Make No The New Yes

Most business advice is all about saying yes. Yes to more clients. Yes to more money. Yes to more growth. Yes will lead us to our success and all of our dreams coming true.?

Right?

Wrong.?

During almost every consulting call I have with my clients, they all inevitably say, “I’m overworked. I feel like I’m being pulled in fifty different directions. I just don’t have time to think.”?

My response is always the same: “When was the last time you said no?”

They look at me like I’m crazy. But I’m serious.?

When was the last time you said no?

Is it normal to have meetings and commitments run your life? It shouldn’t be! You should be in control!

I know everyone, especially in the hospitality industry, is still reeling from 2020 when the floor was pulled out from under us. Businesses collapsed and never recovered. Three years later, we’re still running around, trying to build safety nets just in case. My clients want to say yes to everything, just in case.

But just in case is not a good enough reason to say yes to everything.?

You need to set your work/life balance for the here and now. You need to learn to say no so you don’t burn out. If you are in charge of your life and your business, then you’ll feel on top of your game and ready to take on any challenge.?

Saying no now will help you in the long run.?

Here are three things I teach and work through with my clients during our coaching calls.?

Plan Your Entire Schedule Months in Advance

Before you freak out and tell me that you can’t plan everything that far in advance, let me show you how to make a standard schedule. Look at the full seven-day week. If you work from home, block off your time off (like Saturday and Sunday). Then, pick the days when you will stay home to get stuff done, and the days you’ll keep open for when you need to go out for in-person meetings.?

For example, I work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and those are my big project days. Mondays and Wednesdays, I keep open for in-person meetings. Fridays are my CEO days, and I take the weekends off to relax and not work. Once I have this layout, I add the things that I know will have to happen. Like picking my son up from daycare, my daily workout times, meal prep time, and any recurring networking events.?

If you work from an office or have a certain schedule for your business, you can structure your schedule around those hours. You can also block time in the morning vs afternoon or however it works for you.?

Once you have your schedule set, do not change it for anyone!

If someone asks you to an in-person meeting on your work-from-home day, say no! If a client asks me to meet on a Tuesday, I say no. I ask if they could meet on a Monday or Wednesday instead. My work-from-home time is precious and limited. I say no to anything that tries to take that time away.?

When you plan out everything months in advance, you can see exactly what is on your calendar and when. You’ll know if you have the time and energy to take on an extra project or if you need to say no.?

Is This My Ideal Client?

This is another common conversation I have with my clients. Who is your ideal client? We’re so used to saying yes to every potential client that we hardly ever stop to think if they’re right for us.?

For example, an event planner I work with told me that she was rushing off to go to a real estate luncheon. I didn’t know that she worked with a lot of realtors, and when I asked her about it, she told me that she doesn’t but they know people who might need a party planner one day.?

She was taking at least three hours out of her day (including travel time) to go to an event that might lead to something someday.?

Realtors aren’t her ideal client, and she was doing this for a just-in-case.?

Say no to the just-in-case clients! You won’t get an immediate return on your investment if you keep chasing just-in-case clients. You don’t need to know someone who knows someone who might need your business someday. That long-term will only waste your time now, wear you out, and overload your schedule with too many things.?

Instead, figure out who your ideal client is and go to events where they will be. Only say yes to those events. You will have more free time, a bigger, faster return in your business, and you’ll feel happy for saying no to something!

If you aren’t sure who your ideal client is or how to find them, then it’s time to schedule a CollabCall with me! I can help you define your ideal client and how to get you directly in front of them.

Try Saying No Today!

Years ago, I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. Like the title says, Shonda said yes to everything for an entire year. It led to some incredible opportunities for her, getting her out of her comfort zone and realizing that she enjoyed these events.

I wish she would write a book about a year of saying no. Because no can be just as liberating! There’s a sense of confidence that comes from saying, “No, that does not serve me, my business, or my personal time.” It can be scary at first to say no because of the fear of missing out or of losing business.

But try saying no to something small today just to see how it feels! During my calls with my clients, I always ask them to find one thing they can say no to that week. A networking event that doesn’t have your ideal client in attendance? Say no to it! A meeting during your work-from-home time? Say no to that! If it’s not your ideal client, doesn’t result in profit, or fit within your schedule, say no to it!

How do you feel after saying no? Lighter? Happier? Do you have more time to focus on your family and home life? I think if you keep saying no to these things, you’ll learn some interesting things about yourself.?

I can say, as someone who has really worked on these items over the past year, the results can be very rewarding.? Between finding the right networking events to focus my time on and saying no to meetings that didn’t fit within the schedule I created for myself, I have discovered who I am, who CHC is, and where we plan to go, at least for the next 6 months!

With Love, Cheers & Sass

Holly