Are you addicted to your business?

Are you addicted to your business?

by | Aug 9, 2024 | Business Chaos, Busy Trap, Juggle Street, Peak Performance, Smart Growth, Time Freedom

You dream of having a smoothly running business, a high-performing team, and the freedom to step back without the constant need for you to be in the business. 

After all, it’s why you went into business in the first place.

But what about when you achieve this ideal scenario? 

Have you stopped to consider the often-overlooked downside?

When your business no longer hinges on your every move, you may find yourself grappling with a surprising challenge: the lack of significance and validation that comes from being the go-to problem solver.

Because you’ve built your business from the ground up, it’s really hard to let go. 

The need to swoop in and save the day, to validate your importance through solving daily issues, can become addictive. 

Even when your team is performing well, it’s tempting to fall into the thought pattern of “I would’ve done it this way,” despite the fact your team is achieving the same results. 

This urge can make it difficult for you to step back and fully trust your team.

But the idea of having nothing to do can be simply daunting. 

Your fantasy of endless beach days can quickly turn into boredom. 

Because you’re wired for growth, always seeking the next challenge. 

This drive is part of your DNA as a successful business owner, but it can also be a double-edged sword, leading to what some experts call “entrepreneurial addiction”.

Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and mental health author, describes addiction as compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences. 

This definition is particularly relevant for business owners who find themselves compulsively working longer hours, neglecting personal relationships, and sacrificing health and well-being for the sake of their business.

Amy identifies 6 warning signs of entrepreneurial addiction:

1. Obsessive thoughts (constantly thinking about your business – getting new clients, introducing new products, the next onboarding round…)

2. Withdrawal (once that big pitch or project is done withdrawal symptoms can occur, boredom, depression, anxiety, a feeling of ‘coming down’)

3. Self-Worth problems (never acknowledging how far you’ve come or celebrating your successes before searching for the next big thing will impact your self-worth, it’s never enough)

4. Increased Tolerance to your substance of choice, in this case unhealthy ways of working (the long hours, no lunch breaks or lack of sleep become the normal way to function)

5. Neglect (other areas of life come second and are neglected – your health, family, time for you, hobbies, sleep)

6. Negative Outcomes (continuing your way of working despite the negative effects on your health, relationships, and life)

Do you see any of these warning signs in you?

If yes, then you need to break the cycle.

You can start this by setting clear boundaries – allocate specific times for work and personal activities, and stick to them. 

Celebrate your achievements and acknowledge your progress to maintain a healthy sense of self-worth. 

Most importantly, remember why you started your business in the first place. 

Reconnect with your initial goals and ensure they’re being met without compromising your well-being.

Taking these steps can help you regain control and create a sustainable work-life balance. 

If you find yourself struggling, consider booking a clarity call with me to discuss strategies to get yourself out of this mess. 

It’s time to move from being indispensable to leading a thriving, self-sufficient business so that you can enjoy the freedom and fulfilment you deserve.

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Navigating Change Fatigue: A Leader’s Guide

Navigating Change Fatigue: A Leader’s Guide

by | May 31, 2024 | Juggle Street, Peak Performance

If you were playing a game of work bingo, how quickly would it take for the phrase ‘change fatigue’ to come up?

I’d imagine pretty quickly.  

It’s the feeling of being weighed down by all the changes happening in the business.

Think about it: the world’s moving at lightning speed, tech’s evolving faster than ever, and then there’s the whole COVID-19 chaos that we’d sooner forget. 

Throw on top of that the agility needed to sustain and grow your business and it’s no wonder you, and your team, are feeling drained.

Why the dip?

According to a Harvard Business Review Gartner Survey, employee support for change dropped from 74% in 2016 to a measly 43% in 2022.

Well, it’s not just about people being lazy or stubborn. 

It’s about them feeling overwhelmed by constant changes and unsure about what’s coming next.

As a leader, it’s on you to create an environment where your team embrace change, rather than become demotivated by it. 

That means having real conversations with your team, listening to their concerns, and showing them that you get it.

Effective communication is your most powerful tool here. 

It’s all about keeping your team in the loop, explaining why changes are happening, and reassuring them that you’re all in this together (and demonstrating that through your actions). 

Consistency is key – whether it’s regular updates or sticking to established routines, it all helps to ease any anxiety that people are feeling.

But here’s the thing: not everyone reacts to change in the same way. 

Some people are all about embracing the new, while others need a bit more time to warm up to it. 

So, you’ve got to be flexible and meet people where they’re at.

The Conscious Competence Model is a helpful tool to apply during times of change.

  • Unconscious Incompetence – you’re unaware of the skill and your lack of proficiency
  • Conscious Incompetence – you’re aware of the skill but not yet proficient
  • Conscious Competence – you’re able to use the skill but only with effort
  • Unconscious Competence – performing the skill becomes automatic

Having had teenagers, the best example I can think of here is learning how to drive a car. 

From before they got their L plates (unconscious incompetence) to the first scary drive out of VicRoads having just sat a computer test but never actually driven a car (conscious incompetence). 

Then onto P plates (conscious competence) to driving for years and not even remembering driving down that main road you go down every night to home (unconscious competence).

Some of the changes in your business (for example, new processes or new technology) will feel like learning to drive all over again for some people.

Normalising the discomfort of change and giving people the support they need can make a world of difference.  

Being empathetic, communicative, and taking care of yourself and your team, will help you navigate everyone through change, with less fatigue.

Talking about support, do you want to double your team’s sales and get more yes’s, even in a tough market? If so, then grab The Yes Code™️ at the special rate before it reverts to full price on 6th June. Click here to find out more.

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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Grow Smart, Not Hard: Secrets to Building a Thriving Business 

Grow Smart, Not Hard: Secrets to Building a Thriving Business 

by | May 16, 2024 | Business Chaos, Busy Trap, Juggle Street, Peak Performance, Time Freedom

Smart growth in business isn’t about relentless hustle or sacrificing your well-being for the sake of performance. 

Instead, smart growth focuses on combining strong leadership and effective people strategies to ensure that you, your team, and your business thrive.

If you want to reclaim time and step away from being everything to everyone, so that you can work smarter, not harder then it’s time to lean into smart growth.

Let’s look at how you do this.

Strong People Leadership

By fostering a culture where your team can make decisions independently, you free yourself from daily operations.

This takes a commitment to empowering your team, coaching and supporting their skill development.

It also means you drop any micro-management behaviours that could have snuck in.

The payoff? 

Enhanced productivity and increased job satisfaction for you and your team. 

Redefining Business Success

What does success mean to you?

Is it just about turnover targets getting achieved at all costs?

Or does it include caring about your team’s mental health?

Is it about reacting to economic uncertainties at all costs? 

Or do you embrace challenges without compromising your health and that of your business? 

True success combines profitability with well-being, steering clear of burnout and building resilience against whatever challenges get thrown your way.

Strategic Focus for Daily Challenges

Managing a business or a team requires constant attention to operations, client delivery, and lead generation. 

It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of the whirlpool and feel like you’re drowning.

The challenge is to remain proactive rather than reactive.

For you to remain forward-thinking and robust you need to step on the balcony and focus on the bigger picture.

Without the ability to take time to work on your business instead of in it, you are leaving yourself open to feeling like business is chaotic.

Empowerment Through Decision-Making

What would you rather – a team of decision-makers or a team of doers? 

Decision-makers need structures to follow to set them up for success.

They need to be able to make mistakes and learn from them, be supported to grow and learn.

This shift not only empowers your team but also ensures that the business can continue to operate effectively, even in your absence. 

When you have a team that operates autonomously, you get the time freedom to focus on whatever is next for you.

Where do you sit right now?

We’ve created a 60-second quiz for you to identify which phase of business growth you’re in.

Your results will identify which one of these four categories you fall into – Crisis, Build, Growth or Momentum mode.

And we’ll give you the blueprint to move to Momentum from whichever phase you’re in.

The blueprint includes our favourite tools (you’ll get access to them straight away) that are working for our clients at the moment with sales productivity, profit planning and team engagement.

Click here to do the survey now – https://businesstogether.typeform.com/smartgrowth?typeform

Ness is a Business and Leadership Coach. Her approach is grounded in practicality and empathy because she believes in the power of careful, thoughtful decision-making that respects your needs. Having run successful coaching businesses since 2015, Ness is obsessed with helping business owners and leaders thrive. She helps her clients install smart business growth strategies and leverage leadership for peak performance.

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The Business Conundrum: Action vs. Non-Action

The Business Conundrum: Action vs. Non-Action

by | Mar 1, 2024 | Business Chaos, Peak Performance

Greg Plitt’s quote, “When every action has a purpose, every action has a result,” really hits home for me, especially when it comes to hitting a goal, whether that be a work or personal goal.

Think about it: every choice you make, every task you complete, all have the power to either move you closer to success or steer you off course.

That’s why it’s absolutely essential to make sure your actions are in line with your goals and purpose.

If they aren’t then you’re just wasting your time.

Some days back in my corporate job where I was receiving hundreds of emails a week, it felt like I was playing a game of Tetris, especially towards the end of the week when they came in thick and fast.

Although I was taking action and responding to emails, I wasn’t focused on what mattered the most, I was focused on what I could action quickly.

Has that ever happened to you: feeling busy doing stuff but not really getting anywhere?

Maybe you’ve been putting off important tasks, like those nerve-wracking sales conversations, only to realise later that of course it’s affecting your bottom line.

Trust me, I’ve been there—lots of coffee chats but not enough follow-through on the sales front, resulting in zero income during the first 3 months of my first business.

Whether you’re taking action or choosing not to, each move you make shapes the path your business takes.

So, how do you navigate through this?

Clarity and purpose are key.

Reconnecting to why your business exists, and what it’s here to achieve is the starting point.
It’s not just about setting goals; it’s about tying those goals to a bigger picture, and giving your team a clear vision to rally behind.

As a leader, it’s your job to communicate this purpose to your team in a way that they can connect with it.

Because when everyone understands how their work contributes to the bigger picture, it adds meaning to what they do and helps to keep them engaged.

This clarity also makes decision-making easier for everyone involved and after all, isn’t that what you want from your team: the ability to make decisions for themselves instead of looking to you for all the answers?

Once you set your team up to succeed, it’s time to turn the mirror back on yourself.

Just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you should.

You need to set boundaries and identify your priorities.

Focus on doing things that align with your goals, and be mindful of what you’re sacrificing by saying yes to one thing over another, especially when it comes to outside of work time.

Here are some questions to help you decide on your priorities:

  • What’s most important right now?
  • What can wait?
  • Is this action moving me closer to my goal?
  • If I say yes to this, what am I giving up?

Treat these questions like a matter of life and death, and put your energy where it truly matters.

Consistently aligning your actions with your purpose and goals helps you steer clear of the unproductive busyness trap.

This role modelling helps to create a culture of purpose-driven action within your team, fostering autonomy and engagement.

Remember, every move you make shapes your business journey—so make sure to make each one count.

Meet Nicky & Ness

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Breaking Free from the Busy Trap: Prioritising Life for Success

Breaking Free from the Busy Trap: Prioritising Life for Success

by | Feb 1, 2024 | Profitability and business growth, Smart Growth

Unless you’re brand new to leadership or business, you already know that taking a step back to plan strategically is a game-changer for long-term sustainability and success. 

But nobody addresses your key problem – even though you know that to be true, chances are you are caught in the busy trap and if you do get time to step away from the business, it is taking you away from time with your family and friends.

How do you prioritise setting aside dedicated time for proactive planning?

The key is to focus not only on planning for the business but also on carving out space to prioritise personal goals. 

I’ve seen (and experienced) this approach, where you prioritise what’s important in your life alongside all the business objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

What goes in hand with that shift, is a reframe of the belief that ‘there isn’t enough time’. 

Hanging onto this “excuse” (harsh, but true!) will become a barrier for you, leading to a constant struggle stuck in the whirlwind of daily activities. 

A shift in perspective is crucial. 

Instead of thinking about the lack of time, consider how to make the most out of the available time in a strategic and effective manner.

One of the ways we do this is by using a framework, we call the True North wheel. 

This model integrates three core components: business growth, managing finances, and prioritising life. 

The synergy between these elements creates a well-rounded strategy that not only propels business success but also enhances the overall quality of life.

And this approach can be shared with your leaders.

When you sit alongside your leaders and share your priorities (including life priorities) there’s deeper accountability, support and empowerment within the team.

I put the challenge out to you… in the next 24 hours identify one activity that contributes to prioritising your life. 

This could range from scheduling personal appointments (the doctor visit you’ve been putting off or the overdue haircut?) to planning fun activities outside of work (breakfast with your family perhaps?). 

Want extra points because you’re a high achiever? 

Extend this challenge to your team members, encouraging them to incorporate self-care and life priorities into their schedules.

Ultimately, the aim is to create a culture that values both professional success and personal well-being. 

As a business owner or leader, acknowledging the importance of prioritising life not only fosters a healthier work environment but also attracts and retains top talent. 

The ripple effect of this approach leads to enhanced engagement, reduced burnout, and a more fulfilling experience for everyone involved.

And that is what makes achieving your goals so much more fulfilling.

Ness is a money coach, helping businesswomen like you gain clarity over your financial goals, building wealth and financial security for themselves.

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