If I could go back in time to the very beginning of running my business there are a few simple things that I would have done differently. I’m allowing you to learn from my mistakes if you wish!
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes…
“Put away 20% of your income, and all of the HST you collect”.
Setting aside income is something that I was told to do from the get-go, but for some reason I completely ignored it. I had a magical voice in my head saying, “I will make it up next month” or, “It’s better to pay down the credit cards to save on interest than store money in the account.” I also had a serious resentment for the fact that I had to pay so much out of pocket for simply existing.
The reality is if I had just stashed away 20% of my income and all of the HST I was charging, I would have had money to pay off my credit cards completely by the end of the year. Add another 10% to put away, then I would have had a sweet vacation to go on as well! Fighting reality doesn’t usually get me anywhere other than burned up and exhausted anyway. “And acceptance is the answer to all of my problems today…” (page 417 of the Big Book of AA)
Learn from my mistakes - in my experience, the Universe always provides what I need as I need it, and it also provides more when it knows I am being responsible with what I’ve got. If you put away your taxes, the universe will provide you with more $$. Allow it to show you just how abundant life is!
If bookkeeping gives you anxiety and you’d like some support, feel free to book a call with me and we can have a look at where you’re at. We keep our clients organized and happy!
Hire more mindfully
I am an idea-generating queen, and when one comes, I get SO excited that I just want to leap right in and go for it. When I launched my coaching program a few years ago, I was gung-ho! But I knew I didn’t have the bandwidth to run it and my company. So, I hired a full-time coach to support me, along with a bunch of new employees to help me run the day-to-day.
What I didn’t realize in hiring all these people was that I would need to manage them, their tasks, the projects they were working on, and the things that no one could do but me. Needless to say, I have, over time, streamlined my team to hire as I need to, and to be very mindful of what I’m hiring them for. Now I have a kick-a$$ team that is in alignment with me, my clients, and the present to future versions of this business.
One idea at a time
This is a hard one! (haha) When I am sleeping, eating, and moving my body consistently, the ideas start to flow and I explode into the creative genius I am. The only downfall was that I used to try to sustain that energy and do everything at once. This usually landed me in a state of exhaustion, with 5 projects that were ¾ done and never finished.
These days, I organize the ideas in the CRM system I use and then focus on building one at a time. I sit with which one feels the most doable to me, and I go for it. The other ones are sitting there waiting for me when I’m ready.
Marketing before launch
Idea generation - easy. Connecting energetically to the people I want to help through the offering, is easy. Creating a marketing plan through all the various touchpoints? Not so easy on your own, and something that should be considered as you are building the offering itself.
This is where most entrepreneurs fall short, and I certainly have in the past. I have never needed to run marketing campaigns for our She Wolf Inc. Services, as 100% of our clients have come through referrals. But if you are just starting, or trying to launch a specific product, service, or unique offering, marketing HAS to be part of the overall vision. If you need help coming up with ideas, you can feel free to book a discovery call. I’d be happy to meet with you to see how we can support you through this process.
Leap safely
I have worked with a mindset coach, and have been in the manifestation rabbit hole for about 7 years now. The one thing I didn’t consider when taking the leaps that I have was the impact they were having on my nervous system and overall stress level.
I maxed out my credit cards telling myself I believed in whatever I was signing up for, but I didn’t truly believe it. Those costly leaps put me in a state of panic most of the time, and I experienced a deep sense of imposter syndrome as a result.
I wish I had taken into account that I can simply play in my imagination with the leap, until I, at my core, believe that what I’m doing is the right next step. Then, funny enough, the money usually appears without me having to spend outside of my comfort zone. (Refer to #1 as a refresher on consequences. Haha)
Let go of the things that drained me earlier
Before now, in my whole life, I never experienced a state of being where I allowed myself to solely focus on what I wanted to. The day-to-day can be pretty monotonous when doing things that simply drain you vs stimulate your mind.
It’s important for me that every once in a while I take a week to notice the things that I am habitually doing that could be passed off to someone else or could be done in a simpler way to create more space to do the things that light me up inside. I have an amazing team that is constantly asking how they can support me, and they are ready and waiting for you to accept this as well.
Meet my team and see how they can support you too!
The discipline of pleasure
For most of my life, it has been way more comfortable to deprive myself of joy than to take pleasure and bask in it.
It has been way more comfortable for me to sacrifice my sleep and play instead of work. It was easier to take care of others and their needs than my own. It was even more habitual to make sure my dog had food and water than to even notice if I had eaten at all that day.
It’s a familiar trait, my grandmother and mother did it, and we live in a society where women are expected to do it all with a smile on their faces. I was constantly telling myself that I would let go and relax once I retired.
And to that I say, F^3K that
Learning that these beliefs were not aligned with my true nature the hard way, I’ve seen the value in going against the grain to go to Yoga on Monday mornings at 930 am or taking an afternoon nap when my energy is noticeably low. I now go out for lunch with a friend when I feel uninspired or grab a pedicure on a Wednesday at 11 am, even when I have a 5 pm deadline that is stressing me out.
Doing these pleasurable activities has brought me back to life, to my work, and alignment So. Many. Times. and I encourage you, my love, to do the same and give it a try.
It’s amazing what a fresh manicure or 20-minute catnap can do for the soul. Why wait for retirement when you can experience bliss and joy right here and now?
If you need support and accountability in doing just this, then I am here to help you and cheer you on as you go. Book a discovery call with me to find out how I can help you show up for yourself more in 2024.
That’s it, that’s all I got for you today. I’m off to take a nap before I work for the afternoon on the course we are launching in the coming weeks!
As always, if you need me, please email your girl through erin@shewolfinc.ca.
