EPISODE 127 INTERVIEW WITH HEIDI METRO: CEO, NOT SOLOPRENEUR

Erin Marcus:

Hi! I’m Erin Marcus, former corporate executive turned entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of Conquer Your Business. Welcome to the Ready Yet?! podcast. We’re excited to bring you more than a hundred episodes of interviews and insights designed to help entrepreneurs get the financial and emotional freedom they need in order to build a business and a life they’re proud of.

We are Live. Welcome to this episode of the Ready Yet?! podcast. Very excited about today’s guests, Heidi Metro because here is the deal. So, my boyfriend was at a work event where Heidi was speaking and training and doing workshops and he came home and he’s like, “Oh my gosh, you do the same thing. You have to meet her.” And I’m sure Heidi, you had the same response because here’s the deal. I’m happy to talk to just about anybody, but I don’t hold out a lot of expectations. 

Heidi Metro:

I understand. 

Erin Marcus:

Right? So, we put 20 minutes on the calendar and like two hours later, your husband had to take your kid to dance or something because we were still talking.

Heidi Metro:

Yes. I love it. Those are my favorites. 

Erin Marcus:

Exactly. So, before we get into this, why don’t you tell everybody who you are and what you do a little bit more officially?

Heidi Metro:

Oh, well, thank you, Erin. I’m so excited to talk with you. I’m kind of a snob when it comes to who I talk to also. It’s so great that you came through. Mike was such a cool thing. I just have a lot of respect for Mike. I think he’s just a really genuine human. Yeah, he is. He’s someone who says like, if you should meet someone that he says you should meet, you should. And I have a lot of respect for him. And then when I met you, I was like, “Oh, I think I get this combination.” 

Erin Marcus:

That’s your hugger together. 

Heidi Metro:

That’s your hugger together. But it makes sense to me with the essence that you both have. So, thank you for having me. Thank you for being willing to be like withhold your expectations and then join me. Oh, my name is Heidi Metro. Hi, everyone! Say hi, if you’re like commenting places.

Erin Marcus:

Yeah. It’ll come through. I’m not tech savvy enough to figure out the names and everything, but we will. We will get through so say hello. 

Heidi Metro:

But if you’re saying hi, like that’s great. Hi, I’m Heidi. Nice to meet you. I’m the CEO and Founder of When You Lead- Coaching & Consulting. So, that’s just a fancy way of saying really our covert mission is to help you like yourself and then go change the world. I think that’s what we’re really doing.

Erin Marcus:

It’s so true. Right? And let’s just like get right into that. 

Heidi Metro:

Yeah, do it. 

Erin Marcus:

I think there’s a million-bazillion people out there who could have such an amazing life and such an amazing impact if they didn’t have the stories that they have in their heads telling them, ‘You’re not good enough. This isn’t for you. It’s too hard.’ et cetera, cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Heidi Metro:

Amen.

Erin Marcus:

And liking yourself. And I’ll compare it to something else. And we’ve not talked about this topic, so I don’t kind of assume your opinions. When I hear about people who are gay and their families don’t know. When I hear about people who feel that they should be a different gender and they don’t talk about it, I can’t fathom how hard it is to live a life not getting to be you. And I feel the same way about people who don’t like themselves. Can you imagine how hard it is to go through life and not like yourself?

Heidi Metro:

Yeah, I actually can. There was a long time where I didn’t like myself. And I think it’s a rebellious act right now too. I know that word rebellions thrown around in the coaching world right now. But it is, it’s an act of rebellion to like yourself because everybody’s given you a million reasons not to, or you can like yourself once you’ve taken my program. 

Erin Marcus:

Right. If you look this way, if you get this job, if you behave this way, then you can like yourself. And I’m not talking about rainbows and puppies and unicorns all the time and all that and a bag of chips because they’re not quite as old as I am. But that’s something you have to say. 

Heidi Metro:

I remember that though.

Erin Marcus:

But at the core of it, on the regular, can you say that you like yourself?

Heidi Metro:

Oh, a hundred percent now. Yeah. I mean, there’s been an evolution. I think it’s been more of a reclamation because I was thinking about when I was a kid, oh, I loved myself so much. I thought I was so magical and fantastical. Yeah, and I was. I’ve kept a journal for a really long time and so even like 6, 7, 8 years old, I was keeping a journal and I’m able to watch this progression of when it started to shift. And I’ve done this kind of reclamation tour of bringing in all of those pieces that maybe I had left behind because I didn’t feel like maybe my 13-year-old self was worthy or my 15-year-old self had made some poor choices or my 22-year-old self and you’re like, “What the hell am I supposed to be doing with my life?” And I was supposed to figure it out day one of freshman year of college because why the heck are we requiring 18-year-olds to know what they’re doing when most of us in our 40s and 50s don’t.

Erin Marcus:

I find it nothing short of miraculous when you meet somebody who knew what they wanted to do when they were a kid and now, they’re doing it in their 50. You’re like, “How did you know that?” I mean, yeah, that was not–

Heidi Metro:

I think I did know that though. I remember seeing a motivational speaker when I was in middle school and he was so compelling on stage and I was like, that’s a real job. How do you get to be a motivational speaker? Like that’s–

Erin Marcus:

Yeah. I wanted to be a big animal vet. So, a large animal vet but then you had to like go to school and learn things, science and math and not my genius zones. 

Heidi Metro:

You can have that

Erin Marcus:

Not my genius zones.

Heidi Metro:

At least you know that about yourself.

Erin Marcus:

Oh, yeah. It became obvious when the biggest fear I had at 12 years old was being picked to keep score at the bowling alley before it was automatic pulley or automatic scoring.

Heidi Metro:

Oh, I remember that. Having to carry with the spare and the strike and the–

Erin Marcus:

Everyone was going to know simple addition beyond my ability at that age. I’ve caught up since then.

Heidi Metro:

Yeah, electronic scoring for the win. In life, in general.

Erin Marcus:

Exactly. Exactly. So, I want to back it up a little bit because I know some of your origin story as it were, but how did you get to where you are? Like I always talk about entrepreneurship is there’s a few people who grew up in it, but most of us have either jumped off a cliff, pushed off a cliff, accidentally fallen off the cliff. Like how did you end up off the cliff?

Heidi Metro:

Yeah. I mean, I really tried to do corporate man. After I graduated, I did the whole good job. I did the whole benefits, company, car. 

Erin Marcus:

Yeah, me too. 

Heidi Metro:

And I did a whole lot of depression feelings along with that. Like, I could not get myself out of bed to go do this great job. And I remember feeling like a real failure because I just couldn’t make myself do it. I know now that it just wasn’t in harmony with my values. It wasn’t in harmony with what I felt was my purpose. And so, I can work real hard for a short amount of time. I can go against myself for a short amount of time, and then depression or anxious feelings show up as like my course corrector. So, I tried corporate for four years and then it was like, I’m just going to have to work for myself. Like, I am perfectly unemployable now. There’s like no way.

Erin Marcus:

I’ve had that conversation this morning how unemployable I am. And this is even better, I have a new team member, he’s brand new. He is like two weeks in, younger. He is awesome. I’m really enjoying watching this through his eyes. But I had made a comment to him about now that he’s been working with me for a little while, see how we do things, how I do things, how I’m unemployable. And I said something along the lines of, ‘I don’t think I could handle a boss.’ And he looked at me and he said, ‘I think you could handle a boss. Not sure a boss could handle you.’

Heidi Metro:

Well played. 

Erin Marcus:

It was probably one of the most insightful assessments of me that I had heard in a fair amount of time.

Heidi Metro:

Yeah. I can get on board with that. I think I started out self-employed as a massage therapist. So, I started out with like a very practical tool. And when you go to massage therapy school, they teach you how to be a great LMT, but they don’t teach you how to do business.

Erin Marcus:

Nobody does. That’s my whole point to people like two parts. One, let yourself off the hook. You can be the best photographer in the world. Don’t beat yourself up for not knowing how to grow a business. Those things have nothing to do with each other. But the follow up to that is, if you’re going to put all your time and money and effort into being a great photographer, what are you putting time and money effort into to learn how to be a good business owner?

Heidi Metro:

Absolutely. And there is a difference between, I’m new to this role in my own world, to being a business owner versus the CEO of a business because I’ve created my own job. Right? Like basically, as a business owner, I created a job for myself. 

Erin Marcus:

Wait, a solopreneur, self-employed 100%, totally get it.

Heidi Metro:

Yes. And now, the growth edge that I’m at right now is it’s an upgrade, it’s an expansion of energy. It’s a developing of a team. It’s a developing of leaders. We call it co-leadership inside when you lead. I have goosebumps even as I’m like sitting here, it’s the coolest thing to watch people be themselves and thrive. It’s the coolest thing.

Erin Marcus:

Yeah. And I know this is why we ended up talking for so long, is because I’m in the exact same space and my focus this year, very intentionally, I can’t say the beginning of the year, but by the middle of this year, and I think it’s going to take until the end of next year. I’m calling it CEO not solopreneur. And I’ve literally had to remake every single decision in my business that there is. 

Heidi Metro:

Have you experienced grief? Like I’ve had a lot of grief show up. There’s been like this dying of a season, it’s like the winter of my solopreneurship.

Erin Marcus:

I think you’re more introspective than I am. I’m much more like what the blip, blip is going on? I’m much more like this is just as hard as it was when I started. 

Heidi Metro:

I’m like full on surrender mode of this is dying. Yeah. I am very romantic and dramatic when it comes to life. 

Erin Marcus:

That’s awesome. 

Heidi Metro:

A lot of grief though. A lot of unexpected like, oh, and I don’t know if you’ve had this, but I felt kind of bashful to have people see the messy behind the scenes. Because when you are solopreneur and you go live, no one sees the mess. When the team is here and they’re looking at the mess and you’re like, I’m probably not qualified to be your leader.

Erin Marcus:

I think I’ve been very, very lucky and this was pointed out to me by a mentor years ago that I am for whatever reason, and I think this goes back to liking yourself. I like myself enough as is to be able to get up in front of people and just say, “If you just don’t do it the way I did it, you’ll be better off.”

Heidi Metro:

I made all the mistakes for you, friends. 

Erin Marcus:

Right. Exactly. Like I have learned probably more recently than I’m joking around about, I have embraced my mess and my genius zone so strongly because what I’ve learned is it’s the only way to make a quantum leap forward. Because if I do like what you were talking about, if I force myself to do something I’m not good at, it’s going to take 10 times as long to get a crappy result, then somebody else who will be happy doing it. Good at it. 

Heidi Metro:

Yup. Oh, for sure.

Erin Marcus:

So, I’ve just somewhere along the way embraced that that’s the way to get there.

Heidi Metro:

And I think that what I’m learning is that having people come into the back end, they’re really witnessing where my zone of competency is and that’s where it feels really messy. And then they come in with their tremendous–

Erin Marcus:

With their broom and their dustpan cleaning it up.

Heidi Metro:

Oh my god. And then they make it sparkle and they make it look cute. And I’ve had to really go, ‘Oh, that’s a good thing.’ I think that’s where the grief has come in for me. It’s almost like a relief grief where you’re like, ‘Oh, thank God, you know how to do Kajabi. Thank God you did the landing. I don’t know how it’s all connected.’

Erin Marcus:

No, I don’t know how.

Heidi Metro:

And that’s for everyone’s benefit. But there has been a relief.

Erin Marcus:

And I say that about my relationship, going back to Mike, I haven’t cooked a meal in 10 years and the entire universe is a better place for it.

Heidi Metro:

Amen. 

Erin Marcus:

The house isn’t burnt down, for example.

Heidi Metro:

I love that for both of you actually. 

Erin Marcus:

Well, back in the early pandemic, I’ve been working from home for ages on Zoom, he was not. He used to go to his office all the time. And so, working from home was new to him. And I don’t think we were two weeks in the lockdown. And so, nobody was really good at muting automatically the second you stepped away from your desk. And here I am in the kitchen screaming and he comes down the stairs and looks at me and goes, “What? What?” And I point and he turns to his right, which is where our kitchen was and I had managed to create a plate of fire, like it was on the plate. The plate wasn’t on fire. The thing on the plate was on fire. He didn’t mute himself, so his entire company heard his very raw response. 

Heidi Metro:

And he is like the chillest person I’ve ever met.

Erin Marcus:

Oh, no. He just picked up the plate of fire and put it in the sink, and turned on the water.

Heidi Metro:

I think that needs to be like your autobiography or his of just I picked up the plate of fire very calmly. Right? Like there’s no drama with him. At least from the outside looking in. 

Erin Marcus:

No, there’s no drama. Very, very, very, very seldom. Very seldom.

Heidi Metro:

I love that. Then you can be theatrical and dramatic intentionally, right? Like you get to be this big personality. Right?

Erin Marcus:

I get to be as crazy and he just smiles and nods and watches and–

Heidi Metro:

It makes me happy for both of you. 

Erin Marcus:

It is what it is. 

I hope you’re enjoying this episode of the Ready Yet?! podcast. If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner looking for a proven process to help you get either a specific offer or entire business, pass that six-figure mark? Join us for Six Steps to Six Figures, an online live event starting on November 28th. We’re going to get right to the point in an hour a day with strategies you can implement immediately for rapid results. Check out conqueryourbusiness.com for more information. See you there.

So, I want to talk about this a little bit more because you brought up this subject of becoming the CEO not solopreneur, which is near and dear to my heart. But you step back a bit because you also, not only have you left corporate and go into massage therapy, but then you made this shift in that business. So, talk to me a little bit about that because so many people feel if they make a shift, that means the first business failed. And yet on the opposite side of that is the people who may change their mind every six months and never get any traction. So, what was that like for you? Because I had that as well. I had my first business and then I realized what I liked and didn’t like about it and created a second business. But one of the things that freaked me out was when I closed that first business, what were people going to think who didn’t know the truth about why I closed it? And it slowed me down for quite a while.

Heidi Metro:

What was the truth?

Erin Marcus:

I didn’t want to do that anymore.

Heidi Metro:

Oh, so like normal truth.

Erin Marcus:

Normal truth. 

Heidi Metro:

I’m like, where are the bodies buried, Erin?

Erin Marcus:

It didn’t fail. I was worried people were going to think, ‘Oh my God, she was doing so great and now she’s out of business.’ And because I was going into business coaching, who does she think she is? She was doing great. Now, she’s out of business and she’s a business coach. Right? So, that messed with me for a little while.

Heidi Metro:

I really resonate with the who does she think she is, because that’s the voice that shows up whenever I’m going to make change. And when I have learned to turn around and face that girl that like hurls that accusation at me, like, who do you think you are? And I turn and I go, “My name is Heidi and I really, really care about people. And I know who I am and I know why I’m here, and my purpose hasn’t changed but the expression has.” She immediately shuts up. So that, who do you think you are? If you actually answer her factually, there’s something that silences that. 

Erin Marcus:

Or it’s not your voice. 

Heidi Metro:

It’s not your voice, exactly. 

Erin Marcus:

 It’s not your voice. 

Heidi Metro:

Exactly. And so, the who do you think you are? It’s interesting that you say that because that was the constant. But in massage therapy, I did massage for 13 years and it got to the point where I didn’t want to go. And that was the longest I had ever done anything. So, prior to that, in corporate, I think six months was my max where it was like–

Erin Marcus:

I did it for years. I was switching jobs and moving houses or apartments at the time every three years.

Heidi Metro:

Yeah. I did six months because it was like, I love the interview process, I love the challenge, I love talking to people and learning the new thing and then I was like, “I’m bored.” And so, having my own business had a lot of freedom, there was a lot of creativity. I had all three of my kiddos during that time. That was very challenging. But the flexibility was great. But it was January of whatever year it was, I don’t know. 

Erin Marcus:

They all melded together at this point. 

Heidi Metro:

Well, in the last four years and it was January and I wrote an email to my clients and I said, this will be my final year of body work. I have cherished our time together and it’s not you, it’s me kind of break up letter. Actually, it’s totally you. It’s not me 

Erin Marcus:

I can’t do this anymore. 

Heidi Metro:

I can’t do it with you. I don’t care anymore. But by that time, really what was happening on the table was I was coaching and we were taking what was happening in the body and I have a philosophy background. I have a degree in philosophy. And so, I was taking like this hybrid approach of what’s happening in your body and what’s happening in your mind and marrying them together anyway. And so, we would spend a ton of time off the table talking and it was like, there has to be some other way to make money doing this because I felt bad they weren’t getting body work. So, anyway, I had no idea what I was going to do because this is what I was known for. I had three kids to support. What else would I be doing? And I said, “Okay, universe, I give up. I give it to you. I do not know what I’m going to do.” And then I just left it. And in February, I was scrolling as we do. And I saw this certification program for Body Mind Coaching and I was like, this is totally me. And I watched the webinar and I cried through the whole thing. It was excellent marketing. I was like, oh my God, somebody gets me. So, I enrolled in my first like $15,000 program, thought I was going to die on the spot. 

Erin Marcus:

Yup. Been there, been there. 

Heidi Metro:

And I learned how to use all of my expertise and meld it all together. And then I had a goal, I started the program in like March and I was like, “By the end of this year, I’m not resigning my lease.” So, I didn’t. And I transitioned enough clients into coaching and then we moved home. It was the winter before Covid. So, I moved home November and then March, the world shut down. And I had to figure out real quick how to be an online marketer because up until that point my practice would book out for a month at a pop. I never had a flow problem. I had to turn people away and all of a sudden, I’m like, ‘Oh, God, we need a pipeline. How do you do this?’ But I’ve learned a lot out of necessity.

Erin Marcus:

And one of the reasons all of these, I call them insta-tactics don’t work, is because if it comes fast, it leaves fast because it’s almost an analogous to people who win the lottery and lose all the money. Like maybe the instatactic worked, maybe it doesn’t, but even if it does, it doesn’t stick because you don’t actually know how it functions. 

Heidi Metro:

I think having to make it “work” during Covid and now that the world is open a little bit, the same stuff still works the same, which is relationships, which is reaching out, which is referrals. I can’t tell you how much money I have spent on Facebook ads that have done nothing and you have a coffee date and it’s a $25,000 deal. Like, get offline, go buy someone coffee.

Erin Marcus:

And I think this is an unfortunate problem with age that, we are old enough where that’s like all we did. I completely remember business before the internet not just me. And I did business before the internet, corporate, the whole nine yards. But the art of talking to other human beings and I think the online marketers with the Insta-tactics make their money because of how many people are looking for a way to grow a business without ever talking to a human being

Heidi Metro:

Or without having to be embarrassed or without having to take a risk or deal with the physiology of failure in public. 

Erin Marcus:

Because they weren’t set up for it. It’s a very disservice that we’ve done. 

Heidi Metro:

Yeah. Truly. What I love about being in business now is I’m continually mirrored back to myself. There’s nowhere to hide when you’re an entrepreneur. Your shadow is coming for you. And if you can turn around and go, ‘Oh, hey girl, what’s up? ‘And then answer her questions or address her accusations, you’ll be okay.

Erin Marcus:

And learn like to have the conversation not retreat.

Heidi Metro:

Yes.

Erin Marcus:

Right. Whether it’d be conversation with yourself. Going back to this whole CEO thing, I’ve been crazy this week as I’ve tried to reframe things and have things work differently and do things completely not automatic the way that they have been. And instead of retreating from the freak out and shutting down, what can you do instead to clear the space in your mind to allow the answers to come.

Heidi Metro:

And I think that to me, that’s part of the excitement of being an entrepreneur. It requires a mastery of your nervous system and it doesn’t mean that the thoughts don’t show up. I don’t take them as seriously. My Mike, so my partner’s name is also Mike, doesn’t believe me when I freak out anymore where I’m like, “No dude, the sky is falling.”

Erin Marcus:

We are out of business next month. Let me tell you.

Heidi Metro:

We’re out of business, the children are starving. They’re coming for all of our stuff and he does not react. And I then am like, “No, no, let me ratchet it up. This is serious.” And this has been such a roller coaster that he just doesn’t get on the rollercoaster with me anymore. He watches.

Erin Marcus:

Right. He just watches it. This just happened because I was completely freaking out the other night and so my response, I’m going to write a book, take a walk, take a shower, because that’s my response, right? 

Heidi Metro:

It’s the best way to raise kids or dogs also. 

Erin Marcus:

Three-mile walk followed by a very long shower. So that’s my tactic for you. Take a walk, take a shower. It was the sky is falling and I wasn’t overly dramatic about it, but I was bluntly honest. I thought I was honest. He thought I was dramatic about what I was thinking and what was working and not working. And we get home and run out of hot water shower. And he looks at me, he goes, “How’s my entrepreneurial superstar?” And all I could think of is, ‘Did you not hear a word that I said? Did you not hear that? It’s not working.’

Heidi Metro:

And I’m like, apparently, I need to do this part of the process because after I do this part, then it’s fine. I had a therapist when I was in high school. His name was Larry. He goes, “Half the stuff that you worry about, or most of the stuff you worry about doesn’t happen.” And I was like, “See, it’s working. It’s working.” He’s like, “No, no, Heidi, it’s not working because it wasn’t going to happen anyway.” I’m like, “No, no. I’m pretty sure I manifested it not happening with my worry.” 

Erin Marcus:

Yeah, exactly.

Heidi Metro:

I was destined to be a philosophy major in college with that type of response. But it’s true. And worry, you got to make peace with them. They’re going to keep coming. They’ll stay for shorter amounts of time though. I don’t know if you find that, but I don’t figure how long.

Erin Marcus:

Right. What used to hit you for a year turns into a month. What hits you for a season turns into a month. What hits you for a month turns into a week. I’m honestly at the point where two, three years ago might have derailed me for a month, maybe derails me for an hour.

Heidi Metro:

Yes. And I think what’s so interesting is like, when I look at what I have achieved, I didn’t even think we’d get here. And so, it’s like, oh, yeah. Okay. So, we’re in a whole different world. So, of course, you’re going to have to learn a new skillset. Like if you’re out of your depth, you’re going to have to develop a different breaststroke. 

Erin Marcus:

So, this is the difference. And I love how you said it, not just what you said but how you said it. And this is why you’re successful because if you want my opinion on why. 

Heidi Metro:

I do actually. I value it.

Erin Marcus:

Because of your, ‘Oh, I’m doing something new. I have to learn something new.’ Calm, curious as opposed to–

Heidi Metro:

What’s wrong with me?

Erin Marcus:

–the sky is falling. What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I intrinsically know how to do everything there is to know in the universe. I must be stupid, which is entirely all too often what you see happen.

Heidi Metro:

I know. So, you use the, the phrase zone of genius. So, I’m assuming you’re a Big Leap fan, is that that book?

Erin Marcus:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Heidi Metro:

What Gay Hendricks talks about is that worry, that doubt is like a beacon from your zone of genius. So, those worries actually have ideas and thoughts attached to them. And I love this idea because it’s like, “Oh my God, I’m so worried.’ My zone of genius is call them me.

Erin Marcus:

Right. Now, this summer, I finally looked on 2018 as Erin’s zero failure. We’re in October, so I’m now calling this the summer of trauma. It was just one thing after another. And this is going to sound crazy, but I thought the trauma and the hard was over, and then short version Cat has cancer. I got sick. Mom’s in a hurricane and this is how weird we are. This is, wait, right? 

Heidi Metro:

Yes.

Erin Marcus:

My first thought to those three things happening, boom, boom, boom after I thought the trauma was over was, ‘Wow, the breakthrough’s going to be even bigger because the breakdown was even bigger.’

Heidi Metro:

Yes. And you have to have an element of breakdown before a breakthrough.

Erin Marcus:

Yeah. So, I’m like, oh wow. It was a bigger breakdown so I’m going to have a bigger breakthrough.

Heidi Metro:

And I think that when that’s like the automatic that shows up, it doesn’t mean that you’re not human and you’re not affected but it certainly means that we recognize pattern and we recognize season and we recognize learning and layers.

Erin Marcus:

You get to respond and be in control instead of freak out and react. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

Heidi Metro:

Right, or that you’re not like, ‘oh God,’ or that you have to somehow bypass being human. That’s the thing that drives me nuts about the spiritual world is like, if you meditate enough, if you eat enough rabbit food, if you like get up at 2:30, whatever, you’ll never have to experience anything.

Erin Marcus:

You’ll never have to be uncomfortable, unhappy, sad. But that’s half the emotions.

Heidi Metro:

Yes. And I think it matters to honor both. We call it being a hybrid in my community where you’re human man. Like I don’t know if you knew it or not, but that’s the species you were born into. And I don’t know past lives, if you were a dog or whatever, but this time around, you’re human. And there is this ineffable divinity or sacredness or unexplained creative force that courses through you as well. You get both. And I think remembering that is very helpful for me when I’m really human. It’s like something else organized is happening. Like if I was in charge of my heartbeat, I would’ve been in trouble a long time ago. Right? Like, something is happening. If I had to consciously make myself breathe or move blood, I’d have been dead a long time ago. Like I shouldn’t be in charge of everything. And I just had a conversation with my finance coach and he is a big personality, like just a big personality. And he shocked me. Not really, but he goes, “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a control freak.” And I’m like, “Yeah, I’m not surprised by that,“ but he was owning it. Are women allowed to be control freaks? Like is that something that we’re allowed? You’re allowed because you’re a white dude in a patriarchal society, but am I allowed? And so, I had to look at the etymology of control. I had to look at the etymology of freak.

Erin Marcus:

This is why Mike and you get along. Well, like some random thing. 

Heidi Metro:

Totally. Then latch onto it? 

Erin Marcus:

Right. The most random, like the rivers over here and there’s a landmark rock with a plaque on it. And four hours later, he’s still watching YouTube videos about the rock. Right?

Heidi Metro:

I really support that. But I think that there’s an element of yeah, you do have more control than you know.

Erin Marcus:

You have more control than you know.

Heidi Metro:

It’s controlling the right things. It’s being a control freak in areas that you actually have influence because you can’t control other people, you can’t control the weather, you can’t control illness. You can influence those things, but where can you be a control freak? That’s like my latest question. It’s so fun.

Erin Marcus:

So, if you were to pick one area of your life that you would benefit the most from, from being a control freak, what would it be?

Heidi Metro:

For me, it’s my health. Like I am a control freak when it comes to my health. I like how I feel. I like my patterns. I like my sleep schedule. I like what I eat. I like how I move. My health is the thing that I spend the most time with other than money, and I really love money. I do. Money can do such cool things. And I think when great people have a lot of money, money’s an amplifier. And so, if you’re awesome, imagine what you’ll be with money.

Erin Marcus:

Hundred percent.

Heidi Metro:

Let’s magnify that.

Erin Marcus:

Hundred percent. So, if people want to finish or continue this conversation with you, because seriously, highly, highly, highly recommend people reach out and have more of a conversation with you, what is the easiest way for them to find you?

Heidi Metro:

Come and hang out online. So, @Heidimetro, Instagram, Heidi Metro on Facebook, email me Heidi, @heidimetro.com. Go to heidimetro.com. Basically, Google Heidi Metro, and you’ll find a whole bunch of crap. And I am always up for a philosophical conversation. I’m always up for a heart to heart. I think the question that we should ask is, what do you want the most?

Erin Marcus:

My clients get so mad at me because every time there’s anything going on, whether it’s personal, whether it’s financial, whether it’s physical, I always go back to what do you want?

Heidi Metro:

Yes. And if you put the–you’re going to hate this, but Michael like it. If you put the emphasis on each word, you’ll get a very comprehensive response. What do you want the most? What do you want? You can play with the emphasis on the syllables or whatever. But I think it’s a bold question. What do you want the most? Like for real man, what do you want the most? Go play with that. And then if you want to play, come hang out. I’d love to.

Erin Marcus:

Very cool. Well, thank you so much for your story, for your insights, for your time, for all the things.

Heidi Metro:

I feel very served by this, Erin. I really appreciate your time. I think when you get to the end of something and you wish it wasn’t done, it’s like–

Erin Marcus:

Well, yeah, we could have four more episodes.

Heidi Metro:

Yeah. You let me know, I’m in, man. I’m in. Thank you for the invitation. I appreciate you.

Erin Marcus:

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Ready Yet?! podcast. I truly enjoy bringing these stories of success and inspiration to you. Please join us in our mission to empower entrepreneurs to be in charge of their businesses and in charge of their lives by sharing this with anyone you know who would benefit from our tactical and motivating advice, leaving us a review and letting us know if there are any particular topics you would really appreciate hearing about. See you next time.