5 Years On, This Is What I've Learned

This time 5 years ago I was heavily pregnant, a single mum, living with my dear friend as I couldn't afford to keep my home going as I was jobless. 

This time 5 years ago, I also launched THIS business.

I'll be honest, it was pretty mental at the beginning. Just me and Jack (my son) against the world. I even made up a little song about us, that we still sing to each other now whenever we're having our alone time. 

I was working all the hours, juggling being a new mum (nothing prepares you for it, NOTHING), mad as a box of frogs because of NO SLEEP, a body that now had a mind of it's own. 

It was tough. SO tough. But I had no choice. 

It HAD to work.

Fast forward to now, 5 years on, I'm married to a wonderful man and Jacks new dad. We have two daughters and two crazy cocker spaniels and we've just had an offer accepted on our dream house, which used to be Sir Edward Elgars summer retreat - and I will be working from THAT study, where he penned some of his most loved work - holy inspiration batman!

Seriously, PINCH ME!

My business has gone from strength to strength. We hit six figures within 2 years. I'm on target to hit half a million this year. I've had an ￡80k launch, a ￡100k month and a consistent income that means I NEVER utter the words 'we can't afford it'. I have a business that runs like clockwork, a team that have been with me for almost 3 years - they're practically family and were at my wedding - and I have a waiting list of clients, dying to work with me.

I'm living the frickin dream!

It hasn't all been plain sailing and 'luxury laptop lifestyle' though. There have been a few bumps in the road and THESE bad boys are what teaches us valuable lessons. 

And to celebrate these 5 years in business, I'm going to share ten of those lessons with you:

1. WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOU IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Man, this is a BIGGIE. So I really care what people think of me. 

REALLY care.

And this used to keep tripping me up all the time. I was afraid of being myself, of putting myself out there, of playing big, because I thought people would judge me. It kept me playing small and hidden for the first 3 years, even though I'd crashed through the 6 figure ceiling. Once I accepted that, actually, what they think is none of my business and doesn't really matter, everything changed. I was able to be me, without fear of judgement. And as soon as I was me, the true me, people really connected, in a way they never did before. And THAT is gold dust. 

2. MOVE FROM A FREELANCER TO A CEO MINDSET ASAP

Most of us start with a freelancer mindset, and that's understandable. We have to do EVERYTHING in our business at the start, with no or little help. We work IN our business but rarely ON it. We charge like a freelancer. We agree on retainers like a freelancer. We get treated like a freelancer (because we've shown them that's how we should be treated). As soon as you realise that you are the CEO of your business, responsible for how it runs, creating profit to keep it healthy, building a team to grow it, then it all becomes so much better. it took me years to step into my CEO role, and once I did everything changed

3. NURTURE CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

I love my clients. LOVE them. Sometimes obsessively.

Because they are why I do this. I want to change their lives, help them to create the business success they're proud of, help them bring their dreams to life. When we celebrate their wins there's nothing better, particularly if they had to do a lot of internal work to get to that point.

I go all in, and that's what keeps them with me, some for years. And you know what, it's SO much easier to retain a client than it is to create a new one. 

4. UNDERSTAND WHAT INTEGRITY MEANS TO YOU AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN COMPASS

I'm big on integrity, it's the core value of my business and, well, me. All of my decisions are based on it, all the people I deal with are measured against it. And if I get a 'feeling' that somethings off, I run.

Having this compass helps me to run my business in a way that's fully aligned with my values, and that feels amazing. 

When there are so many coaches teaching unethical strategies out there, THIS is what will guide you to the right ones. 

5. YOUR OPINION IS RELEVANT

I used to compare myself against my peers ALL THE TIME. Particularly the really successful ones. It would stop me from allowing my voice to be heard because I questioned why anyone would listen to me when there were people out there much more successful than me saying something different.

It wasn't until I accepted that I just needed to be part of the conversation and that my opinion was as relevant as anyone else's, even when it was saying something different, I felt I had found my place.

6. CASHFLOW IS EVERYTHING

Many small business owners are days away from bankruptcy.

Let that sink in a minute. 

Because it's true. Cashflow really is KING when it comes to running your business and ensuring you have a buffer that can keep you afloat if the worst happens, is so so important

I didn't learn that until much later one and pretty much went from sale to sale, with no eye on profit, operating costs or sales forecasting. And that's a dangerous place to be.

These days, I can't operate unless I have at least 3 months worth of business costs to keep me afloat, just in case something doesn't sell, or I get ill, or my kids get sick. 

7. LACK OF BELIEF IS THE ONE THING THAT WILL MAKE YOU FAIL

Belief is everything. In yourself. In your products or services In your message. In your marketing. In your results. 

EVERYTHING.

Because here's the thing, if you don't believe then neither will anyone else, and THAT my friend makes it damn hard to sell anything.

If you're a non believer, work out why you don't believe. What stories you're telling yourself. What past experiences you're using as proof. Try to rewrite them. Try to work out what WOULD make you believe and make changes to ensure you believe 120% in yourself and your business.

Once you do that, people will be knocking down your door to buy.

8. THE THOUGHTS IN YOUR HEAD AREN'T YOUR REALITY

Man, we can be out own worst enemies, right?

Telling ourselves we're too this, too that. Things we'd never say to anyone else becuase they're so frickin mean. But we do this to ourselves.

But here's the thing, our inner means girls are saying this because they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, because you might be trying something new. So they'll try to keep you small, try to hold you back. 

I hear so much advice saying 'ignore those inner voices', but here's the thing, if you ignore them they just come back.

Instead I like to acknowledge them, to treat them with kindness, to tell them that 'it's ok, I know you feel unsafe but they can go sit down because I've got this, no matter how scary it feels'.

Once that part of you realises this, those stories start to evaporate and are replaced with more positive stories based on fact and reality. 

You have the power to change your thoughts, and in turn change your reality. You just need to choose to.

9. FINDING YOUR SOULS WORK CHANGES EVERYTHING

So, there are a lot of people harping on about 'finding your souls work', and I'll admit, when I first read this I thought it was a load of old woo woo rubbish. 

Until, that is, I found my souls work.

I wasn't searching. I didn't even know what I was looking for. But once I realised that running my masterminds and spending that precious time with a group of women, watching them turn into successful CEOs in front of my eyes. MAN, that felt good. It gives me tingles, still does. 

THIS is when I knew I'd found it. And it makes everything so easy, so effortless, because I'm working in my zone.

So don't get fixated on it, don't force it, but keep one eye out for that elusive souls work. Because when you find it, you won't want to let it go.

10. ONLY HIRE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE

This was big for me. I made a few mistakes when hiring coaches and training to help me grow. 

I picked a couple of coaches based on recommendation only, without realising that ANYONE can create buzz, but it's not always real (you'd never know I was digital marketing specialist would you!).

The mistake I made was picking coaches who weren't right for where I was at that point. Coaches who, actually, were at my level (even though claiming far more). Coaches who couldn't teach me what I really needed because they weren't there themselves yet. 

And this caused a big old delay in my progress.

A lot of people make bold claims online. But few actually walk the walk, as I do. 

Do your due diligence, be clear what you NEED to achieve in your business and find the right coach that can teach you that. Check out that their claims match their reality. Invest in the right people and you will jump forwards leaps and bounds.

I make it a priority to move in the right circles, network with people I admire and can learn from, mastermind with incredibly clever folk full of integrity and hire coaches that can actually meet my need at that time. 

Learning from these bonafide experts makes me a better leader and means that I can pass on that rich knowledge to my clients.

Pick wisely my friends, you'll thank me for it later.

Those are my 10 big lessons and I really hope they resonate with you. Do comment if you want to share any thoughts or dig into any in more details. I could talk about this stuff for HOURS!