Just like I said on this Instagram post, I can’t believe it’s April already!
With everything that has been going on with the Coronavirus and being homebound, it’s definitely been quite the quarter, so I thought I’d share some of my biggest lessons from the past three months, starting with life lessons…
LIFE LESSON #1 | Tomorrow is not guaranteed, make the most of now
A few years ago myself and some friends completed an online talent assessment called the ’StrengthsFinder’, which is all about discovering what you naturally do best and how to develop your greatest talents. One of the things that the assessment picked up on was that I am ‘futuristic’, constantly dreaming of what could be, and directing my life towards achieving the things that I dream of.
Well, for the first time I can say that this hasn’t been my reality, especially in light of all that has been going on in the world. Instead, the end of this quarter in particular has been about living in the present and appreciating the things that I have now whilst I’m still here to appreciate them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a strong believer in looking forward and working towards the future, but if there’s one positive thing I’m taking out of this current situation, it’s definitely that loving on my family, enjoying this extra time that we have (which often only happens at Christmas), and being grateful for the moments that we have, are more important than anything else.
LIFE LESSON #2 | You have more than you need
As I type this we are currently doing an activity at home called ‘make it stretch!’ Lu (hubby) literally took every item of food that we have in our cupboards, fridge and freezer, and made note of them and some recipes we could make using them!
Yep, these are the kind of things that bring my husband joy guys!
The truth is after seeing a statistic that predicted the amount of food waste that would result from increased buying because of COVID-19, we decided to make a conscious effort to use up what we have before we do another food shop. This would mean that we don’t stray too far away from our monthly food budget, and also ensure we’re being mindful of those that may need the extra food more than we do.
BUSINESS LESSON #1 | Don’t be mad at the results you didn’t get for the work you didn’t do
Can I get a poetry night finger click?! This lesson hit hard in Q1, but only because of one particular system that I failed to build up in time for a major launch that I was planning, and have now had to put on hold until I sort it out. Besides this particular system, if you’re part of my newsletter family (subscribe here), you’ll know that your girl does not play with her systems! I’ve got one for everything! But it got me thinking, how many of us have been in the season of dreaming for the past couple of months or even years? Dwelling on the idea, and what it could be, but waiting for the perfect moment? And then you get frustrated at the fact that your dream is still… a dream. There’s no easy way around this than to say you have to start! You don’t start by getting good, you get good by starting… Put the work in Sis!
BUSINESS LESSON #2 | Pain to profit
Controversial headline but let me explain. First of all I’m not talking about profiting from the current Coronavirus situation (in case you dared to think so ;p). What I am talking about is the importance of understanding your audience’s needs and pain points, and how this key piece of information can literally be the difference between making little to no profit and driving consistent sales. Over the past two weeks I’ve received emails or DM’s asking whether or not selling during the current pandemic is the right thing to do, and my answer remains the same, outside of COVID-19 we all have issues and struggles, and therefore there is still an audience to serve. So taking time out to think about your audience’s major pain points is a task I’d recommend every business owner/service provider do especially as we enter into this new quarter. In the words of one of my fave boss chicks Dana Chanel… “I don’t need you to like me, I need you to need me, because if you need me you’ll spend money with me.” *PSA it’s nice to be liked too though #justsaying!
BUSINESS LESSON #3 | You can be a work in progress and still help people at the same time
It’s a huge blessing to have others look at my life and business journey and think that I have it all together… I don’t! I’ve found myself having to remind my clients and course students of this several times over the past three months… Progress over perfection. We all have to start somewhere and will most likely look back at our earlier content, products and/or services, and cringe a little (I sure have), or at least appreciate how far we’ve come. The first quarter of 2020 was the greatest reminder that I need of this exact lesson, because I’m currently in my most profitable season even though I still have so much to learn. I’m going to continue to help others whilst I also work on me, and you should too.
BUSINESS LESSON #4 | Show up and Serve
You may have gathered that over the past couple of weeks my theme has been consistency. As a business owner whose business thrives most when I churn out content, I’ve definitely learned the hard way that consistency can make or break your business. No matter what season you’re in, if you consistently show up and serve your audience you increase your growth potential on all fronts, and there’s no better way to do this than online and on Social Media – (It’s a free marketing tool and approx 45% of the world’s population use it #nobrainer).
If you struggle with consistency and know that showing up more with captivating and strategic content will do wonders for your business/brand, then be sure to check out my #ConsistentContentPlan Masterclass. The class reviews and testimonials speak for themselves!
