alone, I want them to feel connected and, and, you know, be able to be vulnerable. And not everyone needs to start a podcast about it or write a book. But kind of at this point in my life. That’s what I was feeling called to do. And and now I have this beautiful message, you know, that I feel the need to share with people.

Scott Ritzheimer

That’s amazing. That’s amazing. So where can folks get a copy of the book? And where can they also find out more about you and the work that you’re doing?

Chelsea Husum

Yeah, I’d say the best place is just my website. It’s chelseahusum.com. There’s info. The book’s on Amazon. But there’s info about the book speaking, different events, all that stuff. I also recently put it on there I have An Unapologetic Life Workbook for free. It’s just a little pop up rate. When you go on there, you can grab that for free. And those are just things that I want to be kind of in a rut. I put that together. Like if I’m kind of in a rut and I’m like in a funk. Those are these. These are the things that really helped me dig out of it pretty quickly. So I thought I’d share that with everybody but yeah, my websites probably the best place.

Scott Ritzheimer

Fantastic. Well, I’ll add that chelseahusum.com to the show notes and go ahead and click there. Check it out. Brilliant site. Well done. Lots of great content on there. Well, Chelsea thanks so much for being here. Just a privilege having you on the show. And for those of you watching and listening to you know your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.

Contact Chelsea Husum

Chelsea Husum stands out in the male-dominated construction industry, exemplifying entrepreneurship, personal growth, and empowerment through her successful startup. Her upcoming book, “Real Vibes Only: Unapologetic Confessions of a Hot Mess MomPreneur,” merges entrepreneurship and motherhood with resilience and honesty. What truly distinguishes Chelsea is her relatability and self-deprecating humor, making her an inspiring and relatable figure. She doesn’t just share stories; she brings them to life, motivating listeners to feel connected and seen. In a world filled with curated content, she offers authenticity.

You can learn more about Chelsea Husum and get a copy of her book at https://chelseahusum.com/

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