I’ve been learning to surf on and off now for about 2 years.

I love being in the water but haven’t been able to commit to the consistency because of a few pesky injuries.

The last 6 months my body has been feeling really strong and fit and I’ve committed to consistently just getting out in the water and practicing.

No stress or frustration about the outcome. I don’t care whether I catch 1 wave or 10. I don’t care whether I fall off or stand up. 

Just committed to the process of practicing, being the learner & enjoying the journey.

And this morning a bunch of stuff just clicked. And it became really fun.

I’m by no means a pro surfer or catching 6 foot barrels 😂 But I could really see the compounding effects of just turning up every day and putting the work in.

The same is true for business.

We often want the outcome to be immediate or that any effort we put in will be guaranteed to pay off.

Unfortunately neither is true for business.

We put so much pressure on ourselves for th...

Here we are! The start of a new year.

I hope you had an incredible break and are excited about the year ahead and its opportunities for you and your business. 

Ever wondered why this is the only time of the year that most are actually setting goals, thinking about the changes they’d like to make and what they want their future to look like?

For some - it’s because it’s a new year, new me, this year will be different etc etc blah blah…

But for most - it’s because you’ve actually had a decent holiday and you’ve actually allowed yourself to relax and think about something else apart from the looming deadlines every week and the pressure of having to deliver all the time. 

There’s a reason why your best ideas come to you when you’re in the shower, at the beach, on a bush walk - or on holidays.

It’s because you’ve actually stepped out of the logical, get stuff done part of your brain and have allowed the creative side of your brain to step forward and have its say.

So why then, do we...

Wow, what a super interesting year! Right?!

If you're like a lot of the engineering industry right now you're still madly running around trying to get things finished and wrapped up before the Christmas break. 

Things work wise are likely to be quite intense and busy right up until Christmas this year and then you'll be jumping right into family get togethers, parties and the holidays which also can be quite full on.

Today I'd like to remind you that it's incredibly important for you to create some space in all of the craziness and intensity of work and life to really reflect and evaluate the year you've just had.

Before you can look to 2024 and the year ahead, it is so important to evaluate the year that’s just gone - including its successes, failures, lessons and themes - before you think about next year and your goals and how you want things to be different. 

You really want to understand what happened this year, why it happened and how to improve for next year.

I'm now going ...

Are you feeling the weight of your business resting solely on your shoulders? Are you stuck in the never-ending cycle of constant decision-making and firefighting, leaving little time for your businesses growth and strategic vision? If this sounds all too familiar, you might actually be the bottleneck hindering the growth of your business.

The Bottleneck Conundrum:

It's a natural evolution for a business owner to initially be the sole decision-maker and driving force behind every aspect of the company. However, as your business expands, clinging to this control actually starts to hold you back. Whether it's the fear of letting go, the need for perfection, or the desire to be at the centre of everything, being this bottleneck is stunting your business's potential.

As a business owner, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that only you can ensure that everything is of the highest quality & that everything needs to come through you. The truth is - this mentality leads to burnou...

Well here we go - we're into the run into Christmas! What a year!

What I notice at this time of the year is that leaders and business owners start to get complacent and take their foot off the pedal.

It’s been a hard and full on year - I know. But if you want to finish this year strong AND set the start of your 2024 up right - then you have to keep going.

This is where consistency matters.

It’s the little things you do every day that really matter and allow you to build momentum - and momentum generates results!

Watch and listen for those little voices in your head that tell you things like:

• “It's been a hard year - just take the rest of the year slowly.”
• “Don't worry about following up that client / proposal / opportunity - leave it until the new year.”
• “I can't be bothered having that hard conversation with a team member or client - I'm tired and don't want the angst.”

Use your calendar to your advantage here. This way you are physically creating the time and the space i...

I used to be amazing at delaying, procrastinating, justifying and not taking action on the big things that I logically knew would move my business forward.

Seems weird thinking about it now because doing those very things has single-handedly been the reason behind my business growing 5x this year.

As I look back on this year (and we’re not quite done yet), it’s incredible to think that we’ve now helped 50+ business owners grow their revenue, shape their business plans and their goals for their businesses future, gain the confidence they need to take their business to that next level as well as meet and make friends with a whole bunch of other incredible business owners along the way.

There is a saying “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today.”

This is a mantra that I constantly remind myself with when I find myself delaying, procrastinating or putting off taking action on those (in my head) scary and big things that I know will move my business...

It’s that time of year again, the busy frantic rush into Christmas. When all of your clients want everything delivered before the break, and you and your team are starting to feel the pinch of another big year.

Everyone is gunning for that finish line, the Christmas break. The time when our whole industry stops and everyone can actually pause, relax and reset.

Most business owners are the same - trying to do everything to keep things together until the Christmas break when they can fall in a heap and do nothing for a bit - and think about next year, in the new year.

That’s a big mistake.

The time to think about the new year is now. The time to plan effectively for 2024 is now. 

Because if you don’t think about and plan for next year now and you wait until you come back from the Christmas break, you’re already two months behind.

So yes, I know it’s busy now. I know you’re tired and craving that break, but honestly the best time to plan for and map out 2024 is now.

Because if you ...

Are you stuck in the never-ending cycle of being the technician in your business? 

It's a common part of the journey that all of us experience when we start our own businesses. You're wearing all the hats & handling every aspect of your business - from winning the work to delivering the work, to admin, HR, marketing, operations etc - and it can sometimes feel like a hamster wheel.

But here's the deal – in order for your business to grow, you'll need to make the time to step out of the technician business owner mindset and into the entrepreneurial business owner mindset. You’ll need to focus on controlling the resources, not being the resource.

Regardless of whether you're a single person business owner or running a $10 million per year consultancy, the goal is the same: shift your thinking from the technician business owner to the entrepreneurial conductor. You want to be the one shaping the vision, guiding your team, and orchestrating the path to success, not stuck in the daily gri...

When I first started my business - I set out to work with as many clients as I could.

I wanted to help as many people as my weeks would allow, & I thought that by working with anyone & everyone - this was the quickest way to business success.

How wrong I was.

So off I went, working with and taking on any client that would work with me.

Years passed.

One day I looked up and I realised that I was super unhappy - running around trying to please and help everyone - but feeling empty inside.

I was doing great work - but at the cost of everything else.

I was having an impact - but if I was being honest, some of the clients I was working with weren’t right for me.

And so…

What I came to realise, is that in order to build a business that is truly successful to me (not anyone else… to me) - I can't work with everyone.

I fact, I don't want to work with everyone.

So I changed who I was working with.

Now I'm really selective about who I take on and who I don’t.

I only work with client...

One of the hardest decisions of my life was stepping into my coaching business full time.

Not because I was worried about failing or that it wouldn’t work out. It was because I was leaving behind that level of safety and security that I’d come to rely on for nearly 2 decades of my career prior.

I have a family, 2 x kids, a mortgage and I was honestly worried about letting them down.

When we’re faced with big decisions, our brain will always err on the side of caution because it’s designed to keep us safe.

But keeping us safe - also keeps us small.

And I didn’t want that either. I never want to go through life thinking about all the ‘maybes’ and ‘should haves’.

I want to lead and show my family, my clients and our incredible industry what’s possible when you pursue what you want.

Fast forward - I have a thriving business, I get to work with incredible clients every day and I get to help them shortcut the process and build and grow incredible businesses.

It was honestly one the o...