Busy bees with no hon-NEY...β
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I see WAY too many business owners operate on a calendar that is full of busy and short on business.
It is SO easy to sit down at your laptop and do things like:
-Rewrite your About page for the fourth time.
-Research a new tool that a stranger online said changed their life.
-Try a new marketing strategy because the last one didn't work (after 10 days).
-Post because the algorithm says so.
None of it's wrong, per se... but most of it just doesn't actually move the needle.
And listen, I'm not immune, ok? My ADHD brain loves a shiny side quest. (My inbox is FULL of logins to courses and PDFs I forgot about. π¬)
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What works for me is structure: a full calendar, filled only with things that earn their spot. For Q4, that's three things:
- Revenue-driving activities: the conversations and offers that actually bring in clients.
- Relationships: nurturing my network and the communities I've built and I have become a part of over the years.
- My current clients: those who have entrusted me to help them with their messaging, website copy, and email nurture sequences.
If you're looking at Q4 right now and thinking, "where the FUDGE did 2026 go, and how can I still have my best year yet?"...
π Then try this: look at next week's calendar, look at every block of time that's not actual client work, and ask yourself: "Does this bring me closer to a client, or does it just make me *feel* productive?"
Ask that question HONESTLY, and you'll notice some things on your plate don't just need to move. They need to completely disappear. π»
Which brings me toβ¦
Good at it β supposed to be doing it
One of the most painfully expensive mistakes I've personally made is holding onto something for too long just because I'm good at it.
And unfortunately, I'm also one of those people who has to feel passion about what she does... or else I crumple up and die on the inside. β°οΈ
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It SUCKS sometimes, Reader. It really does.
Like why can't I just be satisfied with sitting behind a desk and a chair and a laptop??!??
Anyway, there are a few things I've gotten really good at over the last few years, and, well...
I'm giving them a break. For reasons mentioned above. π
One of those things is my podcast, Do What You Want! It's fun to record, but I don't have the time to edit it and promote it myself anymore.
Could I pay someone to do that for me? Sure. But that's not where I want to invest my funds at the moment.
So I'm wrapping it up at the end of this year. But the beauty of a podcast? Why, it's long-form content that sticks around after the last episode is published! (As long as I keep paying BuzzSprout, ha!)
The second thing is my services: I'm shutting down about 90% of my copywriting & messaging services, and replacing it with one new offer. (More on that in a sec!)
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βDo you have too many things on your plate right now? β
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π Try this: Go through every offer, platform, and project on your plate and ask three questions:
- Does this bring in revenue or strengthen a relationship that matters?
- Does it feel natural, or am I forcing it?
- If I were starting from scratch today, would I want to build this?
Two or more "no"s? It's time for a pause, a pivot, or a see ya never!I
Once you know what's staying (and going), the next question is how to build what's next.
That's where most people get tripped (myself included β again. π¬)
I know the pattern all too well. (Please tell me I'm not alone...)
You get an idea for an offer, you think it's brilliant, you think PEOPLE WILL LOVE THIS...
You get excited, you build the thing you think people need, and you announce it before the idea has even cooled off...
Then you wonder why it's crickets in your cart. π¦
If you've struggled with getting people to invest in your services/offers this year, please know you're not the only one.
I've been talking to soooo many coaches, consultants, and fellow service providers who feel like AI has swooped in and made getting business harder than it used to be.
But two things can be true at once...
π The market has been a tough cookie to crack for the last couple of years, *and* there are people having successful years in their business. π€·ββοΈ
So much of their success boils down to being good at listening. Listening to what people say they need, listening to the language they use to explain their problems... and listening to them en masse.
So before you build your next great offer, be sure to talk to the people you want to serve.
Listen for the words they use to describe their problem, because they'll almost never name the solution. They'll name the symptom... and you need to understand what those specific symptoms are so you can understand and create your offers with empathy.
After enough conversations, you'll notice a theme (and you'll slap your palm on your forehead because it will feel so obvious and you'll wish you did this eons ago)!
This is exactly what I did before building my next offer.
And I'm so PROUD of myself, Reader. π Instead of announcing my offer the second I had the framework in my head, I talked to business owners, consultants, coaches, and creatives about what they actually need... not what I assumed they needed.
I'm so excited to soon offer The Sounding Board to coaches, service providers, and small business owners who are tired of analysis paralysis, decision fatigue, and running their business in a silo.
I'm keeping the details close to my chest for now, but here's what I can tell you:
It's one-on-one, it works on your schedule, and it's for the business owner who's brilliant at what they do and ready to stop making every big call alone.
Think of it as a strategist in your back pocket...
An objective listener to hear you out or help you verbally process...
A second set of eyes to look at your offers, website, emails...
And an accountability partner who won't be your baby-sitter, but will make sure you're not getting sidetracked and that you're staying true to your goals. β€οΈ
The official offer isn't out there yet, but the waitlist is! β
Waitlisters hear everything first: what's inside, when it opens, and how to grab one of the very limited first-round seats when I launch it into the world.
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In the meantime, I'd love to know: what are you proud of accomplishing so far this year? Hit reply and let me know!
-Rachael
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