40 | Behind the Scenes 2023

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Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

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I'm so glad you are here.

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I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

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build brilliant businesses.

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I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

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comparison, anxiety, uncertainty, shame.

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You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

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emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

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Dare greatly.

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You belong in this arena.

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Welcome to the 40th episode of

women in the coaching arena.

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I am so glad you are here.

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Today, I'm excited to share with you that

behind the scenes of: 2023

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It's something I do every single year.

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You can look back on my website and

look at my annual reviews for all of

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my years, but it's the first time I've

obviously reflected on the podcast

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because I haven't had my podcast since

I've started doing my annual review.

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So super excited to reflect with

you today, especially because I've

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just had the most amazing voice

note from Kate Hill, who is a Tik

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TOK superstar leadership coach.

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And she's just literally left me a

one minute voice message, saying.

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Thank you so much.

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I've loved having you in my world, even

if I'm not working with you anymore,

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it's helped me so much to know that

you're there and she can't explain why.

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But she wouldn't have got

where she's got without me.

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Which is crazy because she definitely

would have, but to hear it is the

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exact reason why I do this work.

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So I will share a framework that I

have been using since: 2020

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And if you would like to attend

it, depending on the date,

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you're listening to this.

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A workshop to help you

go through this process.

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I will be running that on

Thursday, the 14th of December.

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Which is the date that this podcast

goes out sadly, but if you are able to

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make it, I would love to see you there.

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You will find the signup

link in the show notes.

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So what went well and why is

the first part I will discuss?

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So for me, Connecting with

people on LinkedIn consistently

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and posting consistently has

gone really well this year.

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It's something I would highly

recommend that you do always focus

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on, especially the audience growth

or network growth, depending on what

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type of marketing you are doing.

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But that is the biggest game changer

for me this year in growing my business.

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Is not putting stuff out

to a stagnant audience.

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You know, the same people, seeing it

again and again, and again, always

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bringing fresh new people into your

world to be able to see the stuff

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that you are putting out there.

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So that is a real game

changer for me this year.

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It's actually something I didn't

like doing, because I'm the type

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to look at their profile and

think, or don't know they'll like

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me, or maybe I won't like them or

completely overthinking essentially.

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So what I did well this year was

to delegate the connection -bit

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just literally hitting that connect

button to my virtual assistant.

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I'm absolutely fine with building the

relationships and connecting after that.

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But I think it's just that initial piece

which I was just not wanting to do,

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therefore I wasn't doing previously.

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So having someone to just make

it a less emotional process.

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And hit the connect button

without overthinking.

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It has really helped me this year.

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Being consistent with my email list

is another thing I've done this year.

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Previously, I'd been a bit more

haphazard, whereas I think I've pretty

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much emailed every week, this year.

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So I'm super proud of that.

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I know I mentioned a VA, but I

do pretty much everything in my

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business, myself, like in terms

of emailing my list, creating the

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podcasts, editing it, creating my

sales pages, nurture sequences.

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Thank you pages.

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You know, all of the things.

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So as you will know, as a coach,

there is a lot to balance.

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So I am super proud that I have

managed to maintain those emails.

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The best thing I think I have done

this year is launched my podcast and I

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have put an episode out weekly without

fail, which loads of people have

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said, my husband has in particular.

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Don't worry.

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No one will notice if

you don't put one out.

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But it's just something that I know

that maybe they wouldn't notice.

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But for me, it's something I've committed

to and therefore I will show up.

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That's not saying it's easy

because it's really hard.

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And in all honesty, I create most of

these episodes on the Sunday afternoon.

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Because it does take reflection

time and thoughts, and a

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lot of time afterwards, too.

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Add it and do the emails and

get it all on the platforms.

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So it's been really hard to fit that in

my day, and that will come into my, what

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I'm going to do differently next year.

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But for now, Just saying I'm

super proud that I have committed

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myself to put this podcast out.

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To be honest in this podcast,

but hopefully to also inspire you

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that anything is possible for you.

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Facebook ads are another thing

I've moved to for the first time

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this year to grow my email list.

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I've really enjoyed that.

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Although it is tricky because currently,

luckily the people that are in my

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world on my email, know me, like me,

and trust me, probably already prior

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to signing up to the email list.

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So it does feel a bit strange to

have kind of cold people who don't

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know who I am on my email list.

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But I'm excited to warm them up and

help them get to know me and add as

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much value to them to be able to change

their lives and change their business,

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which is the reason I'm out there trying

to get more people onto my email list.

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Another thing that went super well this

year is hiring a social media manager.

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It's been an absolute joy to

have that constant thought of my

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gosh, I better put a post out.

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Off of my plate and for it to

be done really consistently.

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Look really pretty.

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I didn't use to bother personally

with Instagram, whereas now

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she's posting on Instagram.

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And so it's been wonderful to

grow that platform as well.

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Saying that- what I have in the later

months of: 2023

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occasionally putting out my own stuff.

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Nicole makes things lovely.

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If you're wondering if it's her

or me, it's kind of obvious.

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Cause I'll put out some really bad photo.

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Some really bad worded text.

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But actually it's those posts that

do the best because people know it's,

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you, they know it's in the moment.

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They know you had something to say

and you wanted to say it right there.

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And then, so what I learning from

having a social media manager is that.

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It's not that easy to just delegate

things and think I'm not going to

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have anything to do with my marketing.

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You really do need to be

the heart of your marketing.

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And actually I miss it and I enjoy it

and I enjoy communicating my message.

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So I think there is a balance.

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Yes.

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It's a joy to know I've got some

consistent content being scheduled

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out there, but I also next year wants

to bring in far more of my personal

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stories and things that really help

people to connect with you as a person.

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So if you're not currently

sharing personal stories, I

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would really highly recommend it.

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It's the best way.

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And your biggest differentiator

in this marketplace.

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In terms of work life,

balance, time and energy.

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I am pretty tired.

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It's what I've written here.

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As I come towards the end of the year.

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I have really ramped up my visibility.

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I've held a webinar, then an

in-person event, then I'm running

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a two hour workshop next week.

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And so it takes a lot of energy

out of you running events.

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But I do love it.

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I've got a lot better at really managing

to disconnect when I'm out of the house.

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And I think that's a good learning is.

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Sadly, because I worked from home.

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You have that connection

with work and you'll kind of

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sneaking off to record podcasts.

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So, what I'm intending to do next year

is look for some sort of office space.

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So I have more of a divide

between my home and work.

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In terms of my personal development,

I have read a lot of books.

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I always write out a list

of the books I have read.

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So I will publish that in my actual hard

copy of this reflection on my website.

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I've had lots of different

coaches this year.

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So I worked with Gemma Gilbert

in her program amplify, and also

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in her mastermind for 18 months.

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I have recently started working

with someone called Phil Harrison.

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To ramp up my visibility and actually

they're complete opposites because

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Gemma Gilbert's message is anti launch.

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Whereas Phil Harrison's message is.

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Go big on your launches.

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So next year you will see

me going big on my launches.

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I think after two years of having

the more evergreen approach

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and on to really like it.

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I am excited and ready

to really grow my impact.

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Show up more.

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Help more people.

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As well as those two business coaches

this year, I've worked with Juliet

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Whyte who's a wellness practitioner.

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She does EFT and parts work

and lots of other work.

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So we've worked on some kind of deeper

emotional trauma type stuff with Juliet.

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I have worked with Nick Harris,

my coach for over four years

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now, he's an ICF MCC coach.

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And he constantly helps me to really

see the deep, meaningful reasons behind

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everything that happens in life, which

is usually related back to childhood.

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So I'm super lucky that he has helped me

to become a better coach and constantly

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helping me evolve on this journey.

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So I have invested personally, a lot

of money in my business and in myself.

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And I really do believe the best ever

investment you can make is in yourself.

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And it's paid off for me, tenfold.

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Whether that is getting the exact result

that I signed up for from the person.

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Or whether it is learning and growing

along the way, I really do think that

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there needs to be more responsibility

in terms of, if you're signing up for

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something you need to show up for it.

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And that's something that I definitely

take responsibility for and it's

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served me tenfold in my business

and the people I have worked with.

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In terms of clients I've

worked with 41 people in the

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business of coaching in 2023.

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I worked with 14 additional people

in my program offer to market.

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I worked with a few one-to-one clients.

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I have helped lots of people's through,

my free webinars and workshops that I run

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so if you've attended any of those, I hope

that they have been super helpful for you.

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My clients have achieved some

huge success stories this year.

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I'm super proud to have

been part of their journey.

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And I am so blessed with

the most amazing confident

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courageous women who I work with.

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So I have had all dream clients.

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And for that, I'm like, seriously blessed.

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In terms of habits and behaviors.

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This is the year when I've

noticed my hormones, the most,

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I will be 45 in a few months.

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And I'm most definitely dreading

certain times of the month now.

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And I think it's all ramping up.

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So that's a bit nerve wracking.

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Given the energy that it

takes to build your business.

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I haven't always made time for my walks.

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I haven't done my meditation

as much as I have in the past.

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So my health and really needs to

become a cornerstone for: 2024

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In terms of offers, I've kept it

super simple this year with offer

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to market running two times, I

think, and, my business of coaching

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program running all of the time.

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And I've run two in-person events.

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It's been wonderful to have a really

simple business model, although I'm

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excited to be launching a new program

in: 2024

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two or three maximum programs that I

offer because every single one is pretty

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much like a business in themselves

needing an entirely new marketing plan.

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And ideal client and all of the things.

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So I would still definitely

recommend keeping your

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business as simple as you can.

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In terms of sales and income.

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I've earned around 30,000

more than I did in: 2022

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I put that down to.

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showing up more, more consistently.

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Gaining help.

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So this is revenue, not profit.

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But for me, it's not really

about bringing in more money.

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It's about helping as many

people as I possibly can.

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So I'm competing against myself

hair, not against, the online

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world of sharing your finances.

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My three highlights of this year

is that it's been a year of growth.

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It's been a year of support, but

more is needed and it's been an

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incredible year of client wins.

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My three significant challenges were

that I have ended up building a business,

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which relies on my personal energy

rather than on systems and processes.

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I take on too much responsibility.

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So I think I need to be way

more challenging in: 2024

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Um, my final challenge is that I

still do a lot myself in my business,

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and I need to really start figuring

out how I can seamlessly hand things

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over so I can spend more time.

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Doing that work with my clients.

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In terms of my team.

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I've loved having Jo.

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My VA she's worked with

me for a long time now.

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We rarely have to speak because

she just knows what I want

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and she does it perfectly.

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So thank you, Jo.

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And Nicole, my social

media manager is amazing.

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She helps me be organized.

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I very rarely need to amend anything

that she drafts because she's

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got me, she's got my business.

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She created the most

beautiful coaches planner.

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If you haven't seen it yet, please

do look for the link in the show

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notes and you can download a editable

version or you can buy it on Amazon.

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And so pretty thanks to Nicole.

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I worked with Olga Getman for a short

while as my online business manager.

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It was only for a really short

while, but she made a super

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big impression in that time.

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I worked with Sophie on my Facebook ads.

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Which was wonderful to know that I had

someone just putting things out there.

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My word of the year for 2023 was Support.

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And I did seek out support this year.

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I have now my VA, social media,

manager, facebook ads person.

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I also sought out other coaches

like, I've talked about to really

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help me personally, on this journey.

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So my 2024 game plan, my

priority is to put my family at

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the heart of everything I do.

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To pin up, if I'm saying yes to

this, what am I saying no to?

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Because I do think that I am fully

invested in my clients and I always will

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be, but sometimes it does come at the

expense of my family because I'm extremely

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driven by wanting the best for my clients.

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Again, to really do that.

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I think what I will do is have

a more dedicated workplace.

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So I have a bit more divided

between my home and my work.

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This year, I'm intending to build a real

business that isn't based on my energy.

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So I do put a lot of energy

into everything I do.

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And I do think there are

areas that I can automate.

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For example, I create gifts for my clients

and I order them loads of different gifts.

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And then I buy the envelope and

then I get a personalised card and

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then I walk it to the post office.

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So there's lots of things I'm doing

currently that requires a lot of

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personal energy and there are ways

to systemize that love and care

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that I want to give my clients.

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So I really need to step into that in

: 2024

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level of service I want to give without

it being based on my personal energy.

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And my final priority for 2024 is to

launch a group program about how you

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can launch a group program, because

it's been the best thing I ever did.

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There is a particular.

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Way of launching a group program

and creating a program that gets

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results and creating a program

that creates amazing case studies.

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And so I, have done this myself genuinely

over the last two and a half years.

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And created a program

that people rave about.

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So I'm so excited to launch

that on the 11th of January.

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If you are interested, email me

at joanna@joannalottcoaching.com?

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That's Joanna with an a and Lott with two

T's, joanna@joannalottcoaching.com and

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ask me for the details of the business

of group coaching and I will send you

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a document with all of the details.

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My values and words of the year for 2024.

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So my main value is championing.

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So I've written here, both me,

them and them championing me.

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So I do a lot of championing

and I don't always allow myself

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to be championed in return.

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Fortunately, I have the most amazing

clients and people around me who do this

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and constantly remind me to allow it.

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So that is a real focus for me for 2024.

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And my other kind of businessy

type focus, I guess is CEO.

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So is this something a CEO would

do I want to constantly ask myself.

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I have this amazing woman

I love called Fabienne.

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So I'm going to genuinely start asking

myself what would Fabienne to, would

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Fabienne be creating the sales page or

would she be asking someone else to do it?

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So I'm hoping to really

step into Fabienne in: 2024

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And that CEO of my business.

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So I hope it was interesting to

hear someone else's reflection

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of their business and hopefully

some of the things I'm sharing you

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can take into your business too.

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If I've actually created my written

document by the time this episode goes

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live, I will share it in the show notes.

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Otherwise, you will find it on my website

before the year ends because I publish

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it every year and you can look back to

my previous ones and really notice the

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journey because I think it's really easy

to want it all and want it all now, and

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it's nice to sometimes see that it's taken

a really long time to get to this point.

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And to really notice the

milestones along the way.

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So I hope that was helpful to hear

the behind the scenes of my business.

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I cannot wait to see yours, so, if you

do a reflection, please do send it to me.

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I would love to see it.

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: 00:20:12

And it's the perfect thing to help

you to connect to your ideal client.

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And also to be able to look back

and see your progress along this

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journey of entrepreneurship.

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: 00:20:23

So thank you for joining me today.

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I appreciate you.

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I appreciate your time.

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: 00:20:28

And like, I always say, trust yourself,

believe in yourself and be the wise

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: 00:20:32

Gardner who keeps on watering the seed.

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: 00:20:35

Thank you so much for listening to this

episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

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: 00:20:47

That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

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joannalottcoaching.com.

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And I'll also put links in the show notes.

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: 00:20:56

Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

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: 00:20:59

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

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personally thank you for that.

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Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

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who keeps on watering the seed.

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: 00:21:12

Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.