Aligning Your True Energy For Business Success With Human Design

Dive into the profound impact of embracing your true self and energy in running your business with Human Design. CJ interviews Astrologer, Sophie Williams, to explore how understanding your unique Human Design can transform your work style, prevent burnout, and lead to sustainable growth. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of energy dynamics, hiring practices, and boundary setting, all tailored to align with who you truly are.

Expect revelations that’ll leave you shook and takeaways you wish you’d learned sooner:

1. Discover how understanding your human design can enhance your harmony, flow and well-being in your business.
2. How to hire the right energy types, such as generators and manifesting generators, to support you and your business.
3. Explore the balance between dedication and overexertion, and why protecting your energy is crucial for playing the long game.
4. Why self-awareness, personal growth, and acknowledging your limitations are the heart and soul of business success.

Connect with Sophie on Instagram & Threads at @sophiewilliamsastrology or check out her site

You can also connect with me! Instagram & Threads: @onherplate_ or onherplate.com.

Transcript

Welcome to the Energized Entrepreneur podcast. I'm CJ, your host founder of On Her Plate Educating
and Empowering female entrepreneurs to repave the foundation of their business with a nourishing diet
so they can match their energy with their growth rate. I am genuinely honored to be inside of your ears
right now. If you're listening to this, you must be a female entrepreneur looking for your permission slip
to hustle in a way that puts your health first. Well, great news, you found it. Let's power up this episode.
Hello. Welcome, Sophie, to the energised entrepreneur. How are you? I'm doing well. How are you? I'm
good, thank you. Um. Sophie is of Sophie Williams astrology. And for full disclosure for the listeners
here. So for now, I have been, uh, besties pretty much since we met back in 2016, I think. And this
podcast isn't me just getting my mates on. I did actually ask her to come on because. I mean, you just
have to take one look at her clients transformational shifts and you'll understand why. But before we get
into what you do. So we're going to do a few hotseat questions just to loosen up and get to know you on a
more personal level. So the first question. What was the latest podcast or TV series you binged? I think I
know the answer to this has recently been Bridgerton, so that was the answer. I've listened to a couple of
random podcast episodes but haven't binged one recently. Definitely Bridgerton. I watched binged them
all in one day. Each time, no 1 or 2 days, each time part one and part two was released. And you know
that because because we talked about it all the way through and just did a whole 15 minutes talking about
it before we started recording. So. Yes. Okay. Uh, if you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life,
what would it be? Tacos. Definitely like authentic Mexican tacos, where they're really juicy and they've
got the proper corn tortilla. And they are made on, like, the side of the road in Mexico with. Oh. All the
salsas? Yes, that would be it. That is my ultimate. I didn't expect you to say at the side of the road. That
was a. Hey, all I dream about. Because I lived in Mexico for a while and I dream about them. I have days
where I just dream about a proper, authentic Mexican taco, and I go to Mexican restaurants and I can get
close to it sometimes, but I'm always thinking I'm just not on the side of the road. Is it all the way to
Mexico? Okay. Uh, what's the best Twilight film? The original, the original, the OG with the blue tint.
But the OG did something to me because I remember seeing it in the cinema for the first time when I was
in my teens. I'd read the book, and it was such a life changing experience for me because I was obsessed
with vampires. I had such a crush on Robert Pattinson because I also fancied him from Harry Potter as
well. So it was just the teenage years. When you go to see a film that you've been anticipating even now,
actually, when I watch a film that you've been anticipating from a book, there's just something really
magical about that. And I actually loved the film adaptation of the book, so I've got a lot going on. Every
answer I'm giving is like, very detailed, but I loved it. So the original, I mean, I'm sure I'm hoping there's
a lot of other telepaths listening. I think there might be a lot of, uh, millennial women out there who grew
up with the Twilight books and films like we did. I feel like we saw Robert Pattinson come of age,
including his musical talents. We don't do that. I'm not gonna do an impression of the song. I'm gonna do
an impression maybe in the next episode. Uh, okay. Favorite workday beverage? At the moment, it's
what I'm drinking. It's coconut water. And really into that. At the moment, I can get a little bit bored of
just water, but. From being like really, really honest. It would be coffee, but I do have to be mindful of
that because, as you know, I do have a bit of an addictive side to me, and it's very hard for me just to
have one coffee. And so I have to really stick to the one coffee, otherwise I can get a bit of an afternoon
crash. So one coffee in the morning, that is perfect. What's your go to hype song for when you need to
power through a block of work? Oh, okay. What song I will say is when I am finished a session and I feel
really hyped up and something's gone really well, I will play Timber by Pitbull because that song does
something for me worldwide. Mr.. Mr. 305 Bali. Um, it really does something to me and it hypes me up
like no other song really. But I feel like I'm going to finish this podcast and another song is going to
come to me and I'm going to think, why didn't I say that? Did I say Simba by Pitbull? But it is very
nostalgic for me. It really gets me going. So no, it's a banger, so it will always be a banger. So. Okay,
good. Okay, I'm pretty sure the list has got to know you better after after those questions. Any of this says
about me? Um, anyways, we'll move on from the personal side. to the more professional side so we can
talk about what you do. Um, so okay, over to you. What do you do and why do you do it? Please give us
a nutshell intro. Well, I started my business in 2020, but I've been fully self-employed since early 2022.
I've been on a number of shifts within my business. It kind of all started from I did a coaching
certification in 2020, and that really opened up to the possibility of working for myself and really helping
people understand themselves, move through blocks, fears, challenges. It's something that I've always
done a lot with in my personal relationships. It's something is quite natural to me, talking about those
things with with people I care about. And then I came across human design astrology, and I realized that.
I just love them. I absolutely love understanding what makes people who they are and their gifts and
what makes people really unique. I think I'm so drawn to understanding a person's gifts, and I've really,
throughout the last couple of years, incorporated my own gifts into my business and the unique way that I
do things. So what I do at the moment is I dive into a person's astrology and human design, help them
understand themselves, help them make career shifts, life shifts. I work a lot actually, on the career
business side of things, helping people understand how to be more themselves, how to move through
certain fears. And there are a lot of fears which a lot of people share, which is so interesting when it
comes to business and showing up online, which can be a very unnatural thing at times. And yeah, I work
with people in one on one sessions. I work with them over a period of time. I also teach a little bit around
astrology and human design, which I just love, and I'm I do it because honestly, I obsessed with it and I
absolutely love it and what it's done for me. It is really lights me up. You can you can see that as well in
how you portray yourself and how you talk about it. You know, the passion clearly comes through and it
obviously does online as well, because you're a very successful. You have a lot of a lot of clients coming
to you. And um, yeah, I think that's great. Okay, cool. So I want to kick off with something. I heard a
female business owner talk to me about recently, and I, I told you this as soon as it happened, um, for
obvious reasons. Um, but for the for the listeners, we're going to talk about it. She was telling me that
she's a projector. So she's very visual of how her business is running, the energy dynamics within it and
the direction rather than like the nitty gritty stuff. She has hired support for a lot of that stuff for a lot of
those things. And she only hires generators and manifesting generators. And it was a story about her
exploration of her human design and discovering a new way for her to work at her best and within her
maximum capacity, without burning out or becoming too overwhelmed. So I'd love for you to expand on
that, about leveraging human design to learn about the best ways of working as a business owner, but
especially if your personality traits have previously been seen as a bad thing. Like, you know, if you're
scatterbrained, you can't be organized. If you're introverted, you can't show up. Or if you're a visionary,
then you can't get the details done. I was very happy to receive those messages from you about that,
because I know that you've dabbled a little bit in human design, because obviously I've told you a lot
about your human design, but I know that for you, yes, you're a manifesto and a Capricorn Rising. You
are definitely somebody who it needs to come to you. And feel free to tell me that I'm wrong. I think
you're someone who you don't just believe things at the time or take them on. Sometimes it has to. You
have to come to your own conclusion with it, and then you're like, hmm, that's interesting. It's the same
when I recommend TV shows to you or movies and I say, you're going to love this. And then like three
months later when you're ready to do it, you watch it and then you say, yeah, it's so true. You know, you
know it's right. Yeah, tell me I'm wrong, but I'm wrong. But I know I'm right. So human design is
amazing from my perspective for business, for the way that you work, and to identify how you can work
without burning out, without actually ending up hating your work, because that is definitely something
that can happen when you use your energy in the wrong way. You can love something, but you overdo it.
And a big thing with human design is understanding that there are five different types. So there are
different types of people and ways of using energy. And so for example, I'm a generator and I actually do
have quite a lot of energy. And that's why this person will hire generators is because generators and
manifesting generators when they do. What they really love and what really sparks something within
their body, within the sacral. They can actually use a lot of energy and a consistent amount of energy
daily on it, and it probably won't feel like work. And that's why often I'm really mindful of telling people
don't compare how much your output is every day to how much my output is, because I have a different
way of being and actually different types, projectors and manifestos which you are. They can be super
efficient actually in way less time because it can be super charged. They're like doing energy, but they're
not meant to do it for a really long period of time. And a big part of deconditioning. Understanding
yourself is, is also knowing your limitations with, yeah, maybe you're not somebody who can work eight
hours a day. And I think the 40 hour workweek is probably built for a generator type, and probably also a
man who doesn't have the same hormones that we have. Because even as a generator myself, I still need I
have days in the month, or maybe a whole week in the month where I don't have the same amount of
energy to give. Regardless of human design is really tapping into yourself of how you feel the level of
work you do. I know that yes, I do have a certain amount of energy. I can work a good amount, but at the
same time I also need lots of space and I also need rest. And that's individual to my certain energies that I
have within my astrology, within my human design. And so I love when people understand these things
about themselves because. Then they get to create a business that works for their energy and not against
it. So a projector, for example, their real gift is not in how much they can do, but in how effective they
are and how efficient they can be and how they can see a system, see a person, and just refine them and
tell them what's working and what's not working. That's why they can make brilliant coaches, but their
gift is not in how many hours they can put in and how much work they can do. It's more about being
really efficient and effective and manifest as gift is that they innovate. They can get things started and
smash things out super quickly. So when I see you talk on your Instagram or you're like, I've just bashed
out the sales page in such a short amount of time, and that's because when I manifest, it is in that creative
urge nothing else matters. And then they will feel quite exhausted. And they have to honor that, because
it's about expressing those urges and then having lots of space to rest. So an ideal business for a
manifesto will be having space for you to do both, where you can be all in and go for it and express those
urges, and then rest and retreat because you're not meant to be on all the time. So really, I would suggest
for a business owner who has a projector and manifest or a reflector to actually have a lot more
automations and have a lot more in place where they don't have to be on all the time and giving all the
time, whereas actually a generator and a manifesting generator may actually get a lot of satisfaction and
pleasure from actually being on more and giving more energy, because if they're not using enough
energy, they can actually feel really frustrated. So if I were to speak to a manifest or project a client or
reflector, I'd say have things in your business which don't require you to give so much and work so much,
have things flow where people can just buy things from you. They still experience your wisdom, but you
don't have to be there physically switched on. So have a mix. It's also about what you enjoy. It's a really
long answer, but I kind of when I started doing it, I was like this and this, I want to add more. So no, no,
that was a really good explanation because of course there are some people that might be listening to that
don't know that much about human design and astrology. So it was a really good explanation. Okay. And
off of that, I feel like there's a lot of empowerment in that, right? Knowing how you not should be
working, but could be working for the benefit of yourself and your business and how you feel in it.
There's a lot of people will actually touch on this a bit later, but I think it's relevant now. What advice
would you give to the people who are a little bit resistant to leaning into that? Because, you know, as you
know, coming from a corporate background, we both do. It took me a long time to really embrace the
best ways that I can work. And you know what? What advice do you have for those people feeling a little
bit hesitant? On the one hand, I am not in the business of convincing people that these things work. Um, I
used to be, and I would force not even purposefully, but I would try to prove how great they are and.
How you have to believe this is going to change your life. And ultimately, I'm not in that business
anymore of doing that. But at the same time, I guess my question would be, is the way you're doing
things now working? Because if it is working, then great. But if things aren't working, and I think
sometimes as humans, we can be kind of stubborn with that. Or maybe we don't want to admit that things
aren't working, or at least outwardly and ask for help. I would say, are things working the way you're
doing it now? So could you remain open to another way, or an external perspective, or a system that you
are kind of skeptical about? But what if it shows you something about yourself that really clicks? And so
that's a question that I would ask is, is the way you're doing things now working? If not, give it a try. You
don't have to become fully obsessed. Or I actually say for a lot of people, you don't have to be know
everything about you. Human design, astrology. But sometimes knowing one thing, knowing your type
and human design or your authority the way you're here to make decisions that can completely transform
so much for you and clear so much resistance. Understanding your moon sign or understanding your
Midheaven. You know your career in astrology. Understanding those things can spark something within
you where you realize, oh, I'm not doing what I truly want to do. And sometimes we do need something
external from us to remind us of the thing that's inside of us. And it's not that somebody telling you who
you are and it's not you. A lot of it is like a re remembering or just an activation of something that you
actually do want to do. But sometimes we do need that permission slip sometimes from someone or
something. So yeah, that's that's a couple of things that I would say. I mean, that's why we invest, right?
That's why we invest in other expertise that we don't have is to help us. Well, with that permission slip
and then to help show us that there might be a better way. I think there's just more investments when it
comes to business owners. There's perhaps more investments in terms of obviously, you know, business
strategy or branding or social media and, you know, perhaps less in something like what I do, like
nutrition or something like what you do. But I think if you believe in personal growth, which more
people, more business owners are now and they're really listening to their own bodies because the way
that they're working currently isn't working. So again, it's just an investment. Like I see people when
people invest in me or when people invest in you, I see those things as literally the same thing. You're
building foundations for your business and ways of working and how you can feel working, so that
makes total sense. Health is a massive thing when it comes to my business as well, and I've obviously
worked with you in the past, and I do believe that your physical health is such a massive part of it. Yeah,
you can learn something new, you can be coached. But I also feel like the times when I'm really switched
on in my business, at the times when I feel the most healthy in my body as well. And so I do feel like it's
all linked. And another point actually, that came to me when you were speaking is that I also think that
we can make the mistake of sometimes, like over investing or thinking we need that next course. And I
think so much of it is just learning to trust yourself of. I do believe we need support. We need somebody
outside of ourselves. Because when you're a business owner, you decide everything, you see everything.
And sometimes it can be your ego or you can't see outside of it. So it's super useful to have someone
external to you, like, hold up a mirror. But I do think there's also a problem with I'm going to take that
next course and some people don't even do it. You don't even do the course. I've bought things before,
masterclasses and then I've never watched it. And I think, why have I done that? But it's often because
I'm maybe scrambling and I'm not really trusting myself and not creating space for that ideal mentor or
program to come in, or that I've got wisdom within myself. So that's just something I do see quite a bit as
well. And I think it's a balance. And so much of it comes from trusting yourself and your instincts with
who to work with, when to work with them, or when to do it alone. I think it's a balancing act. I could
speak for hours about that, having made so many investments. Borderline because, you know, I still
learnt something from them and it taught me what is a good investment. But at the same time, you're still
spending, you've still spent the money and you didn't get what you needed out of it. And that's probably
because you didn't. Well, I didn't trust myself in the first place. So, um, I won't go down that rabbit hole.
But yes, I completely agree with that. Okay. So quickly going back to hiring people for your business
because you recently hired a VA. So it was the first hire you've made since starting your business. So I'd
love for you to talk about your process, to find the right person to fill that role for you. As someone who's
passionate about energy and personality and alignment. It was definitely a long time coming, and I did
feel some fear around it because I am so used to doing everything myself, and that was a real I feel like a
real growth moment for me and my business of admitting that I do need support, because I'm not always
so great with admitting that I do like to be strong air quotes and do everything myself. And I really
realized that I could really benefit from somebody. And so I it was really important for me to hire
somebody who I had a good feeling about, and sometimes you can't put your finger on it. And ultimately
my final decision was, how do I feel about this? Because my authority in human design is emotional.
And also I have so much water in my chart in astrology that it has to feel good. And often that doesn't
make sense. But I also had criteria of what I really wanted from somebody, and a big thing for me was I
know my limitations and I am not the most organized of people I can be, and and I will be. But why does
it make me super happy? No, I, I really love I don't like doing admin. I really and this is about
understanding your gifts and where you thrive. And I love one on one conversations. I love exchanging
information and I love sharing people's gifts, diving into their chart and seeing what I see, you know,
sharing what I see that lights me up so much. And I love talking to people. It's just that's why I love one
on one sessions and I have the energy to do them. I really don't enjoy back end things. Admin. It is just it
frustrates me and I'm a generator and that is my not self theme is frustration. I have to drag myself to do
it and so I really wanted someone who loves. It gets such a high from being organized. And so a big thing
for me was, was having somebody with Earth in their chart, because you're loving the practical sides of
things. So Earth signs. Taurus. Capricorn. Virgo. Having somebody who actually just loves ticking things
off a list and being practical and organized and get satisfaction from that. That was something that was
super, super important to me. And so I they didn't need to be fully Earth, but that was something that I
was only really going to interview people who when I looked at their chart, I could see how they could
add to me. They don't have to be like, I actually didn't want somebody who had a similar chart to me at
all who was the same person as me, because that would just be, yeah, maybe I'll get along with you
personally. We'll have a great conversation. But do I feel like you're going to add something? It's like
your coach has generators and she's a projector. I really wanted somebody who could add something that
I don't necessarily have or where I don't thrive. That was a big thing for me and also being able to give
honest feedback. I really wanted somebody who could take feedback on board, who could also share
really openly with me, because this is also my first time hiring someone, and I want somebody to be able
to tell me when they would rather I do something in a different way, or they think that the way that I'm
doing something in my business isn't the most efficient way of doing it. So I hired someone actually with
their Mars in Virgo, and so that just for me were they were listening super efficient and can see things
that aren't working. And this person's already recommended things that can make things easier for me.
And so I'm really happy with it. And I had to I interviewed quite a few people and I met some brilliant
people I had great conversations with. And yeah, that that was the I love hiring. I actually really liked. I
love talking to people. So it was an enjoyable process for me. And I'm really happy with with the person
that I've chosen. So on the application, did you put birth date and birth time so that you could work out
their chart? Yes. Yes. Another thing for me that was really important was actually that they were really
into astrology because I only yeah, this on my Instagram because a part of it is that they're going to be
involved in astrology and it and it comes down to my ethos with my work is do what you love. And I
didn't want somebody who. I only wanted to do admin because I want somebody who's also into
astrology, because the type of things that you'll be doing and who knows where it could go. I had a class
a couple of nights ago, and I don't want somebody who sat there thinking, this is so boring. I want
somebody who is lit up by it, who's interested in it, who is curious about it. And also this is such a benefit
for them. And I think I really love I love exchanging knowledge with people. I love having curious
conversations. Also really like mentoring people, somebody interested in astrology who could learn from
me as well, and we can learn from each other. That was something I was really passionate about. So
nobody had a problem with sharing that their birthdays. And actually some people asked me for mine, so
I quite liked that. I mean, that's kind of like a tick on the checklist, because then they obviously want to
see what you're like and who you are and your astrology. So, so cool. Let's talk about authenticity and
identity in your business, because a few well-known challenges of running a business for the first time
are imposter syndrome. Holding yourself back out of fear and not knowing what your identity is in your
business. And I think one result of those things is a misalignment or mismatch between you and the
clients you are attracting. But your business is incredibly personal, and it's impossible not to attach part
of your identity to it. I think. I think probably we all struggle with attaching all of our identity and
making our business our entire identity for a while, especially in the beginning, especially when we know
that lifting that curtain to let your community into your life is the key to building trust and ultimately
making more sales, right? So how can business owners understand themselves better to empower them to
show up as they want to, without that fear to attract aligned clients. I am a big believer in that trust
aspect, that if your business is, it depends on what kind of business you have. Mine is a personal
business, especially because I offer services to people and they are in my energy. I do want people to
understand who I am and and if that will work for them, because otherwise they can go to somebody else
who resonates more with them. So I do believe in the trust aspect of people have to get a feel for who you
are. But I also have boundaries with what I share and I think that's definitely changed over time. I think at
the beginning it was a little bit clumsier with my business with, and we all have to go through that many
stages, probably of shifting the way that we show up or the things that we share. And I realize that there
are some things in my life which I just love to keep private, and who knows if that will change. But I
don't really believe that you have to bring every ounce of your being to your business or to your
Instagram, I believe that. Bring the parts of you that feel the most, that you feel the most pulled to share
with people. If you think about your ideal client, what do you want them to see from you? And that's not
in a, uh, I'm crafting this thing of but who am I? And what parts do I want to bring to that? And what do I
feel will speak to the message that I have? There are some interests that I have or hobbies that I have
which are completely irrelevant, and I would prefer to keep those to myself. And so I'm like, I don't share
that thing. There are loads of things I don't share, but I think a big part of it is what do you actually really
want to share online and not being mindful of then that you talk yourself out of it. Oh, I can't do that
because of this. That's the thing I would say to share. So the thing that you genuinely really want to share,
and if you imagine yourself as your ideal client coming onto Instagram, what do you want them to see
from you? And I do feel like astrology and human design can play such a big part in it. I don't think it has
to, but I think it can play such a big part in that, because I do know one of my gifts in my astrology, in
human design are, you know, my emotional reflections and the way that I feel. And so sharing that has
often helped people really connect with me. And I've also really connect with people too, is I am, you
know, an emotional person who I feel big stuff. And then I'm, you know, like we all do. And I often gain
wisdom from that. And so I share that. And people say, oh, I was really feeling like that. And I think for
me sharing those vulnerable shares has helped me really connect with people. And I've made also friends
through my Instagram, from sharing about my personal life and also my business as well. I feel like they
are linked for me because I have such deep love for what I do. You, you travel a lot and you share that a
lot. And actually I think, you know, you mentioned you touched on the, you know, the vulnerable sharing
that that you put out there. But also I think you do a good job at posting about. You embracing the
freedom of having your own business. And I think a lot of business owners can relate to that. I actually
have one more thing to add on that though. Um, firstly, with the freedom aspect, I mean, that's a core
value of mine. So that is very, very important. And I actually really love that I could be that permission
slip or inspiration or spark for somebody else to feel like, oh, I want to do that, because that's how I felt,
you know, when I've understood myself or followed certain people on Instagram who maybe I've never
even spoken to. But I see something and that sparks something within me. And I do think there's really
something to that. And people there's this podcast that I listen to called the Expanded Podcast, and they
talk about people being expanders for you. And I've had so many expanders in business where I see them
doing something, I think, oh, I want a version of that. It's not that I want exactly what this person has, but
I want a version of that. And I often do receive messages from people saying things like, I see you doing
this and loving your work. I want to do something like that. And that makes me really happy because I
think, share your joy and share those things that light you up and make you happy. And I used to feel
like, oh, I don't want to show off. And ultimately it's not showing off because I'm not sharing this to
make you feel bad about yourself or to say, oh, I'm so great, look at this. I'm sharing it because it brings
me so much joy. And I want to share this with you because I feel that. And then as an extension of that, it
can inspire people, you know, understanding maybe what to post or how to post, uh, without fear is that
even, for example, on my feed on Instagram, so much of my astrology and humor design is about the
knowledge that I have, whether I've learned it or whether I just intrinsically have it, and I see things in a
certain way. But a big part of my magnetism is the knowledge that I have in the way that I share it. And
knowing that, because that shows up in multiple places in my astrology, in my human design, has helped
me create my social media in a way that I personally love creating content for it. And it seems to speak to
people that for me has made one of the biggest differences in terms of not overthinking what it is that I
share. Because and I do think sometimes you've got to experiment with that. It doesn't mean that, um, I
know this and it's perfect. I've had to experiment, I've tried different things, and I've really landed on
sharing. My knowledge is probably one of the most expensive things for me, and I also love it. So
astrology can really help. And human design with that too. No, that's that's really good advice, especially
when I think content creation in particular. And social media algorithms, other algorithms, uh, is. Such a
mindfuck, to be honest, but for a lot of business owners. So I think that's great advice in terms of posting
specifically. Okay, so we will now touch on because I wanted to bring this in because a bit of background
for you listening. So when I worked in the same company from 2016 to 20 17 or 18, it was 1 or 2 years.
It was a start up, corporate style environment. So in other words, it was it was very male dominated
office with no boundaries. Um, and we've both had our time saying yes to everything and working with
people who, frankly, take the piss. So in a voice note to me recently, you said to yourself, almost as a
reminder, stop being so fucking nice and saying boundaries in business when you're not naturally a
boundary person and you're a people pleaser, or you come from that corporate or team background where
you're used to saying yes to everything for fear of looking difficult, it's hard to move on from those
mindsets when you start your own business, or, you know, when you get into the thick of your own
business and you have to just do it all. You've always been pretty protective over your boundaries, but I
think in the past year you've been much fiercer with them. What's the balance between hard graft and too
much graft, do you think? I would say I'm not naturally the best with with boundaries. I mean that
definitely. You're a Pisces. Uh, that is something that we both can struggle with. Although you've got
your Capricorn energy, I have to trust how I feel about things. And I don't want to hold on to resentment
when I. When I say, oh, it's fine, but it's not fine. It's not fine at all with certain things that happen with
with clients, with Instagram, with, you know, we're all human and we, you know, we make mistakes
sometimes we don't show up for sessions, all this kind of stuff. But I had to really realize that it's
important for me to honor how I feel about things and to express that because I used to be very avoidant,
or I would sweep things under the rug when it comes to boundaries. And something I tell my clients all
the time is this difference between being nice and being kind and often. And I was speaking to somebody
yesterday about this, that the nice thing to do if something happens in your business is to just say what
the other person's ego might want to hear, or what makes you feel good saying and not uncomfortable.
But the kind thing is actually being honest and constructive and compassionate and saying how a
situation has actually made you feel, or that you know you're not. It's not acceptable for you because you
could actually maybe in the moment it's uncomfortable, but you could actually end up teaching some
something to that person too. And I've had that happen with me many times in my life where somebody
has said something to me, which I haven't liked, and then down the line I think, oh yeah, I do. I could
really benefit from being more like this. So that's the boundary question, which is definitely a learning
thing for me. I am continuously learning to set boundaries, being uncomfortable with it and reaping the
benefits from it too. And when it comes to, you know, hard graft and when that balance between it is. I
definitely I've worked a lot this year. I would say more than I've probably ever worked and I've really
enjoyed it, but I have to be mindful of the fact that, you know, too much of a of a good thing or two, too
much work and can definitely. I think sometimes when you work for yourself, it is that, you know, it's
hard to explain, I suppose, but I think about work more in my business now than I did when I worked a 9
to 5, but I think more positively about it. But what I would say is when you're responsible for it, it's so
easy just to I'll work until nine or I'll work on the weekend and I have to have boundaries with myself
and keep my own promises because yeah, it's great to have boundaries with clients. I also have to keep
them with myself because let's say I've taken a day off and then I think, oh, I could do that. Or a client
wants to move a session, I can do that. That's the nice thing to do, I think. No, you've booked that day off
Sophie, because you wanted it off. And so stick with that and keep the promises you make to yourself
and keep the promises you make to other people as well. So that's something that I've really had to learn
to do. And it's not the most comfortable for me because sometimes I want to just be nice. And again, like,
if I could be flexible, I'll be flexible, but not when it's at my own expense, based on a promise I've kept to
myself. And that is something that I've continuously learned this year, and I feel I'm getting much better
at, actually, because I almost did it the other day and I really quickly said, nope, you've booked that
week, Sophie. Take the week off. So keeping promises I've made to myself, I think it's really about
building trust with yourself and respecting myself is such a big thing, and it may be not something that
comes the most naturally to me because I want to please people. So yeah, that's something that I've
learned big time this year, and I'm feeling pretty good about it at the moment. That's good. I also feel like
there's that I mean, definitely in my head. I still get it when, let's say, you know, I'm hesitant to book a
day off in my calendly, for example, even though, you know, for example, on Fridays, I don't particularly
like doing calls on Fridays. I like Fridays to be a kind of end of the week block where I can just do
whatever I need to do, and sometimes cause can get in the way of that. I definitely used to feel hesitant to
block out Fridays for calls because I'd think, oh, but what if some clients want to book in on Fridays?
And what if they don't book in because I don't do Fridays? I, I totally agree because it is about just
trusting yourself and at the end of the day, like they're boundaries for a reason. And it let's be real, like a
client, if they want to book in with you, they will find a way to book it with you. If you can't do Fridays,
they'll either ask you directly and say, could you make an exception? And then it's up to you to decide
what you do with that question. Or they'll think, okay, I respect that she's not doing calls on Fridays. I'll
make it work another day. And it goes back to that misaligned clients as well, right? If you've got clients
that kick up a fuss because you don't work Fridays, you don't have calls on Fridays, then are they actually
aligned to you? Do you want to work with them because they're not respecting your boundaries?
Definitely. And I think I have no problem with people asking like if I haven't got that day, but didn't they
ask? And then that can be up for me to decide. But I have people book sessions at 3 a.m. their time
sometimes because it was the only time available and they wanted it and they haven't complained. So it's
if you want something enough, you will book the session. And I don't work with these. Uh, I do some
work, but I don't do calls on Mondays unless I've had time off the week before, and I protect that
Monday. I know that I might energetically, interestingly, from an astrological perspective, Monday is
Monday. So we tend to, you know, ease ourselves into the week a little bit. But if you love working on
Monday, keep working on Monday. Um, so I, I protect that. And, you know, if people want to work with
you, they're going to work with you. And I also have lots of clients on a completely different time zone to
me, but that doesn't impact me negatively at all. But I used to think that definitely I used to think, oh, I
have to be available until 9 p.m., then for calls. But then I realize that I'm not going to be my best self at
9 p.m. and people will make it work. I have joined calls at random times when I've really wanted to work
with somebody, when I've really wanted to join a live class. You make it happen if you want to, and I
think it's just natural that we fear that and that we don't trust that sometimes. And you have to
experiment. Definitely. You have to make mistakes with this stuff. I've done that so many times when
I've gone back on a promise I made myself and I've been like, okay, yeah, I can squeeze you in. And
then. I don't feel good about that. It's not fair to the client either, because are they getting me at the level
that and it's, you know, so it's so much about making mistakes, learning from it, growing, figuring out
what works for you and making those adjustments. Yeah. It is. I'm I'm I would happily jump on a call at
7 a.m., but past 7 p.m.. No, it's just not it, you know? It's just not for me. As you say, my energy is just
depleted. I'm. I'm definitely a morning person. I just like to wind down and a call fires me up so I find it
open. That impacts my sleep if I do that. But it's so true. You'll make it work like I'm in a program at the
moment where she's in Australia. So the calls my time at 10 p.m. every Tuesday at 11 p.m.. That is way
past my bedtime. I go to bed at nine. So. But you know, I'm not going to miss those live calls because
they're transformative. So I completely agree with that. Okay. We're getting to the end. So penultimate
question. What advice would you give to somebody who's just starting to explore their human design and
astrology and applying it to how they run their business? Because there's just so much out there to
discover about yourself, it can be a bit overwhelming. Where would you start? I would say don't try and
dive into every single aspect of it. You know, don't feel like and also don't feel like you have to figure it
all out before you take a step. I feel like sometimes we can get really into these systems and want to
figure out every single thing, and sometimes it can be imposter syndrome, self-sabotage, and then five
months down the line, we haven't actually taken a step. So much about astrology and human design is
experiment with it. You don't have to be the perfect version of yourself of that energy within you to take
the first step. And definitely, I think that probably would be my biggest thing. Experiment. See how it
feels. Do you enjoy the way you show up? Do what you genuinely love and don't. Also, don't let your
astrology or human design stop you from that. Like let's say for example, you read a um, online post
about one of the placements you have and it says something that's different to what you're doing now,
don't let that deter you, because ultimately you're going to read different things. There's only so much you
can fit on a slide on Instagram or in a reel. Really trust yourself before anything else, and experiment and
see how things feel for you and have fun with it. And I don't think, I think becoming a little bit too
obsessed with transits or letting people, you know, for example, if you see that there is a tricky astrology
transit happening and somebody says, this is not the time to do this, but you really want to do it, do it.
I've had people tell me, I worked with an astrologer before, and she told me to wait three months to
launch something, because that was her perception of the best timing for it. And I'm like, fair enough,
that's yours. But I don't want to wait for three months because this is ready for me. And so I'm not going
to wait for the absolute perfect date for it. I have this thing now, and so trust yourself and your instincts.
Even before that, let astrology and human design add to your business. Add to your life, but don't let it be
the absolute authority because you're the authority of your life and business. Yeah. Use it as a tool rather
than a. Well, I guess it is kind of an inner compass, isn't it? But yeah. Don't let it take over everything.
Okay. Last question. What are three things the people listening can do from tomorrow to embrace
themselves more authentically in their business? Really identify what is making you feel good and what
isn't. What are you doing because you think you should do it? So when you write a list of everything
you're doing in your business now, whether it's creating content, the sessions that you're doing actually
ask yourself, why am I doing this? If you see somebody else online and they're doing lots of 1 to 1
sessions like I do, I do lots of one off sessions. But you don't like meeting strangers on the internet and
doing one off sessions for them because you prefer to build a relationship over time. Why are you doing
it? Ask yourself, why am I doing this? Am I doing it because it genuinely makes me happy and I feel in
my power when I do this? Or am I doing it because someone online told me to do it? You know, am I
aiming for these ten months and every month I don't get them, I feel disappointed. Why are you aiming
for that? Like so. Just ask. There's nothing wrong with wanting that. But definitely ask yourself, why am
I doing this? Is it because I really want this? Or is it because I think I should be doing it? And another
piece of advice I'd give people is unfollow anybody on Instagram who makes you feel bad about yourself
in terms of what you're doing in business, unfollowing lots of business or, um, advice accounts. I think
some of them are brilliant. I still follow some accounts, but some of them where it was you need to do
this or your business is going to fail or three things, blah blah blah. That was so noisy to me. And I
realise that. And it's not necessarily. Therefore, it's also the way I take in this information. But I know
that. In my human design as well. I can be a little bit of a sponge for opinions sometimes. I don't want
that. I want to come onto Instagram. It's my space. Ultimately, it's my page. I want it to feel how I want it
to feel and curating that. The people that you follow to actually inspire you and expand you to unfollow
people who don't do that, who make you contract. And it's not necessarily their fault, but it's maybe
where you're at. So I would definitely say like, follow people who inspire you and unfollow people who
don't and also don't share. This is like a classic one, but don't share your business dreams with people
who are not going to support it or who you know. People haven't done it before. Don't ask people advice
for it. I think that's one of the biggest things for me, is that I would sometimes go to people with my big
ideas or dreams or whatever, and then they would maybe, you know, be a bit they wouldn't really support
it. But that's also my fault because people just give advice based on what they know for themselves. So
that's another thing I'd say as well, is it would be great if you can, to connect with other people who have
doing something similar to you or own their own business, or have done something like this before,
because I think there's so much benefit in having people to talk to about these things who get it. And I
understand it can be kind of lonely and business sometimes. So that is another piece of advice I definitely
give. Whether you join a community or you reach out to that person, you follow on Instagram who you
really respect or that you really vibe with, asked to have a, you know, a coffee, whether it's over zoom or
in person. I think that could be amazing for a business owner. Great advice. Okay, so where can people
find you? How can they work with you? You can find me at Sophie Williams Astrology on Instagram,
where I post a lot of astrology content and some personal stuff in my stories as well, which almost
always links back to astrology or human design. And I currently offer 1 to 1 Human Design Astrology
combined sessions. I'm booked up into August, but you can book something in for then. I am launching
some new stuff soon so. And I have some astrology classes. UBC and I have astrology classes that you
can watch, and if you wanted to work longer term together, you could reach out to me. And yeah, that's
where you can find me. Excellent. Good. So thank you for your time and your expertise. You know
everything it seems about human design, astrology, although obviously there's loads more that you're
continuously learning. But actually, we should be. Maybe for the next episode, we'll talk about, uh, a
topic of continuously learning. But for now your your expertise on here was amazing. So thank you.
Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed talking to you hehe.