Catch up on some related episodes:

I haven't been honest with you: A pivot like no other

Today’s talking points:

I’m running through the 6 most common problems I’ve seen clients struggle with in their business. Work through these and you’re set for business success.

Find out about The FOCUS Experience!

Buckle up, because we’re going to talk about the elephant in the room in terms of what could be holding you back from reaching your next milestone in business.

Last time I really spoke about what is possible for you when you implement my FOCUS Operating System into your business.

But I also think it’s important as your Mentor, to meet you where you’re at.

The FOCUS Operating System has been created based on the 6 most common problems I’ve seen clients struggle with in their businesses.

I’m going to walk you through each one, how these might manifest in your business PLUS how to solve each one using a component from the FOCUS Operating System.

It’s going to be a good one!

common PROBLEM #1 - focus (or lack of)

Let's start with the first problem: focus. It’s all about knowing what to focus on, sticking to that one thing, organising your time around it, and making the most out of everything.

Usually, when there is a problem in your business, or an issue that keeps repeating itself, or you are hitting the ceiling over and over again, it comes back to the vision. Everything connects to your business vision, where you want to go, and how you plan to get there. Without this piece, nothing else works.

Recently, one of my client’s experienced this. We had a call after mapping out her new office and planning her book launch. But she felt confused and heavy instead of excited. We realised her business vision had changed. So, we scaled back her offers, simplified her business, and she got clear on her short-term and long-term plans. She feels so much better now because she’s focusing in one direction.

To really solve this, it’s not just about fixing the immediate issue. Usually, there’s a bigger issue at play—lacking a clear vision. I urge you to sit down and define who you are, what you do, and where you want to go. Knowing these key pieces helps you simplify your product suite, set clear goals, create a focused marketing strategy, and align your schedule—all based on your vision.

Remember, your vision isn’t just about you. It has to be about something bigger. Once you nail down your vision, you’ll make better decisions that build a long-lasting business.

Many clients think they know their vision until we dive into the specifics, and things get blurry. If you don't know your core values, lack of clarity can hinder your growth. Without a core focus, distractions and shiny objects can sabotage what you've built, causing fading passion and losing sight of why you're in business.

common PROBLEM #2 - time management

Now, let's move on to problem number two: managing time, schedules, and all the things.

This problem has two parts: schedules and routines, and processes. I'll walk you through both next.

Let’s talk processes first, though. Processes are the most neglected, undervalued area of a business. They’re taken for granted so much. And usually, it's because we approach them from the wrong viewpoint. Not prioritising processes in our business costs us time, money, efficiency, and control. It’s also about admitting that your business could be running better. So many of us are worried about seeing bad things in our business because it makes us feel like we're doing something wrong. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you raise your head from time to time to see it, which is what I encourage my clients to do in our implementation sessions across my different programs.

What’s magical about processes is that we often want someone to hand us a process—a copy-paste blueprint. We’re always looking for the way to do something, the way that will make everything better and feel like we’ve cracked the code. But it’s actually your own unique processes that make up your way.

Now let’s move on to time, routines and schedules. I know you feel that being too planned out doesn’t work for you, but being too flexible can affect how you show up for your goals. I want you to use your schedules and routines as guides, not anchors. They are not meant to keep you stuck. Habits and routines make up the foundation of your schedule, and it's important to make them work for you. There's a middle ground. Most of my clients operate from that middle ground and are getting better results than ever. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I used to talk about time blocking a lot, but now, especially since becoming a mum, I focus on energy-aligned time blocking. We don’t want to plan out our week with random blocks of time for different tasks without considering the energy required for each. Being mindful of the energy you put into each task and how that looks over your week will allow you to work smarter.

You can also shift and change your schedules and routines from season to season, or even more often as your energy and priorities change. In the Focus Experience, we'll create a weekly outline, almost a skeleton of your week. I use an A week/B week system—Week A is my call week, Week B has no calls. Your weeks can look different based on what you need.

common PROBLEM #3 - marketing & sales

Which brings us to the third part of the focus operating system: mapping out your marketing and sales plan.

I'm going to give you a saying here that might not seem relevant, but it will be as we go through this:

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

Most of us, when we start our businesses—especially if you’re in the coach, mentor, or service provider space—tend to try to be all things to all people. So many of my clients did that. I did exactly the same. If you carry on down that road, you become more and more frustrated, and the business becomes less profitable. Early on, it can be helpful to go down that route to an extent, but it only gets us so far. It doesn’t get us to the next level.

You need a marketing and sales strategy, and it needs to be focused. We waste so much time and even money on investments and inconsistent marketing messages because we fail to establish a clear marketing and sales strategy from the outset. The intention here is for you to master and have a sharp focus for your sales and marketing efforts. When you do this and generate more sales, you hit your income goals. This allows you to meet other milestones and big desires that you want. This is also how you stand out in a sea of sameness.

common PROBLEM #4 - Sticking to the plan

Problem number four, is sticking to the plan. This relates to the fourth part of the focus operating system, which is method.

We knew this was coming. We all struggle with this.

Sticking the plan that is going to keep you safe, focused, and on track. It’s going to help you kick procrastination to the curb. You will understand the small steps you need to take. Your quarterly goals will then tell you what you need to do each month and each week so you can make progress and get results week by week, month by month. You’ll never have to play catch-up because you’ll be working with your energy and your projects. You’ll know exactly what you are doing and you’ll be moving further ahead. There’ll be no room to overthink because you’ll have everything planned out.

We know this already. Don't wait. This is all about your ability to create accountability and discipline and then execute. Honestly, this is the area of greatest weakness for most business owners. So if I asked you to rate your level of accountability on a scale of one to ten, what would that look like?

I can already think of some examples. A conversation I had with a client the other day—we were creating her a new weekly structure, focusing on the micro part of the focus experience. She said, "If it's a deadline that I have for somebody else, then I do it. But if it's a deadline that I set for myself, I push it." Another client, during our weekly prep meeting in the Embodied Boss Collective, said, "I just don't stick to my time blocks. If it's a call, like our weekly prep or a call with a client, I show up. But then the rest of the time blocks just go out the window."

It’s such a shame because you have an incredible vision. You are an incredible visionary. But most of those visions go unseen due to not being able to stick to the plan and not keeping the plan, the plan. This is all about bridging the gap between vision and execution, and that’s what we need to work on here to solve this problem. It’s uncomfortable, which is why people don’t do it. The fear of creating this discomfort holds people back. I get it. But if you want to reach your next big milestone, there is no other option because it requires your full commitment.

Imagine with me for a second that you wake up tomorrow morning and list every single detail and action necessary for you to achieve your long-term vision. You would probably have a list of at least 100 items, maybe even 1000. It would feel overwhelming. It would probably feel impossible. You would likely give up before you even get started. But imagine instead that we meet together once every 90 days (of course, we will meet more often than that, but in this example), and we agree on the three to seven most important priorities that your business needs to accomplish in the next 90 days to achieve your long-term vision. You could wake up tomorrow morning knowing that there are only three to seven key focuses that need to be accomplished. That would make you feel more focused and effective. You'd feel way less overwhelmed.

Rather than being overwhelmed by the huge task of accomplishing your vision, this allows us to break it down. This is all about breaking the habit of trying to focus on everything at once because it cannot be done. By limiting our priorities, you will focus on what is truly important and accomplish so much more. It really is about moving the business forward one 90-day period at a time.

A few things I want to point out with this because I’ve been teaching this for a long time and there are certain traps and pitfalls that can come up if you’re not careful. One of those is that for every tool I teach you as part of the focus operating system in the focus experience, you will get out what you put in. If you set the wrong rocks, aka the wrong 90-day goals, you will spend an entire quarter pointed in the wrong direction. This is all about making sure you spend the necessary time setting the right priorities and not rushing the process. It also takes more than 90 days to master this. You will not master this process the first time around. Be patient because mastery comes from experience. You will make mistakes. It’s important to learn from those mistakes so that you can move forward faster in the next round. There’s also the risk of a commitment fizzle. Make sure that when you are rolling out your 90-day priorities, you are fully committed to them every single quarter. I see some people start off with a bang and then they don’t commit to their quarterly routine. As a result, you end the quarter wondering what you’ve achieved.

Remember the golden rule that less is always more.

common PROBLEM #4 - Review your data

This is where the meat of the framework comes in—the fifth part. This part is all about data and issues in your business. I used an analogy in the last episode about an airplane: if it goes just one degree off course, it can end up miles away from its intended destination. Similarly, when we navigate our businesses blindly or with a blindfold on, we often experience an uneasy feeling. Ignoring data can be a massive time-waster, yet many businesses fail to regularly assess themselves.

Firstly, it’s about choosing a specific set of numbers to review. Yes, income is crucial, but there’s more to it than just that. Firstly, pick numbers that are activity-based on a weekly basis. These should go beyond the high-level figures you might see on a financial spreadsheet. They should reflect activity and indicate whether you're on track for your income goals. I describe this to my clients as leading metrics and lagging metrics. While income is important, it’s a lagging metric—it reflects what happens after you take action. More importantly, focus on leading metrics, which indicate what activities you’re doing to drive income. Essentially, these numbers will predict your revenue, which is incredibly powerful. Don’t think of this as a chore. It’s a proactive tool to anticipate problems before they happen.

Lastly, consider red-flagging any categories or activities that feel off track. This creates better focus and awareness, making problem-solving much easier.

common PROBLEM #6 - Mindset

The final issue I want to discuss with you revolves around mindset.

This is all about meeting yourself where you are at. I want you to understand that you are incredibly worthy and deserving of everything you desire, and the same goes for your business, even if it's not yet where you want it to be.

The toughest part of this whole process, this entire operating system, is that results won't show up immediately. As I always say, the work you do now is what will give you the business you want in three to six months. Especially in the early stages of implementing this, the issues you uncover may feel overwhelming.

However, achieving 100% requires a state of perfection that does not exist. We should aim for 80%. I often tell my clients, 80% completion is 100%. This work is never truly finished, and like keeping anything healthy, it requires nurturing, care, and a consistent routine. You will continue to learn new things, and new challenges will arise in your business. The challenge for you then is deciding which ones align with your business and which ones don't. Move at your own pace, be patient with your process, and remember that everyone's journey will look different when implementing this system.