We recently connected with Katy Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katy, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
I’ve burned out twice since starting my business and neither one was a quick recovery. I started my business as a social media manager and we all can understand how toxic social media can be. Especially when it is your job to be on it all the time.
Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and think it is an incredible tool. But trying to keep up with the latest and greatest is exhausting. The strategy changes every 5 minutes keeping us wondering what actually works.
Luckily I have some pretty great mentors that helped me recover and change my perspective. My biggest piece of advice when recovering from burn out or experiencing it, is to lean into the break. It feels like you have lost your creativity. You don’t want to do what you once loved. It’s confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming.
Do anything other than work. Give yourself a break and try to find joy in the little things. You can’t force yourself through it when you have burnout. The patience through the recovery process is something you definitely need. I also started looking at the parts of my business that I loved and let go of the pieces I didn’t. It was after burning out when I changed what I was doing and restructured my offers.
I think we tend to forget that we get to make the decisions. We can change what we are doing at any time as the boss.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
When I was little, I was convinced that I would be a classroom teacher for my entire career. And now I teach but in a different way. After the birth of my second son, I knew I wanted to stay home with my kids. Luckily, I had the opportunity to do so. As I was stuck in the world of diaper and playdates, I realized that I had a whole masters degree. I started exploring work from home opportunities that fit my skillset without disrupting the consistency I could provide my kids.
I joined a network marketing company which brought more personal development than I was expecting. I grew my social media presence and brand online amid a sea of fellow consultants getting the same assets for promotion. As a busy mom of two boys, I developed strategies to streamline my social media marketing. I started teaching others to do the same and the beginning of Miller Social was born.
My company started as a social media management firm with multiple clients in a variety of industries. Once Reels came on the scene, I reluctantly embraced video as part of business. It quickly became my favorite part of social media and I saw a lot of success using Reels often going “viral.” Then I burned out.
At the time of my second burnout, I was super overwhelmed in life and business, my marriage was struggling, and I wanted to throw in the towel. I took a 6 month break from business.
I started to come back to social media after a long stretch of figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. It was then that I realized I should put my Masters degree in Instructional Design to work!
I built a successful mini course about Reels then started teaching online business owners how they could add a course of any size to their product suite. I designed and developed my signature program, Course Creation Formula. This hands-on group program combined my experience in curriculum design, teaching, and social media.
My favorite part of what I do now, is seeing the success of my clients. Most of my clients come to me with a desire to scale their businesses with some sort of program or course but they don’t know where to start. My services and Course Creation Formula take clients from idea to launch. Miller Social guides business owners through 1:1 coaching and builds out courses for our clients.
We are currently launching our next round of Course Creation Formula! You can visit my social media or website for the next class date.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I have learned a lot along the way but my top three tend to stay the same.
First, follow your gut. It is really easy to get wrapped up in what everyone else is doing or where they are in their businesses. Your time will come but don’t try and find a fast track or magic pill because there isn’t one. Trust what you bring to the table.
Second, be careful who you follow. As we chase our dreams, it can be easy to hop on to the latest trend or the things that big names in the industry share. Fill your feed and your circle with people that inspire you. Unfollow anyone who makes you feel like you aren’t doing enough.
Third, be you, do you. Strategies will come and go. Technology will improve but no one is you. AI can’t replace your experience and knowledge. Continue exploring the things that interest you, build skills relevant to your industry, and share the things that make you unique.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I went through a divorce in 2023 which was one of the hardest years. My confidence was shot and I couldn’t give anyone my energy, besides my kids.
I’ve learned to trust myself and my decisions in the last year. I know what is right for me. It doesn’t mean everyone will understand and you have to be ok with that. Learning to trust my instincts again and travel my own path are the biggest lessons.
Also taking care of myself. There is a lot more to life than work or building your business. I’ve learned to embrace the ups and downs as well as rest when I need it. I can’t serve my clients or be there for my kids when I am burned out. Protect your energy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themillersocial.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themillersocial/?hl=en
- Other: Podcast, Katy Calls BS: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/katycallsbs
Image Credits
Image credits to Catie Ronquillo from @catieronquillo, Dallas Brand Photographer
