Interview: Amanda Miah Unveils the Besti Brand Story

Listen to Interview: Amanda Miah Unveils the Besti Brand Story

00:04 

Hey there and welcome. Are you a woman who is unapologetically ambitious, but you're also deeply focused on honoring God, loving your family well and pursuing meaningful work? Well, you've come to the right place. My name is Dana Byers and you and I are going to be fast friends. Let's get started.  

00:29 

Here is a podcast review that I would love to share with you today. Dana's knowledge and passion shine through in this podcast where she offers so much incredible content. Thank you for your vulnerability and your sharing. This is a must listen for anyone looking to build their confidence and find that piece that we are all after. Charlotte, thank you so much for leaving this encouraging review. If this podcast has served you well, please take a moment, leave me a five star review that's going to help lots of other people be able to get access to my content as well.  

01:06 

Well, hey there everyone, I am so thrilled to share with you this interview today. We have a very special guest. Every guest is special to me, but Amanda is very special because we met a few years ago through our family's private charitable foundation. She actually became a client. So we're gonna talk a little bit about that today. And she also is a founder and CEO of an incredible business. I'm hoping that as you listen today, that you will be inspired by Amanda's story. In fact, I'm not hoping that I really believe you will be. Amanda is a great leader. She has such humility. I think her story is beautiful, her story of surrender and a big career change that she's had in the last couple years. And I want to just dive into this by saying welcome Amanda Miah. So glad to have you here today.  

02:03 

Yeah, well thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to be on your podcast.  

02:07 

Yes, yes, yes, yes. This is so fun. Well, Amanda, I think it would be really helpful for everyone listening right now to kind of just dive in a little bit. First, by sharing the journey that you've been on the last couple years, the journey to founding the company to co-founding a company to being a CEO. Tell us a little bit about how you wound up doing what you're doing right now, and of course, tell us about what you're doing right now.  

02:36 

Sure. So we met when I was working for Tier Fund and I had been with Tier Fund, which is a nonprofit that does international development and humanitarian work and great organization. Loved it, loved what I was doing there. And I, yeah, I had started in like a mid-level position and was like really passionate about leadership. And Dana got to be on that journey when she was my coach. We talked through some of the things that I needed to overcome in order to really embrace that passion for leadership and put myself out there with a bit more confidence. And yeah, so I was doing that for a few years with no intention necessarily to go out and do my own thing. I actually was like, oh, I could never start my own business. I remember that was one of our conversations and you like checked me on it.  

03:29 

You're like, why? Why are you living out of that limiting belief? And so yeah, I, you know, like there was just something as the years went by working for Tier Fund that I did have something in me to go and just wanted to do something like for myself like on my own. And I had, it was last spring, this idea had come to me around just this issue that I was facing. Like, and so let me tell you what Besti is and so I can put, tie the two together. So Besti is a period care brand that offers a subscription that sinks with your menstrual cycle. And so the idea is to take care of yourself every month during a time, during that time of the month where it can be stressful, you're not feeling great. And it had come about as a joke really between me and my husband where I, I was so busy with the demands of working for tier fund and family life and church that I just really had, I had trouble paying attention and prioritizing my own needs.  

04:41 

And so anyway, I would, I would start my period, it'll catch me off guard and we would joke about how it was such a big surprise and I needed him to go to the store to buy supplies for me, which it shouldn't have been a shock or surprise because it happens every month like, and for years and years and years. But you know, it, it happens more than you think. And so yeah, it was just one of these things that it was an idea that came and I was like, oh, actually this seems like a really good idea. Like I've had ideas for businesses before that were not great ideas. It was just one of those things that you say out loud and you're like, oh, that should never be a thing. But this one I was like, this should be a thing. Like, and so it, that is what began the journey and situations and circumstances just like led to me making that jump. And so basically in the summer of last year, I really started to focus on besti and build it out and yeah, here we are. And so it's, we've been going for just over a year now.  

05:43 

Wow. Well congratulations on that. As someone who runs her own business that year, milestone is massive, especially when you're fairly confident you have a good idea, you're kind of, there are plenty of days, I'm sure in the last year, Amanda, you've had plenty of opportunities to go, was this a good idea? Not because it's not, but because the circumstances around us can convince us otherwise. So congratulations to you. That first year is massive and I do think you have a brilliant business idea. I love your business idea, I love your marketing. I think your packaging, everything about it is incredible. So it is so fun to really see how actually something humorous in your life, you really realize that with the self-awareness, maybe this is the good business idea, maybe other people feel this way instead of judging yourself, you were like, oh, I could help myself and other women by making a business out of this. So I just love that. I think that's so fun.  

06:45 

Yep.  

06:45 

Well, let's talk a little bit about the impact of coaching. You know, there are women listening to this who not only maybe think they can't start a business or have a limiting belief around that, and it's fine if they never do, but they might also have a limiting belief around what the impact of coaching could be, like, what that could look like. So how would you say coaching influenced your journey now that you are a founder and a CEO, and maybe give some examples of strategies or things that you were able to walk through that prepared you or support you in the leap of faith?  

07:20 

Yeah. Well, I think, so when we began doing the coaching, I was in this phase of my career where I kind of, I often would take like the position of sitting on the sidelines and it was probably a confidence issue and also just like a little bit of fear base of like, oh, if I put myself out there, like what if it falls on deaf ears? What if I get shut down? And there was a lot of what ifs that were going on in my head. And so it just prevented me, I think from like taking a step of like, oh, you know what? Like I, I'm smart and I, I've got good things going and yes, you know, I can, I can get things done. So I think the coaching really helped unlock some of those pieces where I needed to overcome my, my own like limiting ideas and per perceptions, a lot of it was just like tackling perceptions that I was holding and really seeing it from a broader perspective. And I think that when I was able to see it from the broader perspective, I, I showed up better. And so, and people recognize that  

08:35 

That's, yeah, I think that is a great example of probably my experience with coaching in my early years as well too. When I first got coached, I didn't really realize how I was holding myself back, you know, that sometimes I was my own biggest enemy for lack of a better term because I had dreams and ideas, but the sidelines were just a little bit more comfortable. And I think the sidelines look different for everyone. I think the sidelines probably would be an area where our comfort zone is, and we don't wanna push beyond it. So to someone who might be an executive in a company, they might still be sitting on the sidelines in some way, right? Like we have these levels and layers of progression that we're able to move through once we have an awareness of, oh, the comfort of staying here is actually what's keeping me from taking the leap into doing something. I'm curious, what would you say, because I remember our conversations around that. I, what would you say, and I don't want you to like have to share too much or anything confidential, but what would be a thought that has really helped you now, you know, a couple years down the road to continue in that vein of confidence while you are doing an entirely new and different thing?  

09:58 

Yep. Well, so I was going back through and remember the exercise we did around the model where yes, we were picking apart, okay, so we, we did this thing with the model and it was all about like how thoughts drive your feelings. And yes, they're, you know, you're in a circumstance and so whatever you think and feel about that circumstance really can impact your decision making and the actions that you take. And so I was digging into that because I think that there was a lot of, yeah, that some of those, the actions that I was taking was driven out of a feeling of almost like a little bit of fear of like the what ifs and that safety, like trying to maintain that safety net and like, so I think, yeah, just us picking that apart was like what enabled me to change those, like, because thoughts will happen and but how you feel, yeah, like how you feel about them will sometimes serve you, but sometimes they will not serve you. And so what's that intention that you set so that you are able to really go out and go after your dreams and your goals?  

11:07 

Yes. Oh, I'm so glad you said that, Amanda. That is the, the thought model or C-T-F-A-R, the download, whatever we call it. It's something I learned from another coach called Brooke Castillo, and I have a whole module on it in the 10 hour confidence transformation course. And it's very exciting to go through because we can oversimplify it, but it's actually quite powerful. It can be quite complex to take what is actually a secular tool, but apply it to those of us who follow Jesus and recognize that we're invited in scripture to hold our thoughts captive. So to gain that awareness is something, I have a journal that every morning I capture a couple thoughts that might be, I realize this might impact my day, how am I going to go through the model on them? And sometimes now at this point, probably like you, you think about it enough that I could be at a stoplight or I could be in between coaching calls and just give myself a minute or two to process that thought in a way that allows me to honor and acknowledge it, but not let it completely drag down the day or keep me from acting in a way that is appropriately confident and be able to move forward.  

12:20 

So I'm so glad you gave that example. It's always fun to hear what are the exercises that really stick with clients. So that's a powerful one for sure.  

12:27 

Well, and I think because when you're starting out as a founder and like going out to do something on your own, you will have really high highs and really low lows. And if you live in those really low lows and let those feelings and thoughts define the choices that you make, then you've, you're gonna not make great choices. And so you have to find a way to get out of that. Like if you're just falling in that, that the pitfall of the low lows, you've gotta get out of it because it's really gonna impact where you go and what you decide to do.  

13:01 

Yeah, that's so insightful. I think you're so right about that. That's really true. That and the high highs and low lows, I don't know about you, I'd be curious to hear from me and my business. The high highs and the low lows usually come through things that are outside of me, external circumstances shifting, and I have to capture my thoughts and be able to navigate them in a way that allows me to stay a little bit midline. I mean, I wanna celebrate and be excited and I also wanna acknowledge things that feel like losses are, are slowing me down, but they're often external circumstances that lead me to, you know, that lead me to those thoughts and feelings that create a higher, higher, lower, low. What would you say about that, Amanda?  

13:44 

Yeah, absolutely. And those like circumstances never go away. Like there will always be something that is happening. Yes. Something that you might not expect or anticipate, or that if you have expectations like way up here and then, you know, performance doesn't match your expectations, it can, it can be discouraging and you can feel like, oh, maybe I'm not enough. But that's really not the case. It's, I think everyone experiences situations or circumstances that, that things don't go to plan and you've gotta navigate your way out of it. And that's all it is, is problem solving. And so I think women that were really good at problem solving, yes. You know, it's like we're naturally wired to just figure things out. And so just knowing that it's like your wiring is like you are made to figure things out, to tackle things, to do things. And there is a way, it's just, you know, letting yourself breathe and have that room and that space to not beat yourself down or, you know, get in a place where you're, you know, just feeling super negative about the circumstances, but just knowing like, okay, there's a way out of this, I'm gonna find it.  

14:55 

Yes. Oh, that's so brilliant. I love, I love that thought because we are problem solvers. Like God made us problem solvers and even just the growth mindset approach of there's a way out of this, I haven't figured it out yet, but I can do it and, and maybe even not just I have to do it on my own, but there could be other people who could help me or people who know what to do. Yesterday, ironically I was coaching another coach, coaches need coaching, right? We, the whole premise of the been there learned that podcast is, I've learned a lot of things, but I'm still learning. Like I am on a journey until Jesus comes back or until I'm in heaven I need coaching, right? Like I, I'm just human. But I was coaching her and she was saying, you know, it's so frustrating to have such high expectations for myself, but to be comfortable with everyone else, like having lower expectations for them.  

15:51 

I want to give them grace, I want to show compassion to them, but I really need to get to a place and she wants to get to a place where she can show herself the same compassion she gives others. And I think that the ability for us to show ourselves compassion of, yeah, that's a frustrating circumstance that created kind of a low low in my thoughts and feelings. It doesn't mean I can't figure it out or it doesn't mean God hasn't put people in my life who can support me so that we can figure it out and I don't have to be stuck. I think just the vulnerability of that allows us to remember that we're problem solvers and that God is capable.  

16:28 

Yeah. Yeah. And I think it can be hard too because if you are a person who has really high expectations of yourself, and then there is that element where you can be very self-critical. It's like if you feel like you have failed to meet those expectations, then you get critical of yourself and that little voice in your head will really take its toll. You've gotta somehow figure out, I was like, how do I ignore this? How do I set this aside? And that's that whole thing of like intention of thought is like if the thoughts come where you feel like you're, you're beating your own yourself up in your own mind. Yes. To really say no. Like I remember, I feel this was another thing that came up during our coaching was about the like taking a position of judgment and sometimes there like we often will try to take a position of judgment on our, like an action, our circumstances, anything. And really just coming to the point as like, this is not good or bad, it just is. And how that can be very freeing. So, and maybe I've got that a little bit off, but, so if there's no,  

17:31 

That's exactly it. No, you're exactly right. And and I, I, when I learned that and I love sharing it with clients, I love sharing it here, it's so helpful because when something happens, all of our previous life experiences lead us to a judgment about it. You know, if it, you and I were talking about the weather before we hit record on this call, right? So I said to you, well, what's good weather to you? Right? Because if it's raining outside, half of my girlfriends would be like, oh, I love a rainy day. I wanna stay inside and read a book. Well, if it's raining outside, the other half of my girlfriends might be like, oh, that stinks. I really wanted to go outside and be outside all day. So we have a perception or we judge if it's good or bad, right or wrong. Yeah.  

18:17 

I think our brains are wired to do that because we try to classify everything, you know, my brain is going to look at everything in the way that the perceptions I've developed over the years are going to tell me how to perceive things. So when we become adults and we have files and files and files backed up in our brains of how we judge or determine rain, to give a random example, you're right, you explained it really well. We tend to think, wait a second, okay, I don't actually have to say it's good or bad. I can get to neutral. It doesn't mean we don't have feelings about it or we don't have a preference, but it doesn't have to ruin our day. And it allows us to capture our thoughts about it and look at it from a variety of perspectives. I heard someone say recently, and I would give credit to 'em if I knew who it was, I don't remember, but they said, imagine our brains are like when you get on the internet and you go to search something, well if you search for something enough times, you're gonna have this search history.  

19:17 

And so the first things that come up whenever you search are the things that you've most recently been looking at. So therefore our brains kind of function that way as well. If I have tended to see rain as a negative thing in my search history, my brain is gonna be offering me all the suggestions of, well, you decided last week it was bad and then two weeks ago it was really bad because lightning struck something. And like I, I, you know, keep going further down the path about my perception about something. So our ability to let our brains serve us the way they're meant to instead of letting them run our lives is really something that we work on in coaching, right? To not even judge our thought. It's okay if someone likes rain or doesn't like rain, but our ability to look at that holistically and really question how we think about things, I think is so empowering.  

20:10 

It means that we're no longer a victim to life. It means we get to look at life and feel empowered to solve the problems that come our way and to maybe even see those problems as a blessing or a benefit or something that we find energizing regardless of what the issue might be. Yeah, for sure. Well, let's talk a little bit about, we've already been talking a little about challenges, highs and lows, what that might look like for you as a CEO and a founder. And I wonder what would be some of the biggest challenges that you faced? You know, in this first year, you look great, you look like you're coming out on top, but I'm sure behind the scenes you've had to face some challenges. And what would be some insights or tools or things that you've continued to use that have just supported you so that you have what you need to play the long game in business?  

21:04 

Yeah, so, well one of the things that comes to mind that like really early on a challenge that I face and it touches back on, I think where I was at when we first met and you were coaching me, is I had this huge like anxiety about public speaking. Like I just hate, I hated presenting, I hated getting up there in front of people. And so like it, but it was necessary. Like I had to do that. And just as a part of my job, like it, you know, you just have to sometimes recap things and do, you know, get up on meetings or whatever it is, you go off mute and it's like, okay, everyone's focused on me and everyone's looking at me. I hated that because sometimes I preferred to be behind the scenes. But in order for besti to even take off and get where it is right now, we had very initially realized like, we're gonna need some capital in order to like do this business.  

22:04 

I, there has to be an influx of capital to get it going, get it off the ground. And I had found out about a pitch competition here in Louisville and it was like a pretty well-known pitch competition here in this region. And they would have people apply from like all around the world really to come and get, it was like for a hundred thousand dollars to like precede funding essentially. Yeah. And part of doing that is I had to go and pitch besti. And so like really all of that, we worked through so much of that. And so I was set up well after having like dealt with those things that were holding me back. And we got up and we were selected as one of the eight winners for this pitch competition. And it, I don't know if I hadn't like tackled that issue with you, I dunno if besti would be where it's at right now, but that was really what helped get us off the ground.  

22:58 

And that was one of those really high highs. Like, you know, we had just started it. We were running our pilot tests, we were putting it out there and getting feelers to try to see like, how is this gonna land? And it was a lot of research and feedback in that stage and like just having that affirmation that someone else was like, oh, this is, this could take off. This is a great like idea and we wanna see like it be trialed and executed. And so that was a super high, high and then immediately it's like, okay, now we've gotta get to work. And so there was just so much like in that laying of the foundations, you hit roadblocks all the time. And so we had several things that again, as like a expectation like, oh, this is gonna happen and really take off. For instance, we had an issue with our website where we, unbeknownst to us, whoever owned the domain before we did, had used it to do nefarious things on the internet. And it had been blacklisted by antivirus software. Oh  

24:01 

My goodness.  

24:02 

Companies. So we were trying to get traction and get people, get traffic to our website so people could find out about besti. And it was getting flagged with like, this site is not safe. And so we had to really navigate and dig into like, what is the issue here? Why is this happening? We solved the problem. Again, you can solve any problem, you can get through it. But yeah, like researching is, okay, how do I find out who has blacklisted our domain? How do I contact these companies to get off the blacklist? And we did and we ended up actually just changing the domain altogether because it just made more sense for us. And so now we're heybesti.com. But yeah, so that was again, another thing. Glad it happened in the early days, but one of the, one of the mottos I think as founder life that you learn to live by is fail fast, fail often, because you're gonna learn a lot, you're gonna need to iterate anyway. So just having that as expectation is like, oh, you're going to face challenges. Like that's, that's a part of the game. And I think once you get into this, everyone understands like, oh yeah, startup life. Startup life. Yes. So,  

25:17 

Wow, okay. I had no idea about your website. What a wild story. Thank you for sharing that. Because I think some people, Amanda might have experienced that and been like, oh, I'm not meant to do this or something's wrong here. And really you didn't let that mean anything about the business or you or anything else. It was just like, okay, we can shift gears. Like that willingness to be flexible and to iterate that is the work is to adjust, to shift to, you know, my business looks very different now than it did three years ago. And that actually can be very energizing if we have the right approach. Some days, of course are harder than others. I remember, I don't think I told you this, I remember when I saw that you had won that funding round and I was out, I was waiting in my car, I think, to go inside to meet someone for lunch.  

26:14 

And I just happened to like see it on social media and it, I was really emotionally overwhelmed. I just remember reading it and I just, it just, I really started crying hard in my car. And I think the thought about that was the realization that whenever we as women are running businesses, of course we as I always say, have to earn some money and raise some capital or whatever. So the IRS doesn't think our business is a hobby, but there's also the real paycheck, like the real paycheck of, okay, yeah, there's money and, and things like that. But for me and Dana buyer's coaching the real paycheck is seeing women agree with me and not just me seeing women agree with God in their value, in their capacity and watching their journeys unfold. I would love for every woman to understand her true value and to live it out in like with the appropriate confidence, right?  

27:20 

Confidence isn't like selfish pride, confidence is stepping forward and leaning in and iterating in your business and showing up when you don't have the answers and trusting God for that. And you have done that, you continue to do that. And it was so rewarding. So along those veins, you know, like I was saying, that's like the real paycheck, that's the most rewarding thing. Like, yes, this is what I wanna see happen, this is what I wanna see happen in women's lives. This is what God's doing in my life. What would you say is one of the other paychecks for you with besti besides, you know, the income?  

27:55 

So I would say, so I sat down with a friend the other day and she actually is a subscriber for Besti. And so we were just talking about the business and talking about the things that we go through as women with our periods and like how it can be such a struggle. And it is a health, everyone has their own he journey. And some people have it really tough, whether they've got like PCOS or PMTD and just, I'm getting now into my late thirties. And so I've even noticed the shift things don't work the way they used to back when I was in my twenties, right?  

28:32 

And so,  

28:33 

But you know, and we were just like kind of hashing out, complaining, like all in, you know, good jesting, but like complaining about how annoying having a period can be and the pain and all that. But it was just really affirming because she started to get a little bit emotional of like, I love what besti does. 'cause it reminds me that like, I should take time out for myself and like that I'm important. Like I, I deserve a little bit of pampering during this time because I'm working and I'm taking care of the two kids and I'm juggling all the things and so often I just am neglecting my own needs. And that to me was like, that's it, you actually get it. Like it was, because that was my story. I was like neglecting my own needs of like, like just taking care of everything and everyone else around me.  

29:25 

And it just didn't leave a lot left over. And I think that shift happened too before I even started besti where I, like, it kind of ties back to that value thing I think that had come up between us is like, where I struggled to really understand and acknowledge my own value. Like I, I, there was just something missing and that was like a healing journey that God had to take me through to really get to the point where it was like, yes, I'm valuable. Like, yes, like, and like really all in all the ways, all the wirings that God has placed in me and the talents and the skills that he's given me. And like just saying like, oh, I bring something to the table. Yeah. So that, that is its own thing in and of itself. But yeah. And then, so really learning is like I, I need to take time to like pour into myself.  

30:14 

And that was the coaching as well. It's like, okay, I need to invest in myself and coaching was a way that I invested in myself. And then also like taking the time to like practice some self care and give myself some space and say to everyone, like, it's like I need like a few hours where it's just about me. Like, let me just take some time for me. Yeah. And then I'll get back with you. And like, it was, it was good though to make that shift because I had more to give out because I had spent that time like letting myself be filled and you know, investing in myself and just giving myself the breathing room so that I could come back as my best, as the best version of me. And so that's what best's all about is trying to help women. It's like, we want to be your besti, we want you to be the best version of yourself and here's just a small way that you can do it.  

31:03 

Like, you know, 'cause I think I've learned in this way of like, having so many conversations is as women, I think we tend to push down when we're, we're feeling like just crummy. Like we try to like, just like, yeah, push through it and get over it and like keep going. And sometimes that can really have adverse effects. It can have adverse effects on your mental health, on your emotional health, on your physical health. Like all of those things. And then like you're, you're really like that holistic, that fullness of like what God promises, you know, you're not gonna attain that fullness because there's a little piece here that is being neglected really. So  

31:49 

Yes. Yeah. You're oh that you're so right. The, I think the, the women that I coach and my friends and all of us, including myself, we are careful to make sure that we are caring and caring for and honoring our loved ones, our friends. We are careful to make sure that we're doing all the things that are expected of us or needed of us at work and probably beyond even what's required. And so we do come in last, we tend to come in last in our own lives. And so you saying, yeah, I actually had to yeah. See my value and live that out. Take action on that. And really the action probably supported your belief in that. I would guess like for me, I've noticed sometimes, I mean, I do see my value, I do trust what God says in scripture about me. I do believe those things I see in scripture how Jesus valued women.  

32:45 

But sometimes I will doubt. But taking action that authentically moves me towards maintaining that belief, maintaining that value actually helps me perform better at work, actually helps me have better, more fulfilling relationships in my life. And that's what you're saying, right? Like that life to the full that we're called to have and that is completely available to us. A lot of times when we're not experiencing it, it's because we're neglecting ourselves. And the hard thing for women is we'll tend to think, well that's selfish, that's selfish for me to value myself, or it's selfish for me to, you know, stop and take some time or ask for support or things like that. But that's actually like we have a vitamin deficiency when we aren't inviting those things into our lives or, or making time for that in our lives. And that says to me, Amanda, part of the reason you're thriving as a founder is because you've really allowed God, you've been open to shifting your perspective to agree with him about your value and carve out that time for yourself and the things that you need to support yourself on your journey.  

33:51 

Yeah. Well, and I think too, because then you become, you have more of an impact, like if you, because it's not selfish. I think we're taught that inherently as like, yeah, I don't know. And like some of the evangelical realms and there's the, the role that women play in all that. But I think there's a, we are almost this ingrained, inherent con conception of like, or perception that like we do need to be self-sacrificing to a degree where like, like we, we are on the back burner, we are last priority. And there's a beauty in that where you're, the self-sacrificing model is what Jesus did. But at the same time too is like we are, I think called to have a really big impact. And so it's finding that balance. It's like, it's not selfish to take care of yourself so that your impact is greater.  

34:43 

And like, you know, it's this like, not the extreme. 'cause I think the self-care, like there, there's been a big trend towards that. And if you go to the extreme of it, it can be also not honoring to God. So if it's, it is, it's finding the balance. But yeah, absolutely. You have to, you have to tend to yourself. And I, I agree that it's a deficiency if you're not. And so how can you really reach what God wants, like for your life if you are deficient, if you are neglecting yourself. And so I think there's, it's a, and there's a humility in valuing yourself and what God has placed in you and the spirit that he has given in, in going forward in that like that that also, it's like part of I think the calling of what we as women and the way that we reflect God and who he is, that yeah. That we can have a greater impact when we do tend to ourselves and be our best.  

35:45 

Yes. As you're saying that, Amanda, I'm thinking, yeah, right. Our example is Christ. So he did, I mean, obviously gave the ultimate sacrifice, but even in his, before he was crucified, we see all throughout the gospels, we see Jesus serving people selflessly. You know, like whenever, I don't know about you, but like sometimes I read in the gospels about, you know, crowds of people being around Jesus. And, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, that sounds so stressful. Like I would not to escape, but  

36:16 

The introvert,  

36:17 

Right? And, and, and he is, he is, you know, he was fully man and fully God. So obviously his approach to that would be way better than what mine would be as 100% human. But we do see him also in the gospels take time away. Yeah.  

36:35 

He eats like he nourishes himself. He has time with his small group of friends and he serves the masses. So like he, even though he was fully God and fully man gave us the example of, I do nourish myself, whether it's food or time away or time with my small group of friends, time with God, you know, like prioritizing that time. And it was, it's, you know, we don't see all the details of it in the gospels, but it seems like it's no big deal. Jesus just disappeared. He could just walk away. He could just get in the boat and go do his thing. Yeah. Then I tend to be like, I'm not sure how's that gonna be perceived if I say I'm not available that day? Is that okay? And I think you're, what you're saying is completely right. Like God gives us the example in Christ to serve well, but to not glorify the sacrifice, instead to honor God by the way we spend our time and the way we have that biggest impact I hear you saying is by taking that time out and nurturing ourselves. I'm thinking of even just the other day I was in here in my office working and I had a very fun project I was working on and my husband sat by and Chris was like, have you eaten yet? And I was like, oh no. Kind of forgot. Well the truth is, I knew I was hungry, but I was like, I just wanna finish this thing,  

37:55 

Do that. So it was like, I'm going to eat, I know there's food, but right now I just wanna do this. And I probably was getting myself to a point of ending the project on fumes instead of having, ending it in a way that maybe could have had a better impact. And so I appreciated his accountability and just kind of was like, okay, I can pause this. No one says I can't, I'm gonna go have a sandwich, come back in 30 minutes, I can finish this. 'cause I was just creating pressure on myself that was not there. No one put that pressure on me.  

38:24 

Yep. Yep. Well absolutely. I do that all the time, Dana. All the time. And like, and I think too, as a, like a founder in this space where you're in those first like few years, you, 'cause there are seasons where you will go through sprints and you are like just pushing things out and turning things out and you're the hours and hours and hours and then you have the energy for it. But you can't live like that way. Like you can't live like that 24 7. It will burn you out. And so I've learned to lean into the ebbs and flows. It's like when I've got this capacity and I can really hit it, I will do that. But then at the same time, recognizing it, like if I'm constantly in my head, I'm like, oh, I'm so tired. I'm so tired. That is a really good indication that take a break. Like you actually, you've worked every day this week at some point in some way. Like take stop, take a day off, let yourself like pull away. And because that also creates that what you need in order to like come back and have a better impact, you really will not have the best impact if you are running all the time on go, go, go, go, go.  

39:34 

Yes. Yes. And I think that can be a fear-driven behavior that we do, right? Like kind of like, oh, I have to keep going. And, and so the, like, I'm obviously not coaching on this, but I've, I've been coaching on this. I'm not coaching on this right now, but, but like, I think a question I've had to ask myself and I've asked clients before is like, what would happen if you did stop? Like, what would happen? Like what's the concern? And you know, she could say, or I could say anything along the lines of, oh, I might not get clients. Or Oh, I might miss a deadline. Or someone might think poorly of me. So it's even, we're doing it to ourselves, but we're driven by a thought that we haven't captured yet, which is a fear that may have a little bit of validity to it, right?  

40:16 

Like, I could lose my job if I don't turn this project in, let's say for example. But we have to really, we get like so graspy about finishing the thing or doing the thing or working all the time that we add drama or a pressure to something that actually isn't as important. And I know what that's like. I know I've been that way in seasons when I've been close to burnout and I realize I'm pushing to get something done that isn't that important. And actually when it's done, what am I gonna do then just pick up another project and run like crazy. You know? It's kind of like we have to snap ourselves out of that.  

40:53 

Yeah. Yep. Well, and it's kind of, it ties in with the seasons I think too. It's like, you know, even in the way that like God designed the world, it's like you have summer and then it goes into fall and winter and like there is just times where you will need to really like, okay, like slow, like, and in identify like identifying like what is the priorities? I'm in this right now 'cause I'm looking right now to build our team, but until then it's just me and I like in, in the landscape of all the things I would like to do could be doing, I can't do all of it. And so just really saying, okay, these are the things that I'm gonna focus on this quarter so that I can go into next quarter full steam on the, on the next priorities. And so really it's like being really, really intentional about what I'm putting on the calendar, what I'm saying yes to, how I'm going about, like adding what gets added in and what actually I'm like, no, this isn't time to worry about this right now. Like that will be, or after. So  

41:54 

That is really wise. I think that I, that's something I've only started doing the last year. I wish I had done sooner. I love hearing that you're doing that because I'll get, 'cause we have ideas, right? Something great happens or maybe we even have a problem. We're like, oh, this gives me an idea, something I could do in the future. And if you're a company of one or a company of just a few, we can't do all the things. And so giving ourselves that, no, for now mindset I think is brilliant, Amanda, because it means we aren't saying, no, it can't happen, but today this is what my focus is on. I will do this well and trust that there's a time. I'm curious, do you have a way that you kind of capture those ideas to keep track of them for the, like the someday or the future?  

42:40 

So I do, so this is my notebook, which is, it's almost through because I've written so many things in it. But I do, and I have to like write things down and reevaluate because there's always like an introduction that is happening or a new software that I'm learning about or like, just in the changes of how like tech and things are like moving so quick and there's so many like just, you know, just innovations and how we are doing things. The the list never ends. It never ends. And so I have to like really like draw everything. It's like, okay, here's all the things that we could start to touch into. And I made the mistake in the first six months of like, like chasing every shiny object that was put in front of me. 'cause I'm like, oh, what about this? This will, you know, we should look into this, this could help us become successful to do this.  

43:34 

And that, that I started to really feel it. I started to really feel it. 'cause my, like I, I was too much for my, my brain to compute, like trying to carry all of those details and trying to chase after all those things. And so, yeah, like I, I do have my notebook. I'll write things down. If something comes up, it's like a recurring thought or like a recurring idea, then I take note because that is like, oh, that actually might be really, really worth my time. If something like, it sounds good in the moment and then it's like weeks and weeks and I haven't like, you know, haven't considered it again, I'm like, oh, well maybe, you know, it's a, it's a good idea, but it doesn't need to necessarily be something that I pursue.  

44:13 

Yeah, I love that. I think that was a great example of self-compassion when you got to that point that you realized, oh, I'm overwhelming my brain right now. This would be too much for anyone. I can step back, write the ideas down, but I don't have to do them. That's really good. Self-compassion. I love that. Okay, one more question for you, Amanda. As you think about the people listening to this episode, what advice would you give to Christian working women who are considering becoming founders or starting a business or maybe they're looking at leadership roles, executive roles or upper leadership roles in the organization where they work? What would be something you've learned this last year that you wanna make sure you pass along to share?  

45:03 

So that, oh, that's a good question. I feel like there's several things that I would say, but one of them, like, so when I first started this, I really like my, like hope would be okay, God, like let's do this together. Like, I want this to be our adventure. Like lead me in, in this business and the choices that I make, and then things get busy and things get chaotic. And so building in a very like, protected time to say, okay, like I, I know that I'm gonna have all of these things to focus on and you know, the calendar's filling up, my inbox is filling up, but like the most important thing is that connection with God. And even this morning I sat and I went outside to drink my coffee and just pray a little bit and like what I felt like God was saying to me this morning is like, my hope is not in what I build. Like my hope needs to be a God. And so it was like this really, really good reminder of like, because I am, you know, at the end of the day, like I'm responsible for, you know, like what's happening with this business, but it's, but really my hope is in God and what he's gonna do. And so like just trusting in him and what, you know, what how he leads and where he's taking me and on this journey that just prioritizing that space and that time for him because there's a million things.  

46:32 

Yes. And that, that is a great word right there. You're preaching to me. I appreciate that so much and I just thank you. Thank you Amanda Miah for being here. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so proud of you and I'm also inspired by you. I love watching your journey. Tell us where is the best place that everyone listening or watching can find you? How can they find you or besti? Let us know where the best place is. Yeah,  

46:57 

So we are on social media besti. Our I Instagram handle is besti, which is without the E, so it's BEST i.box. And then our website is hey besti again without the E. So hey, BEST i.com. And those are two good places to come and check us out.  

47:18 

Awesome. Wonderful. Thank you so much Amanda. I appreciate you.  

47:23 

Thanks. Data,  

47:24 

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47:29 

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