This past year I upgraded my life + business in sooo many ways and the results of that have been amazing. I wanted to share what I did since so many people have been contacting me and asking me why I was able to grow my business so quickly last year.
Here’s the 27 things I did to upgrade my business + life in 2015:
- Quit my part-time job — Technically I gave notice in December 2014, but I walked out that door January 26th and I never looked back even though I didn’t have secure income in my business yet. I hadn’t had a full-time job in years but now it was time to step up and let go of that part-time job as well.
- Spent almost a month in Costa Rica — I wanted to experience the “laptop lifestyle” and I totally did it. It was amazing to be able to structure my days so that I could work in the mornings and spend my afternoons on the beach. Plus I got to spend time connecting with new + old entrepreneur friends there.
- Became more active on social media — Before I became an entrepreneur I spent very little time on social media but being more active on it has allowed me to get new interview opportunities, connect with new clients, + be inspired by so many amazing people. I got more followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and even experimented with Periscope.
- Said no to business strategies that didn’t feel good to me — Now I didn’t say no to things that just scared me because that wouldn’t help me grow but if somebody suggested something that didn’t feel good then I checked in with myself and said no.
- Went to the beach as much as possible this summer — the beach is my happy place so it’s important that I go there as often as I can. It’s also a reminder of why I created my own business — to have the freedom to take off when I want to.
- Didn’t skip my self-care — it’s tempting to not prioritize your self-care when you’re struggling to get your business going but it’s necessary. I did the best I could with it by making sure I exercised, went out with friends, shut down my computer, and binged on Shark Tank. This is something I will continue to upgrade next year.
- Cut myself off from e-courses and trainings — 2014 was my learning year and I had to make sure 2015 became an action year. Cutting myself from signing up for new courses + trainings helped me free up my time so that I could take actions that supported the growth of my business rather than just reading about how to grow my business.
- Got consistent 1:1 support for my business — this kept me accountable + allowed me to get personalized support + an action plan for more growth. This has also influenced the coaching that I do with others as well – it’s much easier to ask others to invest in themselves when I’m investing in myself.
- Never asked “What if this doesn’t work?” — After I left my job + spent time in Costa Rica, I wasn’t experiencing the financial growth that I wanted in my business and I was scared about how I was going to continue to support myself. Instead of creating a backup plan, I just asked myself “what do I need to do to make this happen” and grew my business that way. I never allowed myself to believe that financial growth wasn’t going to happen.
- Stepped up + owned my real interests and created programs + services around them — My first business was my counseling + therapy practice and my second business was was my coaching business. After I started the second business, I realized that I really loved business strategy and working with other businesses more than the work that I was doing in my actual business. It was scary to admit that but I did and eventually worked with a coach to feel confident about it.
- Paid attention to what clients wanted my help with — my coaching business was focused on stress management but I kept getting business owners who wanted help with their business stress instead. I also had former group coaching members approaching me + asking me for feedback on what they were doing + asking how I had become so successful.
- Took action + did things before I felt ready — honestly if I waited until I felt ready to do anything I’d probably never leave my couch!! The big thing this year was definitely getting over trying to be perfect before taking action. Action has brought me clarity + abundance.
- Did the stuff that scared me the most — All those tasks on the bottom of my to do list like creating new content, writing articles, doing webinars, getting on discovery calls. Those scared me. But once I started doing them, I got big results including discovery calls. This connects with #11 because I never felt ready to face my fear but moved forward with it anyway.
- Stayed flexible + willing to change — I’m starting this year with none of the services in place that I had last year. There will always be a piece of me that wishes that I can find that “one thing” that will create me a lot of money and just stick with it forever because it’s easy. But I’ve realized you need to be willing to change and adjust as you go along — this has been one of the major contributors to my financial growth this year.
- Created passive income streams — I took advantage of affiliate opportunities + and also created my first courses (before I felt ready!!). My success making money as an affiliate also allowed me to create a popular course about that topic which led to more passive income. If you don’t have a course ready, make sure you’re taking advantage of affiliate income streams which can be very profitable (I made almost $15k this way last year!!). This also allows us to make more money while working less hours!
- Set up multiple income streams — This has given me financial security and has allowed me to have income consistently over the last 6 months of the year, even when I took a break from signing a new client. I have about 6 income streams that include my therapy business, coaching business, a book, courses, an amazing mastermind, and consulting work.
- Talked to LOTS of people — So last year I was a little scared to talk to people about what I do + to explore how I can help them. This year I finally got over myself and in May did about 40 free calls alone! This allowed me to feel really confident about my skills (I got lots of great feedback from the people!) + it also got me super clear on what kind of work I actually liked doing + people were willing to invest in.
- Learned to ask people if they wanted to work with me (aka SELL my services) — this was a tough skill for me to learn (and i’m still working on it!) but I realized that people often want to be invited to work with you so don’t assume they’ll just let you know if they do. I also continued to follow up with the + build a relationship with them. This wasn’t a sales strategy — I truly liked them and wanted to stay in touch but it has resulted in more sales and given me the opportunity to work with amazing clients. This only took me about 30 calls to figure out 🙂
- Created my own private Facebook group, The Successful Lifestyle Circle — this was something I did before I was ready. I knew it would force me to step up as a leader and that scared me a lot. I was worried about making it an enjoyable space for the members and had no idea how to do that, but I’m so glad I tried anyway. The members regularly send me a private message to let me know how much they enjoy it + many of them have found new friends + business opportunities in there. Click here to join us!
- Continued to financially invest in myself– even though I was scared to invest in myself without a steady income, I knew I needed help. So I got out there and forced myself to create the money that I needed for the investments I wanted to make.
- Worked on my money mindset — Again. And again. And again. And I’m still working on it (read more about that HERE). Honestly this is a non-negotiable if you want a life + business that is less stressful.
- Invested in stocks– I got an opportunity for an early IPO investment + chose to take advantage of it. I haven’t made a lot of money (YET) but it has definitely made me feel like a badass + yes it makes me feel powerful to invest in my financial future. Plus it’s fun to learn about more ways to invest + make money.
- Did consistent trainings + webinars for others — This is another thing I prioritized before I was ready (do you see a pattern here?). I thought I was crazy to do this but I’m so glad I did!! It’s allowed me to grow my mailing list, get new clients, make money, and be consistent in getting visible. It also inspired me to create a profitable course that helps others make money. And to think I almost missed out on these opportunities because I wasn’t “ready!”
- Paid attention to the connections I made + the people I spent time with — I developed new friendships with amazing entrepreneurs + clients and let go of some relationships that were not serving me. I learned to say no to clients who I knew wouldn’t be a good fit or who would drain my energy + resources.
- Educated myself through podcasts, books, and blogs — this allowed me to continue to learn business tips + strategies and stay up-to-date with other entrepreneurs. It also allowed me to save money because I didn’t have to invest in a lot of unnecessary courses to fulfill my learning needs.
- Launched a mastermind program — last year I launched the Lifeboss Mastermind (before I was ready to do group programs) and it was LIFE CHANGING for me + the members. It allowed me to see that I loved group work (which I thought I hated) + it allowed me to provide valuable coaching and support at a reasonable rate to the members. Some of what they did included growing their lists, creating new programs, selling thousands of $$$ of services, and getting published. This also allowed me to set up consistent income for the future with monthly payments so that I never had to scramble to sell new packages
- Did a non-launch for a better + improved group coaching program — the truth is that while I love selling out programs and services, I’m not a fan of the launch+selling process. I started prepping early for my new + improved mastermind and group coaching program + made it better with 1:1 support. Just by letting people know it would be available, I’ve had people paying for it before it’s even launched. I’ve been able to really screen the women who are interested in it so I know that it will be the best fit for them and their businesses. I’m not going to be taking on many other 1:1 clients so they will be getting lots of my attention + support. By planning this early, I’ve been able to fill it without even launching it. Find out more info about it here.
Leave me a comment below letting me know which of these you’ll be trying in 2016!
P.S. I’m hosting a FREE training where I share the 3 secrets behind one of my most popular revenue streams — CLICK HERE to save your spot!
