What I’m investing in this year.

For most of last year, I was working with a business coach and mentor. It was a significant investment in the business (and in me) and one that I’m really happy I took. Here’s what I learned:

1. I felt held in my business and had somewhere to go when I felt frustrated, stuck and uncertain. It was good to have someone who ‘got it’ and who could ask insightful questions to get me thinking - and importantly incite action!

2. I really like a mix of group coaching/mentoring and 1:1 coaching. It’s so useful to hear other people facing similar challenges and I was grateful for the support and cheerleading.

3. I grew my network and got to know people I wouldn’t have normally met. People from in and outside arts, culture and education. All ambitious women running businesses and happy to talk about money without it feeling like a dirty word.

4. I got further along than I would have on my own. I know I’m capable and resourceful. I can figure stuff out. But sometimes it’s quicker to work with someone who can point you in the right direction and offer you tools and templates so you don’t have to start completely from scratch.

5. When things didn’t work - which inevitably happens - I had a coach and a peer support network to help me see what worked and what didn’t, and where I could tweak things. They helped me to stay accountable to myself and not give up, or hide at the first sight of trouble!

After a year working with my business coach, I decided that I would go it alone for a bit so when she asked me if I’d like to continue working with her, I said no. My plan was to take everything I learned and keep going with it. To rinse and repeat as it were, but without the external support.

I quite like choosing a word for the year. 2022’s word for ‘joy’ and for 2023 I’m going with ‘slow’. I use it as a reminder of what I learned from last year and what I want more of. I’m an ideas person and a do-er. I like to be moving forward, trying and testing. This doesn’t mean overworking for me (I’m pretty boundaried) but it does mean I sometimes skim over things and rush through without taking the time to go deeper and focus on what I already have and offer.

But having had almost two months now without a coach/mentor, I’ve definitely noticed gaps in my support system and know that I need that support if I want to grow my business in a ‘slow’ way.

I’m looking into what to invest in this year.

I’ve already booked on to a business retreat in June where I get some coaching and time to think away from the day-to-day, and to hang out with other business owners (and be cooked for - bliss!).

I’m also focusing on my physical and emotional health this year so am going to pay for some support around that as well as invest much more time and energy in it.

I’m growing my peer network too. I’m about to re-launch the EMCC’s Kent Network with my friend and colleague Katherine Powell (check the details here if you’re a coach living/working in Kent). I have my regular supervision for my coaching too of course.

But, and I know I’m biased, there’s nothing like having your own coach - it’s an integral part of my business eco-system!

How about you? What support will you invest in this year? What will you invest time, money and energy in?

If you’d like a business coach and mentor to work with you, I might just be your woman (and if I’m not, I can recommend other coaches too). Book a call here

Here’s what my wonderful client Emma King, museum consultant says about working with me on Lasting Impact programme:

I’ve learned a lot from working with Sarah and I think the main ways she’s helped have been through insight, perspective, and encouragement.

Insight - Sarah is intensely curious about all aspects of personal and business development and has researched a vast range of tools and techniques. The programme has helped me unpick some of the issues I’ve been struggling with and then guided me towards practical resources that have helped me do things differently.

Perspective - Sarah brings a calm external eye that has given me a different way of thinking about problems. She’s great at asking pertinent questions that have helped me to take a problem-solving approach to perceived barriers and given me a more constructive take on what I’d perceived as failings or weaknesses.

Encouragement - Sarah has masses of empathy and doesn’t pretend to be a perfect human being which I find really reassuring! She is honest about the challenges she faces in her own business and realistic about the pressures that her clients are working under. She genuinely cares about the people she’s working with and understands the issues that come with working in the arts and creative industries - especially the tendency to overcommit, overdeliver, and prioritise others at the expense of our own needs. I always come away from a call with Sarah feeling better about myself and my business and encouraged to take the next step.

If you’d like support to do things differently, book a 15 min call with me HERE