Let’s take a ride and run with the dogs tonight

Hey, how’s it going? I shared the Love / Hate exercise with a group of professionals last week and one Hate list said, “everything about right now.”

Oof.

So, I want to lift you up a bit this week. First, a sign I saw on a small business in Barcelona:

Better?

There’s a good chance you’ve gotten your final numbers for 2023, or you will in the coming week. Many of us had a challenging year. 

Last year, or the last few years, may have you asking yourself, is this worth it? Should I keep going? 

Pushing yourself to grow and learn will always feel like a struggle, because it is. We aspire to do things differently. We pick up the things that need to get done but aren’t anyone else’s job.  

You can take moments of respite from personal and professional growth, but if you want your business to change, you can't sit in a place of comfort. If you're taking real risks, sometimes that means you’ll try and fail. Failure isn’t a feeling or experience that ambitious people enjoy.

Often, when we feel discomfort, we just want to make it go away. That might look like saying, “Enough, I’m done.” Or it might lead you to throw money at the first person or promo that promises to relieve your pain quickly and with a minimum of effort.

It’s hard to create emotional space to evaluate the underlying problem and get the right help.

You don’t have to figure it all out. To get started, what’s your greatest source of discomfort right now? 

✅ If you aren't confident in producing revenue, get sales training.

✅ If you don't have enough leads or you don't feel like your message is landing, work with a marketing strategist. 

✅ If you’ve struggle to hire or don’t feel like you have the right team, speak with a leadership development specialist. 

✅ If you are doubtful or anxious, or want a supportive peer to help with transitions or roadblocks, hire a coach or therapist 

✅ If you aren't enjoying running your small business, or aren't sure where to go from here, hire a strategist or general management partner like me.

Nobody is naturally good at all of these things. And all of these skills can be learned and developed. If your baby sprang forth from the womb building business models, please send them my way.

Being an entrepreneur means committing to continuous growth. Not just in revenue or profits, but in yourself. Before you decide your business just can't work for you, take a moment to acknowledge that you’ve chosen to do something that takes a lot of resilience. 

In January, invest in meaningful conversations about what it will take to get you back on track. Your financial results are an input, not the only decision point. 

What kind of help are you looking for in 2024? If you need any of the specialists above, hit reply and I’ll be happy to refer you. If it’s time to talk to me, let’s talk this week.

Media Kit 

If a podcast drops on vacation, did it even happen? I was thrilled to join Dr. Stephen Kirch to talk about the intersection of purpose and profit on The Profit Minds podcast. But, I missed the drop date while I was on vacation. Let’s fix that! Watch our conversation on YouTube, or listen to The Profit Minds episode from January 4 wherever you get podcasts (like Spotify). 

Advocate for your health. Concurrent with this month’s Davos summit, The World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute released a study on women’s health outcomes. The findings are what you’d expect, but still disturbing to see all at once. The punchline: women are not small men. (In 2024!! Gah. Does this look like a Mojo Dojo Casa House?) Pharmaceuticals are rarely tested for differing outcomes and side effects specific to females. Women spend up to 25% of their lives in poorer health than men, often from preventable diseases like osteoporosis that accelerate during menopause. Most investment in women’s health research is focused on reproduction. The WEF study says $1 trillion can be added to the global economy by closing the healthcare gap, and every $1 invested has a $3 impact. If you don’t have time today for the full study, here’s a summary article from The Guardian.

Goodbye, paper trail road. I’m a little sad when the holidays end and my mailbox holds only flyers and credit card offers. I struggle to make time to review, shred, recycle, or return to sender. Yet I don’t want my personal information floating around a public bin.  “Direct response marketing” makes up 62% of all US Postal Service mail, to the tune of 41 pounds per person, per year. I’ve decided to take steps to stop the unwanted, wasteful paper. Check out this article from the Washington Post with links to services that can remove you from lists. Or try the PaperKarma app. For $3.99 a month or $25 per year, I get the daily satisfaction of snapping photos and knowing it’s handled. If you prefer to DIY, PaperKarma offers a free opt-out directory.