EPISODE 018 | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY

I’m excited to share this episode with you, it’s a real shorty, as I know we are all busy at this of year. We're taking a step back to appreciate all that we have achieved and learnt this year. It's a moment to reflect on the lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the victories celebrated.

reflections

When we talk about growing a business, we often focus on strategies, plans, and tangible goals. But there's a less discussed, yet equally powerful tool at our disposal – reflection. Reflection isn't just about reminiscing or dwelling on the past. It's a strategic exercise, a moment of pause to acknowledge our journey, learn from our experiences, and recalibrate ready for the next steps and goals that we would love to achieve.

This past year, for instance, brought a lesson that resonated deeply with me. It was during a challenging project, where despite our best efforts, things weren't aligning as we had hoped.

Deadlines were tight, expectations were high, and honestly, the pressure was mounting. In this whirlwind, I recalled a classic Albert Einstein quote 'In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' This sparked a realisation – challenges are not just obstacles; they're catalysts for growth, innovation, and new perspectives.

So, we paused, we took a step back, and we re-evaluated our approach. It wasn't easy, but this shift in perspective allowed us to find creative solutions that were not apparent in the midst of the busy-ness. This experience wasn't just about completing a project successfully; it was a testament to the power of mindset and adaptability.

This lesson has since been a significant new focus and effectively a guiding light in our business approach, excitingly for much of what we will be sharing with you next year. It's shaped how we are tackling projects, how we interact with our students, and definitely how we are planning for the future. And this is the essence of reflection – it transforms experiences into wisdom, wisdom that becomes the foundation of both personal and business growth.

resilience

First up, resilience. This year has tested our resolve in ways we couldn't have imagined. But here's the thing about resilience – it's not about never falling; it's about learning how to rise every time we do. It is inevitable that we will come across obstacles that we hadn’t predicted, there will be situations that are out of our control, and hurdles which in the moment can completely floor us, and seem at that time, huge and insurmountable, but this is the thing with persistence, if we believe we are truly resilient and we focus on finding ways to overcome all these obstacles, to pick ourselves up and to not feel defeated …

adaptability

Then, there's adaptability. If resilience is our ability to withstand, adaptability is our natural ability to evolve.

This year, we've pivoted, we've innovated, we've transformed challenges into opportunities. The people who thrive are those who look at change and see possibility, who can turn a market fluctuation into a new business model or a customer complaint into a new service idea.

During our signature Masterclass this year, I shared story after story around the importance of adaptability, and how so often unique situations, often those situations that we may not see overly favourably at the time …

importance of community

And let's not forget the importance of community.

For all of us, our connection with others is our lifeline. Whether it's the supportive nod from a fellow business owner or the late-night brainstorming sessions with a mentor – for us, you, our community is our strength. It's the collective wisdom of our peers, the shared resources, the togetherness, all your comments, emails, questions, ideas and thoughts, this is what motivates us to do better.

As you reflect on your year, I would love you to consider these lessons:

How has resilience shown up for you?

In what ways have you adapted?

And how has your community played a part in your story?

Take a moment to think about these questions, and if you're willing, I would love to hear your reflections. You can send me an email at news@philippacraddock.com or contact me directly on Instagram.

making your goals actionable

First, let's talk about making your goals actionable. There is a well-known formula which can be followed to help you achieve your goals known as SMART, S-M-A-R-T, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. But let's add a new dimension to that – let’s make them 'SMARTER' by including Evaluate and Readjust. This allows for the flexibility and adaptability we've come to value.

If you go back to episode 003, I talk more about this strategy and the steps that will help you to focus and achieve your goals, and excitingly, I’ll be covering more on this exact topic in the next few podcast episodes, as I know it’s an area so many of us would love to focus on and follow proven methods and strategies, to really help us and ensure we take action, in practical and accomplishable ways.

Helping you though right now, here's a practical way to set your goals: Start with a broad vision, then break it down into smaller, manageable objectives. For instance, if your vision is to grow your business revenue by 20%, one of your objectives could be to increase your client base through targeted social media marketing campaigns. I appreciate that sounds overly simple, but actually, it can be as simple as that, it is all about understanding very specific goals and then creating significantly smaller steps, that work together and will lead you forward to achieve that larger goal.

The aim is not to create a mountain of goals that leaves you feeling overwhelmed. It's about having a focused direction. A tip here is to choose one goal to start with – your keystone goal. Ask yourself, 'Which goal, if achieved, will make everything else easier or unnecessary?' Start there.

As we approach the new year, take all the incredible learnings from all of this year's experiences and let them guide you in setting meaningful goals. And remember, goal-setting is an ongoing process. Regularly check in with yourself, evaluate your progress, and be willing to make adjustments. That's how we turn our reflections into the reality of success.

One of our biggest goals for next year is to really niche down on our target audience. There have been many learnings from this year and from all of them, this has been our biggest business learning. It’s so interesting as I look back, there have been so many pointers that for us, it is clear that this is the right thing for us to do, and I’m really excited for next year, as we put so much of what we have learnt into practice, and to be sharing so much more with you …

As we come to the end of this short, end of year episode, I’d love you to think about what you can gain from this episode. Reflecting on the lessons we've discussed today, what are the key takeaways that resonated with you? What goals are you setting for the year ahead? And please share them with me. Either as mentioned earlier on Instagram, or send your thoughts via email, news@philippacraddock.com

This isn't just about sharing for the sake of it; it's about building a collection of experiences that can inspire and guide us all. Every lesson you've learned, every objective you set is a potential light for someone else's path. And who knows? Your story might be the spark that ignites another entrepreneur's passion or the reassurance that they're not alone with their own ideas and thoughts.

So, take a moment, draft that comment, send that email. Let's celebrate our collective resilience, adaptability, and the strength of our community.

Before I sign off, I want to extend a heartfelt invitation to you all. We have new courses and Masterclasses coming out for you next year, many based on our learnings from this year, and I know they will be transformative. Each is being meticulously tailored to not just inspire you, but to equip you with the practical steps you need, to take your brand and your vision to the next level.

So, if you're ready to learn and stretch yourself, and really commit to your business growth in the coming year, read about all our offerings designed to fully support you and join one or more of the Waitlists, to be the first to hear the news of each of our Masterclasses.

You can also a series of free PDF guides within the Journal that are available for you to access and download. They are phenomenal guides and completely free, I have poured months of my time into them and I know you will gain a huge amount from them, from feeling confident about pricing, really understanding the value in your offerings, to identifying and building your own brand community and a superb quick guide, to help you become a copywriting pro and to help save you a significant amount of time. All of these guides follow steps and methods that I have learnt over the years, have successfully implemented and use on a day-to-day basis within my business.

I also share insights via our Thursday newsletters, which you can subscribe to. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, if you are not already, where you can find me most week days, answering questions and sharing relatable, actionable content that I hope will brighten your day and give you that gentle nudge to keep moving forward.

Let's keep the conversation going, let's keep learning from each other, and let's keep building businesses that not only thrive but also bring joy and fulfilment to our lives.

Your journey in entrepreneurship is a story worth telling, and I am here to listen, to support, and to cheer you on every step of the way. So, until next time, remember: your potential is limitless, and your future is bright.

With huge love,
Philippa x