The Real Deal Digest Issue No. 24

Spoiler alert: it did not end well. 😂

It was an honest, unintentional mistake, but...

Yikes.

More on that in a bit. 🫠

September's around the corner, which means it's reflection time!

See, September has always been my "real" New Year.

Sure, my birthday happens at the beginning of the month (hello if you're a fellow Virgo! 👋), but the main reason I think this way is because I spent 15 years as a school teacher.

My internal clock is WIRED to the school year. Summer begins to wind down and I can't help but look back at the year from September-August. This is when I reflect, reset, and decide what's next.

And this year... whew. There is a LOT to unpack.

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Sooooo let's just say I learned some lessons the hard way. 😬

In this week's edition of The Real Deal Digest:

🎒 Why September is the real New Year (and how to give yourself a clean slate without the green juice cleanse)

😵‍💫 How to stop booking coffee chats like you're in a LinkedIn speed-dating NIGHTMARE

🌱 The "plant fewer seeds, grow better fruit" approach to building relationships (aka how not to burn out while networking)

For most of the year (Sept-Aug), I had retainer clients that kept things... comfy.

And while "comfy" sounds great, it also meant I wasn't e x p a n d i n g.

My head was sooooo buried in client work, which left zero energy for meeting new people or getting into bigger rooms with bigger dreamers.

My marketing efforts also halted—and because I was also undercharging—I burned out quickly.

When those retainers wrapped up in May, I had to lie down in an uncomfortable bed I had made:

I hadn't been planting seeds in the places I wanted to go.

(Okay, so maybe this is a metaphorical garden bed??)

In all seriousness, from September-March, I was doing the bare minimum when it came to networking... because I didn't have the capacity. 🤷‍♀️

So as spring approached, I overcorrected. HARD. (Whoops!)
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I started booking a SH*T-ton of one-on-one calls, trying to meet as many people as possible. Opening myself up to everyone and anyone. Saying yes to every "pick your brain?" invite. Letting friends connect me to "just one more" person they thought I should meet.

It. Was. Exhausting.

☝️ And that's not because I wasn't enjoying myself (I was!). Or that I didn't care about the people I was meeting (I do!).

I just forgot that energy is a finite resource.

When you spread yourself too thin, you don't have the bandwidth left to truly connect with the humans who are most aligned with you.

(Ahh... alignment! Another topic I could go on and on about.)
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So what did I actually learn by mid-summer?
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👉 That running around booking coffee chats like I was speed-dating for LinkedIn... does not work. 😂

I didn't need more coffee chats. I need the right ones.

Personally, this had been tough for me to navigate because I'm a human-first person who LOVES connecting with others. I enjoy hearing about peoples' stories and if I can help, I want to.

I also get major FOMO and trust the judgment of my peers—so if they think I should meet someone, well... then I want to meet them! 😁

But I realized I wasn't managing my time and energy very well.

I had this lightbulb moment while reading Rich Relationships by Selena Soo this summer (which I highly recommend if you've ever found yourself "network-tired").

That book gave me a much-needed reset, and a beeYOOtiful reminder that networking is not about saying yes to everyone.

It's about protecting your energy so you can actually show up for the people who are aligned with you.

(Ah, there's that word again!)

So as I approach my 40th birthday (eeeeek!), I've decided to no longer chase every invite. I'm choosing to show up with intention and most importantly, with the ability to hold space for each person I meet.

(Probably won't be perfect about this but hey, that's the human experience for ya!)

What about you? Curious to know if you use the end of summer to reflect on your business like I do. Are you heading into September with some new lessons learned? Hit Reply and give me the deets! I love learning from each other. :-)

TTFN,

Rachael

P.S. This summer, I also set a slightly bananas goal for myself: Book 30 speaking gigs in 90 days. (What was I thinking??) In next week's issue of The Real Deal Digest, I'll spill the tea on how it's going. But if you'd like a sneak peek, you can catch some of the scoop in this LinkedIn post.​

P.P.S. I have two slots available for website projects in September. Interested? Apply to work with me.​

Stuff That's Currently Helping Me Stay Sane:

The links right above this paragraph may contain affiliate links, which means that this small business owner *points to self* gets a little itty bitty commission if you decide to buy the thing you see after you click on the link. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps me out a smidge. Thanks for your support!

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