Next week, January 4th and 5th, I am leading my annual, “How to Plan Your Most Profitable Year Yet” workshop for the seventh year in a row. Each year, I walk a group of women entrepreneurs through the most effective process for helping them reach their income and impact goals, based on where they are in business now. 

If you feel overwhelmed by everything there is to do, confused about where to start, or tried strategies mentors have recommended without any luck, then you’ll definitely want to attend this workshop! 

That being said…while the upcoming workshop focuses on what to do, and what order to do it in, there are some foundational things that need to be in practice during the implementation process, for any to-do's in next week's workshop to really pay off – and those foundational things are what I’m going to share with you in this blog post.

If you don’t create a healthy foundation for your to-do list, you won’t get things done the way you want to… even if you know what needs to be done. 

Define an Inspiring Vision Statement

Your Vision Statement is the part of your brand that helps your audience feel a deeper connection that inspires them to do business with you. It highlights the why behind what you do, and why you are so passionate about it. This is also the thing that inspires YOU to get up and go to work every day to bring your vision to the world. 

Here's a simple formula to help you write your Vision Statement – but note, your Vision Statement doesn’t necessarily need to fit perfectly into this formula, this is just an example to provide direction. 

“A world where [ideal client] experiences [inspirational result].”

For example, my Vision Statement is: A world where women entrepreneurs are connected with their power, aligned with their purpose and beautifully compensated for their value.

Dare to Get Vulnerable

You can follow all of the tasks and to-do’s that will be carefully laid out for you in the upcoming workshop. But, unless you’re willing to show up vulnerably as the face of your brand, the actions won’t get you anywhere. 

You have to be willing to show up – share an unpopular opinion, share a vulnerable story, dare to pitch yourself to that big podcast, dare to reach out to big industry names for your summit, dare to show your face in video rather than hiding behind graphics. 

 ⬇ PIN IT ⬇ 

The point is, take daring action when you show up, and show up vulnerably yourself. 

For potential clients to choose to invest in your programs and services, they must FIRST know you, like you, and trust you. In order for clients to truly know you, they must know what you stand for. So, transparency and honesty is key in sharing why you’re in business, what you do, and who you serve. You will best be able to communicate all of these things through the vulnerability you show up with as the face of your brand.

Create Connection with Others on a Similar Path

Even as an introvert, I’ve found that making meaningful connections with other entrepreneurs on a similar path is what lights me up, inspires me, gives me new ideas, holds me accountable to play bigger, and makes me feel less alone when I’m going through a challenging time. 

In my upcoming workshop, How to Plan Your Most Profitable Year Yet, you will get all the steps you need to take so you don’t have to get stuck in the overwhelm as you move through 2023, and you’ll know exactly where to focus to expand your income and impact. But, when it comes to the part of creating your most fulfilling and joyful year yet, connection with others is KEY! 

If you don’t have a support system in place, it can be easy to get lost or fall off track when motivation dwindles – even if you know what needs to be done to reach your goals. 

At The Daring Fempreneur, we have two options to help you create the connections that will make your year more fulfilling and joyful: 

1. Dare to Connect is our free monthly networking and relationship-building event for women entrepreneurs to build meaningful connections with others on a similar path. This event happens on Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month, and provides dedicated time for you to build relationships that make a difference. You can learn more about the monthly event and reserve your seat for free at this link.
2. The Impact Tribe is home to a community of women entrepreneurs who get together bi-weekly for coaching and community connections that help move the needle in their business. In the Impact Tribe, you'll find a close circle of fempreneur sisters who know your quirks, understand your business, and will be there to cheer you on through the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.⁠ You can learn more and join us at this link.

Take Care of Your Physical Health

Your body is the vessel that gives you everything you need to get to your destination (aka, to reach your business goals). 

You can follow the steps that are outlined in my upcoming workshop, but you’ll be more productive, show up with more energy and vitality, and be happier overall if you prioritize your physical health throughout the process of building your brand. 

Speaking from personal experience, pushing through without taking care of your physical health is no way to run a business. It can set you back months or even years – and if you don’t make the time to take care of your health now, your body will force you to make the time later. 

A few years ago, I sacrificed my health for what I thought was the success of my business – I tried to push through the burnout and wasn’t making time for the things I needed to in order to live a healthy life. This left me with adrenal fatigue that ended up halting my business almost entirely. 

Now, I make taking care of my physical health a top priority, so I can continue to work on my business to make a bigger income and impact. A few ways I like to take care of my physical health include:

• Yoga – I practice yoga several times a week and find it’s a great tool for not only grounding myself and being mindful, but also for building my strength and capacity in a low-impact way. 
• Meal prep – preparing delicious and healthy meals on the weekends affords me the opportunity to eat healthy all week long without having to take time out of my productive days to cook a healthy meal. 
• Walk daily – every day, my husband and I take our dog for a walk not only for her wellbeing, but also for our own. This is such an important time for us to connect with each other, clear our minds, and move our bodies each day. 

Nurture Your Mental/Emotional Well-Being

Similar to your physical health, your mental and emotional well-being are essential to showing up as the face of your brand with enthusiasm and clarity while you do the important work of supporting others. 

This is a complex issue, and will of course be different for each of us – but, the moral of the story is to make your mental and emotional health a priority because when you don’t, it’s hard to show up as the person you want to be for your brand, your audience, and your clients. 

Personally, mental and emotional health challenges over the years have mainly shown up in the form of anxiety and depression, and have been caused by things like hormone imbalances, eating foods I’m sensitive or intolerant to, overworking myself, forgetting to spend time in nature, or spending too much time on social media.

Now, some things I do to prioritize my mental and emotional wellbeing include: 

• Daily meditation – this practice allows me to stay grounded in my life, goals, and desires, as well as maintain a clear mind and relieve stored stress.
• Journaling – my Monk Manual practice keeps me focused on what brings me joy, so I can be sure to prioritize those things in the future.
• Take time offline – I spend at least one day per week completely unplugged and focused on spending time with friends and family, and doing the things that nurture my soul.

Don't stop here, though. I’m here to support you in creating a purposeful, archetypal brand that makes money AND makes a difference. Explore how we can work together here.