To Sum It Up…

Looking back at 2016, there’s 3 lessons I’m taking away from this year and continuing to improve them in the New Year. Here’s a quick recap of what I’ve learned, and how I hope you can apply it to your business in 2017:

1. More and more I’m proving the importance of consistency to myself.

I’m sure you are just as tired of hearing about the importance of consistency as I am, but I just started doing it in 2016 and I can’t tell you want a difference it has made. For the last 6 months of the year I consistently emailed my list and not only has it improved my statistics (like open rates and clickthroughs) but also to my sense of running a “real” business.

I still have some consistency work to do in other areas of my business, but just taking the first step and doing something every week and making it a non-negotiable has made a huge deal to the results side and also to me in feeling like a business owner in that what I’m saying is valuable.

2. I gotta get out of the house more!

Being an online business owner I feel like I get so caught up in being in social media and being in our websites and attending webinars that I forget there’s this whole big world out there. I attended two live events in 2016, and not only was it great for networking, finding client leads and accountability partners, but its also about the energy infusion.

The energy of being around people, real live people who are trying to make a difference, who are doing the same thing that you’re doing, who are trying to make it work. The energy that you have when you come back home, when you’re on your own, and you’re sitting alone in your office again, you’re remembering that energy.

3. Change is (relatively) easy online.

I started this year as an online business manager. I’m leaving it as a launch strategist, and I will continue that path in 2017, but it wasn’t a difficult transition to say, “Hey, used to do this, and now I’m doing this.” It’s a relatively easy to make changes online. If there’s been something kind of itching around your current business model that isn’t serving you, or the topics your talking about no longer inspire you, change your business in 2017.

Take everything you’ve learned and just start changing what you’re talking about. Change the conversation. Change what you’re posting online, and start attracting new people who are interested in that. Don’t be afraid to change because it’s so easy online. Essentially, the flick of a button, or the change of a domain name and you could have a totally new business in 2017 that you’re inspired and excited about.

Your Turn

What is the #1 lesson you’re taking from 2016? Let me know in the comments below!

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Full Transcript

When I look back on 2016 it was a year of many big changes in my business. Most for the better, but obviously some lessons learned and things along the way that I want to definitely change in 2017, but in looking back and kind of doing some reflecting this month I did notice three really big things that helped me take my business to a new level this year, and so I wanted to share those with you in hopes that you’ve still got some room on 2017’s calendar to plug these in.

The first thing that I want to recommend to you is to be consistent, and I’m sure you are so tired of hearing that. I know that I was, but I wasn’t following through.

Even though I’d heard it a million times I wasn’t being consistent. I was emailing my list sporadically. I was hardly ever on social media because I had set myself up as a one-to-one service business, and I only needed four clients to keep the lights on.

I had the four clients, so I was like, “No need to communicate with my list. No need to find clients online,” but this was a huge mistake because when I decided that I was ready to create a leverage business model, or to even change was I was doing and needed more clients than just four then I was kind of in trouble.

I wish that I had been consistent from the beginning, and I probably would’ve had a list of who knows how many instead of just shy under a hundred after two years of online business. Consistency has been a really important to me in 2017, and I have consistently emailed my list. Whether it was a blog or not, I’ve emailed my list every day, every week for the last six months. I can see the results.

I have more responses from my list. I have higher open rates than I used to six months ago. I’ve got better click through rates, and it’s really helped me to just feel like I’m truly building a community and not just borrowing people’s time to read a blog post that I send them randomly once a month.

Consistency has been huge. I am not there everywhere yet. It’s definitely something that I need to work on still for social media and other marketing techniques to get leads and clients, but just taking the first step and doing something every week and making it a non-negotiable and really being consistent with my list has made a huge deal to the results side and also to me in feeling like a business owner in that what I’m saying is valuable.

The second lesson that I’m taking away is live events and how important it is to get out of my house. Being an online business owner I feel like we get so caught up in being in social media and being in our websites and being in chat rooms and attending webinars that we forget there’s this whole big world out there that is waiting for us, and there’s more people out there than just in this online world. In fact there’s tons of people who aren’t even online yet, but could totally use your services.

I went to two live events this year. I went to a Conquer Club Retreat with Natalie MacNeil. That was in Tulum, Mexico, and was wonderful. I also had the opportunity to go to Brendon Burchard’s Experts Academy this year, and that was also awesome. I got so many new contacts, and networking and mastermind buddies that it’s just been really wonderful. And its not just the fact that of meeting new people, I can’t tell you how much my energy shifted when I came home after attending a live event.

Even though it’s like a work vacation because your going somewhere and your traveling and that’s exciting, or can be stressful, and you meet new people and that’s exciting, but it’s really about the energy. The energy of being around people, real live people who are trying to make a difference, who are doing the same thing that you’re doing, who are trying to make it work. The energy that you have when you come back home, when you’re on your own, and you’re sitting alone in your office again, you’re remembering that energy. You’re remembering the levels. You’re remembering the people that you’re doing this for and with.

I would say if you’ve got any room in your calendar to add in a couple more live events, I know I hit two this year, I plan to hit four next year, and I hope to meet you at some of them.

Then the third and final takeaway that I want to leave you with at the end of 2016 is that change is easy. Relatively easy online. I started this year as an online business manager. I’m leaving it as a launch strategist, and I will continue that path in 2017, but it wasn’t a difficult transition to say, “Hey, used to do this, and now I’m doing this,” or, “Here’s my first launch offering at 197, and now my launch offering is 1,500.”

It’s a relatively easy to make changes online. You just got to let people know, and you got to be okay with some fall off, and you’ve got to be okay with some unsubscribes from the newsletter who might not be interested in your new topic, but if there’s been something kind of itching and burning, and current business model isn’t serving you, or the topics your talking about no longer inspire you, change your business.

Don’t quit. Just change it. Take everything you’ve learned and just start changing what you’re talking about. Change the conversation. Change what you’re posting online, and start attracting new people who are interested in that. It really doesn’t have to be so card and complicated, and you don’t need to get nervous about it because there’s billions of people online, and so there’s definitely going to be some who are interested in you whether you’re talking about the old stuff or you’re talking about the new stuff.

Don’t be afraid to change because it’s so easy online. Essentially, the flick of a button, or the change of a domain name and you could have a totally new business in 2017 that you’re inspired and excited about.

I hope that these tips from what I learned this year have been helpful to you, and I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

What’s the number one thing you’re taking away from 2016 and is your biggest lesson learned in business?

I hope that you have a wonderful new year, and I look forward to seeing you in 2017.