nourish-cake

ABC – easy as 1,2,3 right?

YAY! I made it to three years – I think I feel the same about that as a mother as well as a business owner.
Deciding to leave my job and fly solo when I had a one and three year old was a bold move but to then relocate to another City a few months after?  I perhaps did not anticipate how much change I was prescribing our family!

I am proud to declare my business has reached those three-nager years.  I have worked with clients all over Australia and the UK and am so grateful to everyone that has chosen to work with me to achieve their goals.

I tell my clients that running your own business is a blend of equal parts anxiety and excitement that creates motivation! It is true – and each day I am still

  • faced with toddler tantrums and moments of utter joy.
  • juggling the demands and constant attention.
  • trying to instill good habits

When I reflect on what has made my business a success I can put it down to three things – let’s call them ABC.

  • Accountability – I take absolute accountability for everything in my business.  The decisions I make, the actions I take.  The decision to work with (or not work with) a client.  This is my responsibility and as such I take this very seriously.  But I also expect this of those that work with me, both clients and suppliers.  I have a fabulous panel of businesses that offer my business coaching clients expertise and I am so thrilled to have the mix right.
  • Branding – I love my brand.  And fortunately so do my clients. I like to be playful with my branding.  I have developed a tribe of followers on social media that know me for my love of all things orange – it is an optimistic colour and oozes energy.  A common theme in my testimonials is about my enthusiasm for people, their aspirations and their goals.  Enthusiasm is indeed contagious.  Your brand is not just a logo – it is the very essence of who you are and how you go about your business.
  • Collaboration – Being in a small business can be lonely.  I wanted to build a team of people to bounce ideas off, laugh with – share frustrations and even a glass of bubbles from time to time.  I am thrilled with my unofficial team.  They are in themselves great business owners and career climbers and I value their friendship very much.

Easy as 1, 2, 3?

  1. One thing I have learnt over the years is to be consistent with PR opportunities – I have had some great exposure in the media – TV, Radio, online blogs, magazines and newspapers and forget just how many publications.  I am fortunate that journalists contact me as well as me continuing to bang my own drum via the power that is Sourcebottle.
  2. Two things that stood out for me this year was my increase in hours – with my son starting Prep I went from three to four days.  I also accepted more Speaking invitations across the country.  I have a terrific support network at home that enables this to happen – let’s call them the engine room!  Thank you to my husband and in-laws for supporting me, my kids, my business and my aspirations.
  3. Three things that will continue to inspire me
    – YOU. You are the very reason my business exists.  You want clarity, support, structure, confidence, ideas – whatever that reason – I am here to partner you and navigate your thinking to new levels of achievement.
    –  LEARNING.  Never stop learning – whether this is at a local level or a qualification level – open your mind to unlearn old habits.  I have taken more of an interest in Neuroscience and how the brain shapes your performance – I am now certified in the i4 NeuroLeader tool and watch this space for more on this.
    – HEALTH.   I am grateful for the health of my loved ones as well as myself.  By focusing and committing to my own health in the last year I trained and ran a half marathon –this supported me tremendously in managing a family health issue in the UK.

So what a year.  What a great few years!

Equal parts anxiety and excitement and so much motivation for the year ahead.  Collaboration is high on the agenda this year and I cannot wait to share a few secret projects in the pipeline.

Thanks once again for joining me on this journey; it really is good to have you around.