THE 3 C’S THAT GROW YOUR BUSINESS

I have been working with my mastermind clients on their mid-year results as we head into the last part of 2022.

I love this exercise because often we focus so much on the work we are doing and not enough on reflecting on our success. That’s why I recommend keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your business. It’s a joy to witness a client realize that they have already made more money than they did last year, or have tripled their growth.

It’s amazing to see them count the number of stages or podcasts they have appeared on, celebrate the launch of their own podcast or book, or boldly raise their rates to charge their true value.?

I have been there as they experienced sold-out high-end retreats, realized their dream pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, or launched new brands that serve their clients at the highest level. (check out their?success stories !)

These are the conversations I have had over the past few months. I know the road to getting there has not been straightforward. There have been hard days, tears, hugs, self-doubt, comparisons, fears, and more.?

I can relate because I have experienced all of those emotions in my own business as well. But behind all the business stretches is tremendous personal growth. We grow every day in our businesses and that’s what drives us forward.

The reality, however, is that even as we reflect on those successes, the thought can come up, “This is great, but I wish I was further along.” As entrepreneurs, we can be pretty impatient! However, I am convinced that we grow our businesses at just the right pace, in line with our personal growth, clarity, consistency, and courage.

The big stretches we go through have a magical way of dancing with these elements and keeping everything in the right balance. We cannot move faster than our personal or professional growth.

The good news is that we are able to expedite our growth if we create space for clarity and consistency and give ourselves the right support to build our courage. I am fortunate to talk to hundreds of successful entrepreneurs every year, on my podcast and in the communities I lead or belong to. During this time, I am always on the lookout for the patterns that lead to success in women-owned businesses. I have discovered three key factors that are found in every thriving business.

THE FIRST C: CLARITY

The businesses I see making big leaps in growth have clarity in their mission and vision. They know their big “why.” They have a clear vision of the impact they want to make in the world. I understand that not everyone has the goal of making an impact.?

But when I gained clarity that I wanted to impact 1 million women and help them elevate their voice, their vision, and their visibility in their business, everything in my work changed. The people who come into my business and the work I am able to do with my clients have improved tremendously.

I see the same patterns in the businesses of the most successful entrepreneurs I talk to. When founders have clarity about their vision and the impact they want to make in the world, the doors open wide for their businesses.?

That clarity lets the universe know you are ready.?

As Gabby Bernstein would say, “the universe gets all in behind you.”

My advice: do not play small. Find clarity in your vision of how you want to make a difference, and your community will find you.?

Part of clarity of vision is finding the right work-life balance and the right business model to create a life we love. When someone is at the very beginning, they often take the business they can get. It’s natural and I have been there.?

When I first started out, I was a consultant and, a coach of all kinds. I would always respond with a different answer depending on what I thought the client wanted me to say.

That did not help my business. If we do not have that clarity, the way we serve our customers becomes confusing and messy.

HERE IS MY PERSONAL TAKE

First, I became an entrepreneur to create a lifestyle that I love. While I swore off the 80-hour workweeks I used to work in the corporate days, I have to admit that I loved the income. Who does not love having a good income? There is no shame in striving for an income of any amount.?

And the good news is that today, we entrepreneurs are less constrained upward than our corporate counterparts. We can create our own opportunities and our own potential.?

Still, there are too many entrepreneurs in the world who are struggling. We have all seen the statistics. Just recently, I read that 50% of small businesses do not make it through their fifth year in business.?

But despite the sobering statistics, I can attest that many of my clients have seen tremendous growth during the pandemic and continue to do so while the world talks about the recession.

In fact, I believe this is the perfect time for women to start businesses. This is a time when we all need to collaborate and work together to grow our businesses. This is a time when we should not hold back and put things on the back burner. It’s time to get clear on how and who you serve.?

How can you help them with their business right now? How are you showing up in your communities? When I look at the successes of my clients, I find that they not only have clarity and a vision, but they also have clarity and a voice.?

They are reclaiming their truest selves. They are stepping into their full light, diving into their ideal clients’ soul journey, and learning to speak their clients’ love language. The successful women I know are tapping deep into their own stories and are not afraid to be vulnerable.?

They are elevating their own thought leadership messages so that they become known as leaders in their field.?

That’s why I encourage people in my communities to come up with messages that matter. Remember, this is not a linear, step-by-step process. Rather, it is an evolution guided by our own perfect timing.

THE SECOND C: CONSISTENCY

The second factor that contributes to the businesses I see thriving is consistency. Building a business requires consistency over extended periods of time.?

I have made it to 260 podcast episodes because I commit to recording an episode every week.

I have gotten to the eighth year of my?Extraordinary Women Ignite ?conference because I committed to the world to put this conference on every year, even when we have to go virtual in 2020.

Building a successful business requires commitment and consistency, even on Sundays when you do not feel like it. Do not get me wrong, I am all for listening to our bodies and taking breaks when we need them.?

But I do not know anyone who has a thriving business and does not put in the effort. And that means taking a hard look at the inner workings of what your brand stands for.

It means listening to your clients and understanding their love language so you can use it to communicate with them.?

It means showing up and understanding what the right path is for your own marketing.

?It means finding a rhythm that works for you so you can sustain your business.?

Consistency in how we are visible is also very important. If our ideal clients can not find us and do not even know we exist, how can they hire us? The third part of consistency is consistency in self-care.?

This means taking care of our mind, body, and spirit and finding the rituals that allow our bodies to be at their very best.?

When we take care of ourselves and our business and do it consistently, our business thrives.

THE THIRD C: COURAGE

The third commonality I see in successful entrepreneurs, and especially in my clients, is courage. They are so darn courageous to do the uncomfortable, to take on stages that feel intimidating, and to say yes to opportunities they are not quite ready for.?

This is where another C comes into play: community. Courage is so much easier when there is a community cheering you on and helping you develop the skills to break into new levels.

It takes courage to embrace that inner fire. It takes courage to trust that inner wisdom. It takes courage to reinforce the vision of how we want to serve and what impact we wish to have.?

So there you have it. The three most important factors that contribute to success.

Clarity and vision. Here you have a vision of impact, a vision for our business, and a vision for our lives.?

Consistency. Here you have consistency in our business, in our visibility, and in our self-care.?

Courage. I have been a business coach for many years and a businesswoman for many years beyond that. I can say that the world of small business is changing. We are being called to lead differently and bring our feminine wisdom to our work. I truly believe that women’s wisdom is the medicine our earth needs.?

Together we have the ability to lead our world in a more positive and better-aligned direction.

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IGNITE CONFERENCE 2022

Our keynote speaker at the upcoming?Extraordinary Women Ignite Conference , Carrie Freeman, will share her wisdom on making an impact on the world. Carrie Freeman is Co-CEO of SecondMuse, an impact, and innovation company that builds resilient economies.

The company has accelerated 500 ventures, prototyped 30,000 solutions, enabled $325 million in investments to support ventures, and generated $10 billion in social and environmental impact. Now that’s what I call impact!?

Carry was the perfect choice for our keynote at Ignite. I can promise you’ll leave Ignite with new inspiration and new tools in your pocket that will lead you to a thriving 2023.

• ?You will have more clarity on the vision and impact you want to create.
• ?You will have focused tools to streamline your business model in 2023 so you have more time, more freedom in your life and more revenue in your bank account.?
• You will enter the new year with more courage and a community to cheer you on and walk with you.?

Our speakers will give you new tools in the world of visibility, and I too will share all my best lessons that move businesses up each year.

This year’s Extraordinary Women Ignite conference will be held November 10-12. I hope you will join us in Golden Colorado.?Grab your ticket here .

Remember, keep building on your clarity, consistency, and courage.