The System for Working With Your Energy Instead of Against It with Mycah Bain

Julie: Welcome back to the System for Everything podcast. Today’s system tip: if your to-do list feels personally victimizing, it’s probably because it was built for a different version of you Hi, everyone. Welcome. Today, we have Micah Bain on. She has spent 15 years turning what started as a one-woman photography operation into a multi-six-figure studio with a team of 10. And she’ll be the first to tell you, the secret wasn’t talent, it was systems. She leads Micah Bain Photography in Minneapolis, where she focuses on business and brand photography while her team handles weddings and portraits. But behind the pretty pictures is a seriously nerdy obsession with automation, processes, and building a business that doesn’t fall apart the second she boards a flight to her next country. She’s at 50 and counting. She coaches other creative entrepreneurs to do the same: build real infrastructure, real income, and a life they don’t need a vacation from. ‘Cause the truth is, most of us aren’t struggling because we don’t have a plan. We’re struggling because the plan we’re trying to follow was never built for how we actually function, and that’s where Micah’s approach feels different. This isn’t about doing less just for the sake of it. It’s about doing the right things at the right times in a way that actually holds up over time. Welcome, Micah. Thank you for being here today. Mycah: Thank you, Julie. This is super fun. Julie: All right. We’re gonna get started as we always do with the System Reboot, a quick little reset to start our episode with some humor and humanity. You have been turning everything into bingo boards. I must hear about this. What is on your current one? Mycah: Yes. Okay, I do need to make a new one for right now, but some on my past one that I just completed was do yoga, make a bouquet, have a picnic in the park, make a charm necklace, pay my property tax. So I like to do a mixture. Like, a lot of them are fun things that I always… Oh, dance. That was one of them. Like, things that I like want to do, I like to do. I view myself as a person who, like, has picnics in the park, but then when I look at my actual schedule, do I literally do that, or do I just think I do it? So I love to have a mixture of kind of the fun, whimsical things, and then also the boring logistical stuff that I love to postpone, but then when you go ahead and pay your property taxes, it literally just takes 10 minutes, and it’s not that big of a deal. Julie: Okay, and then what do you do with that? Like, you just… ‘Cause can’t you just pick five of them in order, and then you get bingo? Mycah: Okay. You can… I mean, my policy is your life, your rules. But I’ll tell you what I do it. I, I typically do like a five by five, so I literally just take a pi- a piece of paper, draw the boxes, handwrite it. And then I’ll usually do one that I do, like, you know, five in a row up and down, side to side, or diagonal, and that will be like a small treat. Like, there’s a bakery near my house that I love, so I’ll go and get like my favorite little muffin. Um, and then when I black out the whole board, that’s when I get the big treat. So yeah, a lot of times I love a little matching workout set. However, I certainly do not need any more, because I have plenty. But Then I get to get a new one, and then it’s also really fun because then every time I put it on, I’m like, “Oh, lookit, you did the things you said you would do.” And it’s like a reminder to myself that I came through for myself, like not only on the work-life logistical things, but just also the fun things, and like doing the things that matter to my soul, and literally making it happen. Julie: Oh my gosh. Okay, I love that. I have to do one. What is a small, like oddly specific thing that makes your day? just feel even 10% better? Mycah: That is such a good question. R- I’m thinking about my morning. I just, I put my little, uh, collagen protein powder in my coffee, and I put it in, like, a pretty mug, not a travel mug. Like, just a nice handmade ceramic one, and I go on a short walk around my neighborhood while I sip it. Just, like, in my pajamas or sweatpants. I’m not overthinking it. But it just feels so much better, and then I feel like I’m already getting a tiny bit of movement, a tiny bit of fresh air, a little bit of protein, and a little bit of caffeine. So it feels like a win across the board. Julie: I love that. All right, what is a hill you will die on that is completely inconsequential? Mycah: Man, I have so many. I feel like I love to just- I Julie: know, me too. … Mycah: have all these, like, irrationally strong opinions about things. Uh, oh, I mean, I think you should have fun pens. I’m writing with a pink pen right now. Like, why would I use a black or a blue pen? I’m saving those for legal paperwork only. The stack on my- … the stack on my desk, I have two shades of pink, a purple, and a blue. So I just think everything, if you can make it fun, then make it fun. So I would say that’s, that’s a hill I’ll die on. Julie: I love that. All right, everyone, you’ve met the personality, now meet the powerhouse. Today we’re talking about what it actually looks like to build a business around your real life, not an idealized version of it. ‘Cause so many systems sound good in theory. They look clean, they look organized, they look productive, and then you try to follow them on a random Tuesday when you didn’t sleep well, your energy is off, your brain isn’t cooperating, and suddenly that system falls apart. So today we’re getting into how to build something that actually holds up. Here’s my conversation with Micah Bain on the system for working with your energy instead of against it. All right, let’s start with the moment where most people feel like they’re failing at their systems. Like, what do you see happening when someone says, “I have a system, but I can’t stick to it”? Mycah: Yeah, I think… I mean, to your point, Julie, I, I do really think, like, is it a system that is built for you? And paying attention to, like, when do you feel energized? When do you feel motivated? Where do you feel motivated? What makes you feel motivated? Like, all of these types of things I think are very important to, to pay attention to. So one for me I know is, like, environment. So for example, my office has nice natural window light. I have very few things in here so I don’t get distracted. I’m standing on a walking pad. Uh, my Peloton bike is right next to me so I can do, like, a weird little angle, like move over, uh, like while I’m kind of biking and then type a couple things. Um- Oh my God … but I think just p- I, I Julie: could never. But I- I would fall off … but it- I would absolutely fall off. I know Mycah: it. But for me, like, the reason that it works is because I do not do my best thinking when I’m sitting down or when I’m, like, in a dark space or… Like, I’m very sensitive to, like- sensory, like fluorescent lighting. I don’t know, even just spaces that I don’t find aesthetically pleasing, I’m like, I’m, I’m out. I’m not creative anymore. So I think for me, knowing the thing that like triggers my energy and my creativity. So again, like for me moving, so whether it’s like walking, biking, and then also talking is big for me. Like, I’m not a journaler, wish I was. I just, I get so bored by writing. Julie: I love the idea of it. Mycah: Yeah, yeah. And Julie: my- I wanna buy all the things for it, and then if I actually like do it, I’m like, absolutely not. Mycah: Yeah. I’m like, this is so boring. It’s just me and my brain, okay. And my hand like writes so much Julie: slower. Kudos to you if it works for you. Good for Mycah: you. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. My hands are so much slower than my, like my, my thoughts. Like I, again, I wish, I’m an aspirational journaler. Like kudos to the journalers. You guys are the MVPs. But for me, like I know I’m more of a yapper, so I’ll go with my phone and- literally just, like, record an audio message of me talking through things. Or, like, I’m obsessed with AI, so even before this I was, like, working on, like, a, I have a project in Claude where I’m, like, revamping, like, my brand story and making sure I’m connecting with the right audience. So I’m just like talking, talking, talking, and then every single time it was like I’d be at the end of my thought, and then I would say one more thing, and the one more thing kept feeling like, wait, that’s what I was trying to say the whole time. So I… All this to say, pay attention to, like, what actually works for you. Like, if you think you should journal, if you s- think you should, I don’t know, meditate, if you think you should be able to get 45 things done off of your to-do list in the morning, like pay attention to who you actually are and then lean into that, ’cause that really is your superpower. Julie: In regard to paying attention, what are some other signs you see that someone is trying to force a system that just does not fit them? Mycah: I think part of it is, like, the energy level, how you feel, how you feel before, during, and after something. So for example, I know I had mentioned earlier property taxes. Okay, how do I feel before this? I feel that this is, like, a really big deal to log into the website and submit my payment. Then how do I feel during it? Okay, it’s not that big of a deal. How do I feel after it? That took me five or 10 minutes. Why did I, why did I make it so dramatic? You know? So just, like, kind of paying attention to those little things along the way I think is, is very beneficial. And even a lot of times I’ll do, like, an audit. I probably do this a couple times a year of, like, what am I doing in my business? Same thing for me. I’ll just record a voice memo. Okay, this is how I’m spending my day. These are the things I love. These are the things I get really excited about. Like, even yesterday I was a guest speaker in a local high school, and I was just, like, super amped the whole time I was there. Like, driving home I was like, “This is so fun. I love this.” Like, and I think it just reminded me that I love teaching, I love sharing, you know, whether that’s, like, podcasts, in person, you know, one-on-one coaching. Like, these are the things that light me up. So I think just noting, hey, I feel really good right now. Hmm, interesting Just like taking note of that. Julie: When you say like working with your energy, what does that actually mean in practice? Like, how can someone start identifying their natural rhythms daily, weekly, I mean, even seasonally? Mycah: Yeah. I, I think start just by, I mean, every single person is the best expert on themselves. I think if you’re anything like me, you wa- always wanna listen to another podcast or another interview, and they’re gonna tell you this thing, and, you know, Atomic’s habit’s this, and whatever. Like, yes, all of these things can be valuable, but I think just getting very honest with yourself, like, uh, I’m glad you brought up seasonally, ’cause for example, in the winter I am not my best version of myself. Like, I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s cold and dark here, um, for a few months of the year, so I obviously know that. No one is surprised, uh, every single winter when this happens. So instead of, like, getting to January and being like, “Oh, my gosh, why?” You know, I- I’ll, like, use that time to travel and do things that energize me, and then when the… Right now, like, the birds are chirping, and the sun is shining, and the flowers are blooming. Now I’m feeling very creative, very excited, very energized. So I think instead of comparing, you know, if I was my January self right now and hoping that I would feel like my springtime self, that’s not really, like, a realistic or fair comparison. So I think for every person it could be seasonal. It could be throughout the day. Like, I know mornings are my really good creative time, whereas, like, 3:00 to 5:00 PM, that’s a slump for me. Like, I have not, I have not figured out a, a workaround there. Uh, so I don’t block that off to be my most creative time. That is maybe a little bit more of, like, logistical or admin or stuff that doesn’t need to take my full, full, full creative brain or something like that. But another person, like, if you’re a night owl, don’t feel bad about that. Like, if you like to sleep in and stay up late, okay, then just do it. Like, I think it’s kind of ridiculous that people think early birds, like the 5:00 AM morning routine is the optimal. Like, if that works for you, I’m s- thrilled. If- Julie: Yeah, and the internet tries to shame us into thinking that’s what it has to be, and it’s like, listen, I will get up when my child gets up. Mycah: Yeah. Yeah. Julie: That’s my alarm now. Mycah: There Julie: you Mycah: go. Julie: I mean, it used to be that I would just sleep in, but, uh, I don’t know what that luxury’s like Mycah: anymore. Yeah. Yeah. Julie: Okay, if someone has, like, maybe an energy that’s unpredictable, where do they even start? Or is that a, just a question for a therapist? Mycah: Yeah, yeah. I, I don’t know. I’m, yeah, I’m not a therapist. Uh, but I, but I think similarly, like it may seem unpredictable as far as like day, week, month, year, but I would also just start taking note because there probably are triggers. You know what I mean? Like, there might be something where like every time you have a phone call with this person, your energy’s zapped, or like every time you check your email, you just kind of like mentally shut down. So it might not actually be as unpredictable as a person thinks. Um, I think that just might take like a little bit more digging and like finding out, okay, what, what’s going on? I mean, and this could be food. This could be movement, uh, sleep, like paying attention to like what you need. I mean, if you’re a person who has a monthly cycle, like that definitely can play into it as well. So I think just paying attention to all of these things and like starting to note. I think sometimes we, we kind of like don’t wanna be honest with ourself. You know, where we’re like, “Oh, why do I feel bad?” It’s like, well, you were like out late, and you like ate this food that you know you never feel good w- after you eat it. So like, I don’t know, maybe that’s not the right fit for you. Or maybe you got up at 5:00 AM and tried to do a 5:00 AM routine, and by noon you feel horrible. Okay, then maybe a 5:00 AM work up- wake up time is not for you. You know? So I think just like yeah, I think just really knowing yourself, I think is the number one tip I could say. Julie: Can anyone actually run your business? Like really run it? Access the passwords, find the contracts, contact your clients, locate the invoices, figure out what’s due next. Most businesses are living on one person’s brain, and that is terrifying. This episode is brought to you by the Entrepreneur’s Death Folder, the system that organizes everything your business literally cannot afford to lose I think a, a fear sometimes people have with this is that they h- they think like, “If I follow my energy, I’ll never be consistent.” So how do you define consistency in a way that actually works longterm, and what does consistency look like when it’s built on rhythms instead of on those r- rigid routines? Mycah: I think it kind of depends, like, what are your goals for your life and your business, and also what are your expectations for yourself? Because, you know, like, if you have a small child or you’re caretaking for somebody else in your life, or, like, there are other things at play, that needs to be, that really needs to be taken into consideration. Like, I was in a mastermind a couple years ago. Four of us had no kids, and one had two young kids, and I felt that she kept comparing our- herself to the rest of us, feeling like, “Oh, I’m not getting as m- much done.” And we’re like, “You truly are keeping two people alive- You’re in a different season, baby … 24/7.” Like, that just takes so much time and energy. And yeah, again, I just feel like there’s never a win with the comparison game. So I think just, like, being honest about, like, what are your expectations, what do you… Yeah, like, what are your actual goals instead of making your goal someone else’s goals. Like, I feel like so many times business owners are like, “I wanna make six figures,” or, “I wanna make seven figures,” or, “I wanna-” Or Julie: just, “I wanna do what I saw that other person doing.” Mycah: Yeah, and it’s like, for what? Like, that’s fine if that’s your goal, but you have to know why. Otherwise, it’s like… I, I, I just think getting clear on the why is gonna really help with, like, the motivation and the consistency. Julie: What are some ways to build in flexibility without everything falling apart? Mycah: I think maybe… Okay, from, I can say, like, one more thing that I do, and again, take it or leave it. Everyone’s the expert of their own selves. Um- Julie: Always. From this podcast, just take what you need and leave the rest. Mycah: Yes. So I- And Julie: leave a five-star review. Mycah: Yeah. Of, yes, of course. I, so I would say I love to do Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday as my meetings, as my appointments, as my photo shoots, as my leaving the house, anything like that. I like to have Mondays as do not leave the house. No appointments, no meetings, no calls. Like, that is my time to do my really deep focused work. And then Fridays is kind of like a flex depending week to week. Like tomorrow I’m going to a conference, so that’s, you know, my Friday plan. But other days it could, it could look differently. So that helps me kind of not get overwhelmed because I know, okay, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are gonna be back to back to back, but I know every Monday, barring unique situations, that’s gonna be my, like, very focused time where I’m not gonna be like- I don’t know, distracted, or my energy is gonna be like… I’m kind of in charge of, like, my energy, if that makes sense, that day. Julie: I love that, ’cause your goal is not to just abandon the structure, it’s to really build something to begin with that has that flex without breaking. Um, I wanna move on to something that feels so impossible for so many people, which is how do you actually step away from your business without losing momentum? Mycah: Yes. That I don’t feel like I have a one quick, oh, it just, this one sentence. No, of course Julie: not. But I- No, Mycah: but Julie: like how do you actually step away from your business without losing that momentum? Mycah: Yeah. I think for me, I have spent probably the last five or six years making shifts to move this direction. I would say some of the standout things that have been, like, an absolute game changer for me are systems and automation. So, like, having a CRM. I mean, if someone’s listening to your podcast, I would be shocked if they don’t have one. But if you don’t have one- … don’t feel bad, but do get one today. And I would say that is just, like, a very helpful way to kind of, like, keep up with, like, invoices, payments, like, emails, reminders, that kind of thing. I also think AI is an really incredible tool to just leverage, like, leaning into doing the things that you do the best, and then the rest can just Either be like automated or outsourced. And then I also have a team. I love having a team. I think for some people that seems unattainable in some ways. I would say, like always my first step recommendation is start with a five hours a week assistant, perhaps even a, like, personal assistant that’s just helping with your life logistics. Because if you’re not ready to like hand over anything in your business, like, I would say that’s probably… If you wanna like… If you want things to feel more sustainable, you’re probably gonna have to make some moves on that, ’cause otherwise if you’re doing 100% of every single thing, you, I don’t think you can step away really. If you, if that feels too scary to hand over anything in your business now, I would say five hours a week personal assistant. My person, uh, like folds my clothes, does some meal prep, does some, like, errands, does some returns, helps me with, um, like writing notes or delivering gifts for clients. Like, kind of whatever’s going on. Um, I have a couple rental properties, so last week she like went over and grabbed some supplies from one of them and moved them to another one. So there are all these things that, can I do it? Yes. Have I done it my whole life? Also yes. Do I have to do it and am I the best person at it? Certainly not. Uh, and I think that really just like clears up a lot of like mental space, because how… For example, laundry on the floor. I don’t mind washing it, but I really mind folding it. Why? I don’t know. It’s not a big deal, but for me it’s a big deal. So then every day I go up to my room and I see this pile of clean clothes sitting in the corner and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t put it away.” And then I’m kind of like feeling bad about it. Okay. Well, why? There’s probably a way to make a small adjustment there. So again, this does not need to be anything literally insane. And then I think if you also… Before I made this hire, I was kind of calculating, okay, if I’m paying this amount for this many hours for this many weeks, what’s, what is the investment over the course of a year? ‘Cause I wanted to like, okay, let me commit to a year. Do I feel good about that? And then I was calculating, okay, what, what additional things would I need to book to make up for that time? That’s gonna take me so much less than five hours a week to make up for that when I can have more mental clarity and focused energy on the things that I’m actually good at doing that actually make me money, you know? Julie: What do you think people often get wrong about rest in business? Mycah: I mean, I can tell you what I often get wrong, is I think, I a lot of times think rest is, uh, like a waste of time or unproductive or indulgent or lazy. And then when I say it out loud, I’m like, that is clearly so wrong. Like, it’s not. It’s so essential. Like rest and recovery, um, like creating that space to just be. And if you’re anything like me, a lot of times I’ll have my… I’ll, I’ll just feel More me when I, when I actually do things that are restful, and that doesn’t have to just be, like, laying on your couch. I think it should actually probably in- involve things that feel good to you. And when you’re able to rest and do things where you’re like, “Oh, I feel creative enough to, like, go for a walk around my neighborhood and take pictures of flowers, or go bop around a thrift store, or lay in the grass and take a nap.” Like, when, when you can do things like that instead of just getting so deflated where it’s, like, the end of the night and you’re like, “Literally all I can do is scroll on TikTok, TikTok.” Like, that has been me so many times, of course, but when I get to that point, I’m thinking, “Okay. Why did I let myself get to this kind of dead end, just paralyzed feeling where I could have taken little nuggets of, like, rest and rejuvenation along the way and then not gotten to that place where you’re almost feeling burnt out?” Julie: How has your definition of success really evolved over time? Mycah: For me, success is feeling peaceful and joyful in the midst of any circumstance, and I think that has evolved a lot. I think a lot of times especially business owners view success as a certain number of clients or a certain award or accolade or dollar amount or hire or whatever it may be. But then you look at some of these people that may have everything on paper, and I mean, I think we really all know that money is not the answer. However, definitely can make your life a lot easier, but, like, money, but money alone just for money’s sake is just not it. Like, I, I would say I don’t really think anyone truly believes that. So I think it’s, it’s again back to finding kind of, like, meaning and purpose. But, but I think for me, success is feeling peaceful and joyful no matter what is happening on the outside, and I’ve had, like, a huge life lesson in this over the last couple years. My dad died last year. So obviously, like, life circumstance, not what… You know, very, very tragic. Very hard for the whole family, and also, you know, that’s not the first hard thing that’s happened in my life, and I know it will not be the last hard thing that happens in my life. So I think feeling like, feeling like success… I guess success to me feels like being able to show up for people I care about, having, like, the mental capacity to, to show up and be there for people in the midst of any circumstance. That to me is the most successful thing I could do. Julie: Thank you for sharing that, and I am also a member of that club, and it is the worst club to join. Um, so I’m sorry for your loss. What changes when your business is designed to support your life instead of compete with it? Mycah: I think it’s just way more fun. Like, I I think it’s more fun. You’re gonna enjoy it. I think you’re going to serve your clients better. I think you’re going to show up for your team better if you have a team. I, I even think of myself now compared to, like, one to two years ago, and I might have gotten, you know, the same email where I, whatever it is, like, oh, this is… I’m finding this email kind of annoying because I thought I already answered it or whate- you know, whatever the dump ring is. And I think myself two years ago would’ve been like, “Ugh, I already told them that. Like, why did they not read it? I can’t believe it,” blah, blah, blah. You know, something like that, and I would’ve probably sent the same answer that was, like, kind, you know, with the info, blah, blah, blah. Like, so I don’t think the actual email answer would have looked different two years ago for today. However, how I felt about it, totally different. ‘Cause even today I might get a similar thing and I think, oh yeah, okay, no problem. Or realistically, my assistant is answering most of those, so I don’t even have to kind of, like, worry about the repeat type answers, and I can focus my energy on the things that actually require my knowledge and skills. Julie: Myka, before we wrap, can you please tell everyone where they can find you online, how they can work with you? And we’ve also got an awesome freebie from you, I believe, about money that we are gonna link in our show notes for our audience. Mycah: Yes. The, I… You are right, I do have a fun freebie. It’s mykabain.com/money. So if you wanna kind of like think about systems for money or the meaning of money, um, all of those types of things, I love talking about that and coaching with my clients about money and business. Um, and the best place to come say hi is Instagram, mykabainphoto. It’s M-Y-C-A-H bainphoto. Julie: Awesome. Myka, thank you so much for being here today. All right, everyone, before we wrap up, we’re doing what we always do. Gonna get a little silly. No strategy, no step-by-step, no here’s how to implement this by Monday morning. Just a quick little reset, a reminder that sometimes the system isn’t the problem, it’s the version of you trying to use it. So here is what I think your to-do list looks like in different moods. Overachiever mode. 47 tasks, color-coded, wildly unrealistic. Avoidant mode. One task, still ain’t happening. Productive panic mode. Suddenly everything gets done in two hours. Romanticizing your life mode. Light a candle, make tea, answer one email. Post-burnout mode. Open laptop, feel ambitious. And that is exactly why one version of a system will never work for every version of you. If this episode made you feel a little more normal in the way your energy shifts or gave you a different way to think about how you structure your time, I hope you take that with you this week. Not to overhaul everything, not to build a brand-new system overnight, but to start paying attention to what actually works for you. And if you know someone who’s been trying to force themselves into a r- a routine that just isn’t sticking, send this episode their way. Might be the permission they didn’t know they needed. Make sure you’re following the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next. And if you haven’t already, take a second to subscribe. I’ll see you next week