As we head towards the end of the year, there’s always a lot of reflection about what worked and didn’t work in our businesses. So today I’m going to talk about the lessons I’ve learned through launching new offers this year- the good, the bad, and the ugly- and what it all means for the year ahead. Trust me, this will be juicy!
THE GOOD
Like many of us dealing with year 2 of pandemic life, I had to make a lot of shifts in my business. I entered 2021 with about 85% of my revenue coming from social media management for various companies, and the other 15% coming from commission as a salesperson for a design agency. I was completely overworked, burnt out, and trying to survive for who knows how much longer with all the kids at home! I knew I had to make a change, a bold one, and quickly. That’s the chaos my new offers were created out of (and shoutout to Megan Dowd for helping me craft these offers in her Offer Architect program!).
This shift in my business has absolutely saved my sanity and have been a game changer for my clients as well. So much goodness here! The lesson? Don’t be afraid to pivot! A girl loves a good pivot.
THE BAD
Launching. I’ll go ahead and say it….. I hated launching.
And honestly, it’s not because they were all horrible or anything of the sort. I had some highly successful launches, some meh launches, but it’s not about the dollars in this case. It’s about mental health. Launching, in the traditional sense, just SHREDS my mental health. Like, I had several therapy sessions dedicated to trying to piece me back together after launches.
The stress, the pressure I put on myself, the obsessive refreshing and hyper fixation. I failed to give myself the advice that I would give each and every one of my clients. You know, about following your own instincts, leaning into your strengths, expending your energy in ways that feel good, all that stuff. Nope, decided to just plow through what I thought I had to do to make my business work and it just about broke me. Another lesson: take my own advice, and do business in a way that feels right to me.
THE UGLY
You know, I’ve always been a big proponent of only comparing yourself to yourself. You’re on your own journey, and comparing yourself to others will only hold you back! HOWEVER. 2021 was the year I learned that comparing yourself even to only yourself can be dangerous as well. Comparing pandemic me to pre-pandemic me, just isn’t fair.
There was a period where I found myself starting many sentences with “Well I used to…” “Why can’t I just….” “I used to be able to…”
Had I grown lazier? Less motivated? That’s a big fat nope!
But my needs, my time restrictions, my LIFE had changed, and I needed to shift how I thought about myself and my goals. Once I stopped beating myself up for what I saw as flaws, I could actually address barriers and limitations honestly and come up with solutions that worked! Funny how that happens.
SO WHAT NOW?
Once you look at everything 2021 taught me, the next steps feel so obvious to me I’m almost certain you’ll know what I’m about to say next.
First- NO MORE FORMAL LAUNCHES! That means no open and closed doors for my programs, they’re always available for enrollment. However, I will do periods of incentives! In other words, I’ll take a week from time to time to promote a specific program with some kind of bonus for whoever signs up during that period. Low-pressure, content focused launching? It’s only what I teach all the time.
Your Social CMO? Applications are open always.
Your Social Launch Intensive? Available for purchase always.
Busy Bitch Club? Join anytime!
Oh, and speaking of the Busy Bitch Club. In the spirit of the pivot and aligning and accessibility lessons of 2021…. The price is going down to $97 a month, and it’s staying there.
While I may have felt all the bumps of a year that was full of perpetual hope and let downs (thanks COVID!), each bump was a lesson and a realignment that I didn’t realize I badly needed. And while I know it isn’t all smooth sailing ahead, I am feeling GOOD heading into the new year. And that's really something.
How about you? Share YOUR lessons learned with me!
