Following the seasons in my business and life helps me feel aligned and not like I’m swimming upstream!
December brings a slowing down of pace and the want to spend time reflecting and assessing 2025.
As we look back at life through the months, I’d like to share 12 learnings from the last 12 months of 2024.
1. Health really is wealth
I had an awful back to back bout of tonsillitis at the end of Spring and ended up in hospital. It was the kick I needed to really focus on my health and prioritising myself (which is pretty difficult when you have 2 young kids and run a business). I’ve tried to cut out the majority of ultra-processed foods (although my daily choc ain't going anywhere), strength train and pilates min 4 days a week and I’m OBSESSED with my oura ring to track pretty much everything.
It’s taught me that I am my most important asset in my business.
2. I’ve become much more aware of my perfectionism
I didn’t always associate myself as a perfectionist, mainly because I’m happy some of the time to rush things out to get them off my plate. However, where my perfectionism does show up is around wanting to do the best job possible for clients, going over and above to solve their problems. Which ends up with overworking and slippage of boundaries.
It’s been really tricky to not get embroiled in solving these issues during programmes and instead using the evaluation and feedback phase to present the data and information with recommendations on next steps.
3. My babies are only babies for so long
With my eldest starting school this September, it has really highlighted how fast time goes and that in 2 years time I will have 2 school age children. There were parts of the year where I could have really done with more child free time to work. But what I have done in those moments is been ruthless with prioritisation (the things I’d like to do are always the hardest to de-prioritise) and remind myself that before I know it I will be in the next cycle of parenthood.I cherish and I’m so grateful for the days I have with my youngest - and never wavering on my ‘why’ and drivers for running this business in the first place.
4. Mindful moments
Sep - Nov I worked 3 school days (unless in F2F all day training or coaching delivery) and let me tell you, school days are. Not. Long. Enough. As soon as I got in from the school run, I inhaled my breakfast and worked solidly until 2.45pm.
Reader, this was not effective or efficient.
I am not a machine, so why was I treating myself as one?
What I started to do was incorporate small mindful moments into my day - walking round the block, reading my book for 10mins, doing a 30min yoga nidra at lunchtime. What I’ve found over time (back to my oura ring), is my stress levels aren’t constantly as high and I am seeing more restorative moments. I also find myself getting less overwhelmed.
5. Diversity, equity and inclusion is more important than ever - but the term doesn’t work
This is an ongoing learning, but in a world where big companies are shutting down their DEI divisions (I’m looking at you Microsoft) and there seems to be less focus or drive externally, there continues to be challenges and blockers for company growth which comes back to the diversity, equity and inclusion of their workplace.
DEI has become ‘othered’, seen as a separate pillar, when in order to get the value and impact - these principles need to become embedded in the DNA of the culture. The golden thread that runs through organisations and enables high performing behaviours which ultimately leads to growth and differentiation. And I think the perception of it is a blocker.
I continue to explore the angle and messaging around this and would love to chat to anyone who has cracked this code in their organisations!
6. Sometimes it’s difficult to decipher between intuition and fear
I’ve been on a bit of a spiritual journey this year - following the lunar cycles and using tools to connect to my intuition (vs relying on external perspectives as we’ve always been taught to as women). Sometimes it can be really difficult to determine if the nerves I am feeling are just fear of something new or something scary vs my intuition telling me something.
7. Benefits of investing in support
This year I have hired an advisor/coach, a manager and support team and other specialties and I can’t tell you the difference it has made.
Running a business can be lonely and for an over-achiever like me, it’s very easy to overload myself with responsibility - being able to share that has been wonderful.
Having a team to discuss my ideas with, challenge my thinking, allow me the space to reflect and grow has been integral to the business success that I’ve seen this year.
No (wo)man is an island after all.
8. Importance of connections with other female founders
No one understands running a business like other female founders and especially fellow female founder Mums.
Over the years I’ve created a network of women from all different walks of life - that are walking the hard path of being a female entrepreneur. In a world (sadly) created by and for men. Where if women started and scaled businesses at the rate of men - they would add 250 billion to the economy (!!).Running and scaling this business is my absolute passion. I am so proud of 2017 me who had the dream of leaving the corporate world and started making a plan to ensure it happened. But it also takes up ALOT of my thoughts and after kids it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. So to chat through the highs and lows with people who get it, is priceless.
9. I’ve leant into the hardest part of running a business
Sales is always something I didn’t want to focus on. I didn’t feel that I had the skills to be a sales person. However, iin order to grow and scale a business, you have to sell.
So, I sought help and support from a sales coach. Created a plan and a process. Tested it. Got someone to use AI to automate parts of it. Got my team to help me track and remain on it.
The result? I’ve created something I can really get behind, plus I’ve connected with and worked with businesses that I wouldn’t have, had I not done this work.
Know what your biggest challenges are in your business, so when you feel ready, you can seek the help you need to overcome.
10. We should all have phases to our lives and careers
I mentioned above that I am trying to live and run my business more cyclically.
Because we can’t be ‘on’ the whole time.It’s funny how quickly I adapted to the school cycle. I felt so ready for a break at October half term - even though I only had an extra day off work. As I enter December and we are fully in Winter - I am slowing things down slightly. Using the time to finalise things, reflect and assess before taking a good chunk of time off work. I hope you can do the same too.
11. Embrace the quiet periods
It can be really difficult to do this as a business owner but as the business becomes more seasoned in the B2B space I am much more used to the cycles.
Summer is often quieter for EBC (although this year it was when I began running a big leadership programme for a global company), so I scheduled extra days off work or away from my desk. The beach is my creative space.
12. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should
If I put my mind to most things, I can make progress. And I know that is a huge strength in my world, where there is value in problem solving and creative solutions.
I have SO many big plans for the business and myself but I am (constantly) learning to:
Go easy on myself.
Take things at a slower pace.
Appreciate where I am and how far I’ve come.
Create solid foundations to pivot from.
I hope you can take some time over December to reflect on your biggest learnings from the year. Utilising these as data points, to learn, evolve and grow from.
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