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It is not often that I get to invite someone back to the Goal Digger Podcast, but Lisa is a guest that I’ve been dying to get back on and for really good reasons.
Lisa Bilyeu and her husband Tom founded Quest Nutrition, ultimately selling it for a cool billion dollars. But even after exiting their company, the journey and the grind and the need for belief in what they were doing is just astounding.
But even more than that, Lisa’s story is one of what she thought her life would look like, versus what it does look like, versus what it is going to look like is constantly unfolding. She has her first book, Radical Confidence, due out soon, so I can’t wait to discuss all things about becoming an author, what it means to have radical confidence, and a story from the pages of her book that really shook me to my core.
Disqualifying Herself as an Author
It was during peak COVID when Lisa Bilyeu’s husband Tom walked into the room and said he’d just received a call from a literary agent. They wanted to offer Lisa a book deal. Lisa’s response, “Oh, that’s sweet.” Tom couldn’t grasp why she was not more excited about the opportunity. It was a huge deal!
Lisa explained that in that moment, her inner voice said to her, “Who is going to buy a book from you?” It didn’t matter the previous successes she’d had – selling Quest Nutrition for a billion dollars, growing Impact Theory to over 500 million views across all content, and becoming host of Women of Impact – that insecure 14-year old girl was still hiding inside of her.
Years ago, that inner voice and insecurity would have crippled her. Now, she says, “I just gave myself grace and I was like, yeah, this is actually a beautiful thing. And I need people to hear this.” Her evolution and journey with confidence has allowed her to recognize the voice and use it as a catalyst. That was the beginning of her first book, titled “Radical Confidence”.
On Her Own
Lisa and her husband Tom have worked together on massive businesses and projects for years, including Quest Nutrition and Impact Theory. They had a working relationship of business partners, where one was weak, the other was strong. Lisa realized that although “passing the baton” when the business needed something that was among her weaknesses was a great strategy, she was never actually working on those areas where she could be stronger.
Writing her book was the first time she’d really worked on a project completely herself. There were times during the book writing process where she felt compelled to turn to Tom for advice or opinions, but learned that ultimately, this book was her vision and her idea. Even when she did lean on him for his thoughts, Lisa always set the tone that she’d weigh his opinions and see what felt right to her in the end.
This was a growth journey for Lisa, learning that she is capable of creating beautiful things all on her own, and that her weaknesses can be strengthened if she allows herself to stand in the uncomfortable zone of being a first-timer.
Held Back by Gratitude
There’s a story in Lisa’s new book that shook me to my core. She describes how gratitude was actually holding her back and it’s something I’d never heard before.
“We all know gratitude can be beautiful when you’re feeling bad about yourself,” Lisa began, “But here’s the problem, when I look back on my life, when I look at how I stayed stuck for eight freaking years, it was because every single day I was using gratitude.”
For eight years, the highlight of Lisa’s day as a stay at home wife was going to Costco and seeing what samples were available. She was bored. But she reminded herself to be grateful for her husband that loves her, her home, and the positive aspects of her life. It was a good exercise, except it prevented Lisa from ever asking or reaching for more in her life. She explained, “It basically allowed me to dismiss my own unhappiness…We have that fine line between using gratitude as motivation, and yet it’s spilling over into being the stun gun that is paralyzing you.”
More from Lisa Bilyeu
This conversation is so rich with insight from someone who is constantly learning and growing in her confidence. Press play for the full episode, and I hope you’ll get your hands on Lisa Bilyeu’s first book, Radical Confidence, wherever books are sold.
