RR#110 - One step back, $1M steps forward…
12 months ago, I started systematizing my business to scale more aggressively.
I changed the structure of my coaching programs, implemented a new content strategy, and started hiring.
The results?
A $198k quarter of coaching sales to start the year and on track for more than $1M by year-end.
The challenge?
I found myself less engaged in the business than I’d been in some time.
My quarterly personal audit revealed why, which led to strategic changes that have already boosted my energy levels and engagement.
In this newsletter I’m going to share:
What I discovered
The changes I made as a result
And the questions I use in my quarterly personal audit that led to those discoveries.
The Discovery
The first step in scaling yourself is understanding where your time is going. That’s why I meticulously audit where every minute of my workday is going.
Those audits help me determine where the best opportunities to systematize or hire are.
Doing this helped me reduce the amount of time I spent on fulfillment by 40% and time on social media or creating content by a whopping 80%.
By most measures, it was a home run.
But here’s the thing: by removing myself from many of the most time-consuming activities, I inadvertently removed myself from things I actually enjoyed doing.
My coaching program became more scalable, but less connected.
Content and social media required only two hours of my time each week, but I actually enjoy writing and creating content.
I was putting the needs of a scalable business ahead of my own by systematizing myself out of things I liked to do.
Which is why the business was doing exceptionally well and I was less engaged.
After reflecting on this, I realized I didn’t apply a critical filter to my time by asking, “Which of these tasks energize me, and which drain me?”
That simple prompt would’ve led to very different decisions.
What I’m Changing
Applying that filter helped me reevaluate my systems and how I approach this going forward.
And there are 4 changes I’m making as a result.
“Un-Scaling” Coaching
I’m limiting my Accelerator business coaching to 15 clients and bringing back one-on-ones to complement the group calls and asynchronous forum support.
Will this scale? No. But as a result of this exercise, I’ve decided I don’t want to scale this particular service.
The one-on-one coaching calls give me energy and we have other products & services we can scale.
Desystematizing Content
I recently wrote about the over-systematizing content and changes that would be coming soon as a result. This is the source of those changes.
All in, my content system required 2 hours of my time per week, including LinkedIn, newsletters, YouTube, and engagement.
But I like writing, so this was like “taking a taxi to the finish line of a marathon,” as Tim Ferriss says. So we are de-systematizing quite a bit of this.
Migrating Our 16-Week Bootcamp to Cohort
In my 16-week Bootcamp, I coach clients through my process of converting knowledge and expertise into a productized service business.
I started this as a cohort-based program and converted it to evergreen to make the sales process more efficient.
We’re converting back to a cohort-based model for added engagement and synergy.
Doubling Down on Membership & Community
There’s nothing more engaging to me than building a community of entrepreneurially-minded professionals building online.
When I got started, I found plenty of masterminds and groups to learn about internet marketing, but nowhere I really wanted to hang out. Most of these places were packed with “internet bros” trying to make money online.
I never found a place to both learn what I needed & connect with people I actually related to as a professional. So, I built it. And we’re doubling down on that in 2024.
Most of these are iterative changes, not substantial pivots, which can be costly to momentum and brands.
They’ll certainly mean less efficiency in the business. And that’s perfectly fine.
Based on my goals at the moment, I’m prioritizing my engagement over optimizing everything I can.
It’ll mean doing less, but doing it better.
The Process of Getting Here
I’m always refining the personal audit process I used to get here. Here is how I currently do it:
Block out a distraction free day: Create the headspace you need with a full day of no calls, social media, or client work.
Review and refresh my Vision Founder Fit: This is like a North Star for both me and my business to help maintain alignment as I grow.
Document the wins: Reflect on the prior few months and write down where you’ve made progress.
Document the lessons: Write down any lessons or learning you’ve picked up over the past few months.
Conduct an energy audit: Look through your calendar or time audit and determine which activities fuel you, and which drain you.
Clarify what you’re optimizing for: Reflect on your goals and determine what the single most important goal for you is now—only one.
Create an action plan: Identify 5-10 significant moves you can make in the next few months towards that single goal.
Predict your blockers: Get ahead of distractions and roadblocks by predicting what’s will derail your progress and how to address them.
Then, start executing and repeat the exercise in a few months.
The Takeaway
Building in public comes with tradeoffs. One drawback is that lessons and learning are, of course, public.
The benefit, I hope, is that my experience may help others get the “lesson without the scar.”
I hope this has been helpful to you.
