Over the past four years, Jo has made it a tradition to document her entrepreneurial journey through annual reviews. These honest reflections, sharing both the highs and lows, are a wonderful thing to look back on.

2023 was a pivotal year for Jo, centered around one core goal: Embracing more support. It was a year of significant growth and learning, and there may be a lot in her journey that could resonate with or inspire you.

Reflection on behind the scenes (00:00:42)

Reflection on the behind the scenes of Jo's business in 2023, including connecting with people on LinkedIn and consistent posting.

The framework (00:01:28)

Covering the framework used for reflection.

What went well (00:02:44)

Successes of Jo's business in 2023, including delegating the connection process, consistent email list management, and launching the podcast.

Client Success Stories and Achievements (00:11:13)

Jo discusses the number of clients she has worked with and highlights the success stories and achievements of her clients.

Simplifying Business Offers and Increasing Income (00:12:30)

Jo talks about keeping her business model simple and the success of her offers. She also mentions earning more income compared to the previous year.

Priorities for 2024: Family, Work-Life Balance, and Systemizing Business (00:16:03)

Jo shares her priorities for the upcoming year, including putting her family first, achieving a better work-life balance, and systemising her business to reduce reliance on personal energy.

Useful Links

Read the full blog of my Annual Review 2023 and the previous year's reviews

Attend the live free planning workshop on 14 December

How to secure more coaching clients' free training

Download the 12 ways to get clients now

Learn about The Business of Coaching programme

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

If you’re kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.com

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Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

2

I'm so glad you are here.

3

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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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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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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And like, I always say, trust yourself,

believe in yourself and be the wise

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Gardner who keeps on watering the seed.

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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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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.

335

Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

336

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

337

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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Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.