A Little Better: The vision for your business that REALLY matters

Pre-S: Key links you might be looking for… Enrich the mastermind. The Better Christmas Plan course. My upcoming FREE workshop on how to stop people-pleasing.

Reminder: This summer, on The Better Business Podcast, I’m releasing a capsule collection of shorter episodes that you can dip into for inspiration. They’re released on Fridays throughout August and September. Full episodes will be back in October.

Today’s episode is about the vision that matters in your business.

At the beginning of August, I wrapped up a 6 month mastermind. This intimate, soul-filled group of three women with creative businesses have been meeting with me every Monday afternoon, more or less, since February.

We’ve talked about business struggles, goals, personal challenges and strengths. We’ve learnt about each other – and about ourselves and what works for us.

Towards the end of our six month journey, we talked a lot about what we really want. About that line between what our logical, eager, opportunity-seeking brains can see, and the deeper longings of our creative souls.

We journalled. We coached. We talked. We uncovered.

I can’t tell you how powerful it was to get into the detail of it all.

We’ve been reflecting in our group chat recently, and it has made me think a lot about creating visions.

I’m a visionary sort of person. I can see possibilities and opportunities. It’s a strength I have, part of my personality. When I first started my business and started mentoring small business owners, I believed it was a big deal – an important piece of the puzzle. I could step into a client’s shoes and SEE.

As I’ve developed and trained more deeply, I know that my vision for a client is often a distraction. My excitement about a certain possibility can get in the way of uncovering a client’s true longings. These days, I’m dedicated to getting my vision out of the way and pouring my creativity into nourishing your vision and supporting you instead.

Here’s what I want you to know:

My vision for your business doesn’t matter.

Your partner’s vision for your business doesn’t matter.

Your staff, your friend, your mum’s vision – none of them matter.

Sure, you can lean on them and listen to them and cherry pick some things from other people’s vision.

But do not get tangled up in them.

You can spend so much energy trying to create something that someone else wants you to have. You can even experience a type of success.

But true success is YOUR vision, your values. It’s the difference between an inner glow as you receive the order or start working with a new client or start a new project – and slogging away as a means to an end.

I use visualisations fairly often in my work. And honestly, you can try it yourself, too. Take 15 minutes, set a timer, let yourself relax, and let your inner wisdom guide you to visualising a significant time in the future. Like mid-December, or this time next year. Notice what comes to mind without questioning it. Feel the energy of it.

Then spend 10-20 minutes writing it all down. You might find some surprises for yourself in there, and my experience is that they will motivate you and support you in making positive changes.

There’s a visualisation for Christmas in my Better Christmas Plan course, which is available for just another three weeks. It’s a game-changer if you’re a product-based business owner ready to level up this season.

And I’m opening up another Enrich mastermind starting in September. If you’re ready for more connection, more vision, more courage, and more soul in your business, this is for you.

To celebrate opening the mastermind, I’m teaching a free workshop on people-pleasing and how to stop it from running your business on Thursday 2 September at 8pm GMT.

A Little Better: Friday 13th, Feeling Lucky, & Creating Your Own Luck

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This summer, on The Better Business Podcast, I’m releasing a capsule collection of shorter episodes that you can dip into for inspiration. They’re released on Fridays throughout August and September. Full episodes will be back in October.

Today’s Little Better episode is about Friday 13th, feeling lucky, and creating your own luck.

A couple of years ago, I went to a DIY shop to get a replacement shed lock (glamorous life, as always!), and I decided to register for an account. As I gave the nice chap at the counter my address, he noted that I live at number 13.

“Unlucky 13!” he said.

“Unlucky for some,” I replied. “Not for me!”

I told him how I had also grown up in a number 13, and so I always associated it with home. I didn’t tell him about the energy of that particular home and time in my life were full of happy memories and energy. It was a DIY store on a Thursday evening, so I didn’t want to push it.

But 13 has never felt unlucky to me.

As I was thinking about this encounter recently, I thought about luck. I might not care about Friday 13th, but what are my stories about being lucky?

Do you feel lucky? Do you tell yourself that you’re unlucky, that it’ll never happen?

Meghan Genge talks about magic and miracles, and how when we expect them, we see them.

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it,” said Roald Dahl.

The voice that tells you it’ll never happen for you, that you’re just not the sort of person that gets the big break or the good news – that’s your inner critic, trying to keep you safe and small and avoid vulnerability.

It’s safe for you to see everyday miracles, like finding the perfect parking space, or having all the green lights. Notice them where they happen.

As I was writing my ideas for this episode, I saw a quote from Shonda Rhimes, one of my all-time favourite humans, the powerhouse behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and loads more.

She said, “I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.”

I mean, she’s not wrong.

But what if we can be lucky – and create and grow our own luck?

What if we get smarter about spotting opportunities?

What if we become a total badass at courageously putting ourselves out there, shining our light, and graciously receiving the luck, the prosperity, the good news, that we get in return?

Your mission, if you choose to accept it this week, is to get luckier.

Notice the luck you have. Articulate the luck you want. Switch on your opportunity detectors. Channel your savvy boss lady energy into creating more luck for yourself.

Friday 13th is a great day to change the story, and change your world.

Episode 13: Is it possible to stop people-pleasing and run a successful business?

The Better Business Podcast by Jenny Pace, episode 13. "People pleasing is a direct path to burnout."

Are you a people-pleaser? Me too, except I’m in life-long recovery. The good news is that my business is MORE successful when I step back from people-pleasing. Let’s talk about why we get stuck in this trap, especially as women in business.

We all know a people-pleaser like Sally

Someone I know – let’s call her Sally – is amazing. She’s a truly brilliant human. She has her own business selling gorgeous gifts and cards and designs, and it’s pretty successful. She pays the bills with this business. But she’s always too busy. The orders mount up, the enquiries, the marketing. And she never quite gets around to designing the things she really wants to design, or managing to grow her business so that it’s more sustainable.

The truth is that Sally is incredibly generous with her time and energy. She jumps at the chance to help someone. She’ll tweak a design for a customer without charging for it. Except then she’s late with her orders and pays to upgrade to express delivery so that no one is disappointed, which ultimately eats into her profit.

And she spends a bit too much time helping her small business friends, helping with their product listings instead of her own, and offering them feedback, when really she needs to be planning her next new product launch.

Sally muddles along, swept up in being busy. She never really grows her business, and she never feels like she’s reaching her potential. She’s never quite happy.

Her people-pleasing is stopping her from success.

We’ve all been Sally.

In truth, Sally is combination of patterns I see in creatives all the time – including myself.

Most of us have been Sally, at one time or another. Offering too much, trying to avoid disappointing others, putting everyone else’s preferences over our own deep desires and needs.

It’s time to stop.

Suggestions for people-pleasers

Here are a few ways you can stop people-pleasing and reclaim your time, energy, and profit:

  • Notice the orders that make you despair or slump. Remove those products or put the price up – significantly.
  • Stop going on Facebook groups or Whatsapp chats. Mute them. Leave them. Limit your time in them. Only go to them once you’ve done YOUR things.
  • Organise your team meetings to suit you. Stop avoiding conversations with your staff to protect their feelings, and then cover for them instead. It’s your business.
  • Check in with your messaging for customers, staff, family, and friends: are you clear and consistent? And when someone asks too much, do you stand your ground? Give it a try.

Why people-pleasing doesn’t matter to your people

I believe true customers, staff, friends, family buy into you. Your happiness, your success, your sanity, your vitality and ability to thrive. And if they don’t, then they don’t deserve your gifts.

I don’t want to buy anything knowing that the person making it is stressed out, overworked, underpaid, and unhappy. I really don’t. I don’t see how anyone benefits from a system that is set up that way.

Stop letting your business stagnate because you’re being polite, people-pleasing, and hoping for the best.

Join the workshop!

I’m running a FREE workshop for business owners who are done with people-pleasing and are ready to reclaim their energy, time, and profit. It’s time to run the business you really want!

Join me on Thursday 2nd September at 8pm GMT for this hour-long masterclass on how you can let go of people-pleasing and run the business you actually want.

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Enter The Forge

Life's too damn short to chase someone else's definition of success. I'm here to give you the courage and tools to forge your own path.