I haven’t signed a new 1:1 client programme in 6 weeks. This is one of the main revenue pillars for my business.

This is a reality of being self-employed and being in a service-based business. There are ups and there are downs. I’ve had months where I’ve earned £400 and months where I’ve earned £9,500.

Lesson number 1: CASH FLOW IS KING.

Recently, I have allowed the pressure and stress to get to me. But I took action, had an amazing session with my own coach TraceyLiv out of which came a new affirmation: money does not control me. I CHOOSE how I feel. I also caught up with a fellow entrepreneur and friend Amy Rushworth who inspired me and made me feel less alone.

Lesson number 2: don’t allow yourself to wallow, surround yourself with positive people who are also playing in the arena, take action.

At the end of 2019, I had 14 clients, 2 of which were pro-bono through the work I do with the amazing charity The House of St Barnabus I got so caught up in delivering my service that I didn’t set aside enough time for business development.

Lesson number 3: no matter how well you‘re doing with your clients, tend to your sales pipeline. Even if your garden is blooming it still needs to get fed.

I attended a perfectly timed sales workshop by my great friend Chelsea Cox from Well Defined. This filled me with new ideas and inspiration – after the event I wrote a whole website for a programme I’ve been thinking about launching for ages. Details will be released this week – stay tuned!

Lesson number 4: invest in personal development and take action on your inspiration.

I’ve had quite a few people recently say to me ‘you look like you’re doing SO well’. Yes, I have been consistent in my content output and I know I’m making an impact but Instagram does not accurately reflect the balance of your business account or how ‘successful’ an individual actually is.

Lesson number 5: Instagram is not REAL it is a show REEL. Quit the comparison. Focus on your own home.

This is my attempt at being more REAL and less REEL. I was initially scared of sharing this with you today as I thought I would look bad. But then I realised that sharing it may help others and I got over myself.

I am proud of where I am today. Over the past year, I’ve had great months and not so great months but I refuse to allow a few weeks of low uptake dictate how I feel. I choose to not rely solely on salary for how successful I feel.

My measurements of success are spread out evenly across:

  • Sales
  • Impact
  • The level of flexibility/ freedom I have
  • How engaged I am in my work
  • Opportunities for growth
  • Charity work
  • The results/transformations of my clients.
  • Based on this more holistic way of measuring success, I’ve had a cracking month!

What are all the different ways you can measure your success? What lesson resonates with you most?

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