Intuitive insights into founder struggles
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Posted: Wed 17th Aug 2022
Since a young age, I have had both business and spirituality as my two main interests, and it’s taken me a long time to realise that they can co-exist.
It doesn’t have to be one or the other, and leaning into my spirituality is a strength; it's not ‘crazy' or 'woo-woo’. Mixing business with intuition is what I am all about.
It doesn’t mean following a specific religion or dogma; it’s about recognising that building a brand that’s truly reflective of your wildest dreams involves a lot more than having business acumen. It takes a lot of self-work and breaking through limiting patterns that don’t serve you in order to wholeheartedly step into your power.
Having spent the last 16 years immersed in the beauty and wellness world, I've worked with 100s of founders. I'm here to guide you on how to weather the storms and lead authentically.
I’m also going to give you strategic insights that will help you successfully grow and scale your brand whilst giving you practical and intuitive directions to the problems you’re facing now.
As at the end of the day, what’s going to make this work is YOU, the founder. Most founders, when aligned with what they’re doing, are committed to themselves and what they’re bringing to the world thrive.
What’s been on my mind lately
What’s more apparent than ever is that it has never been easier to build a brand. This actually means that it’s never been harder to build a successful brand because so many people are doing it.
Now you can source your own ingredients, create products, do small runs, build your own website and launch online, all by clicking a few buttons. The actual route to market seems to be easier than ever before. In reality, while creating a brand can be easier, sustaining and growing one that stands out is a different story.
Let’s be realistic - the retail landscape is more competitive than ever. Omni-channel distribution has become more complex and expensive; you are now competing against every related brand for visibility online, and the team and resources you require for growth costs $$$.
So, if you don’t have a stellar cash flow, your own funds or investors supporting you, where do you even start?
Before you we get into the usual specifics assessing how you increase your organic growth or how you build a program that fosters loyalty, you need to look at where you’re putting most of your focus.
It’s very important to not do certain things when you’re building your brand.
One of the biggest hurdles I’ve seen founders face is when they have to move from an area they are comfortable into one where they are not.
Think going from product development to actually selling their product. Founders can get stuck in one specific area because that is where they are most comfortable. I totally get it as I’ve always been a founder.
I started my own distribution company in the Middle East when I was 21 and I had to wear all the hats you could think of before I was able to grow into a larger team. By wearing all of these different hats, I was able to find which ones I was comfortable wearing and more importantly which ones I was good at.
I also learnt that comfortable and successful do not always overlap! I’ve since transitioned into founding a consultancy but one thing that’s been a constant is that I am always learning new things all the time, and no matter how I may have resisted the next steps I couldn’t avoid them.
So, I totally understand how it feels when you have many different areas to get to grips with and you don’t always know which way to turn next.
Give your brain a rest!
It’s okay not to be good at everything straight away. No one is. Allow yourself to be open to learning new ways of doing things and more importantly to not being perfect at everything.
It’s scary when you have to move into the next phase of your business but it’s VITAL to know when it's time to shift your focus and get out of your comfort zone and move on to the next stage. So please don’t allow yourself to get stuck in one area like developing lots of new products when you could be selling the current ones you have.
Some of the most successful brands started with one or two fantastic products (think GOĒ OIL, Dr.PawPaw, Topicals), became visible, the sales followed and then the new product development came.
If shifting focus all sounds too difficult, know that you are not alone. We are the gatekeepers of our harmony. When you’re stuck in a loop or feel too close to your business, get out of your head and into your body.
Instead of tiring your brain out, stop, shut your laptop, put down your phone and allow yourself to take a breather. Then create some distance - go for a walk but do not listen to a business podcast or do anything that is business related.
A coffee with your phone while looking at Instagram definitely doesn’t count. If walking isn’t your thing, then exercise, dance, do any kind of movement, meet your friends or cook. Do anything that makes you stop thinking about work.
Getting out of your head, shifting your energy and preventing the exhausting overthinking that leads to analysis paralysis is vital to making decisions that are healthy for your brand and you.
Relevant resources
Connect with Catherine today for more superb business support.
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