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Things are changing at A Branch of Holly!! Here’s my honest, vulnerable behind-the-scenes into what has been going on and the future of the business.

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I have always been so open about sharing how much my business has changed since having kids.

But I haven’t been fully honest with you this year.

And what I’ve realised over the last few weeks?

If I carry on the way I am, there’s only one way it will go. So because of that, something needs to change.

Not only a complete business restructure and rebrand (!) - but also in my approach thinking.

The big mistake I made is this:

What has been driving everything for me has been “what will bring in money and what do I think my audience wants/needs?” Vs “What do I feel so called to share? Where do my passions lie? What’s my mission and my legacy? What can I help people with and why am I the person to help them with that?”

This is what my next level looks like.

No more creating offers just because that’s what other coaches in the space are doing.

No more talking about certain content topics because it’s what a business coach does.

I am not your average business coach and I never have been.

And the truth is - I have not been honouring my business in the way it deserves and that all changes now.

A new era of ABOH is evolving.

Do I know all the specifics yet? No, but I’ll be bringing you along for the ride.

And in this episode, you’re hearing it all first.

I’m sharing the specifics of how I’ve been feeling, what I’ve been craving in my business (that I haven’t shared yet), plus what I’ve done so far to navigate through this.

This is your permission slip if you need one.

It’s time to change things up

I'm currently going through the biggest pivot our business has ever faced. This year has been a whirlwind of change for me. I knew things were going to change when I had my second child, just like it did when I had Jacob. But the transition, especially with my daughter Evelyn, has been even more profound. The shift was huge.

Dealing with two kids post-maternity leave has been tough. Despite loving being a mum, it's been a real struggle juggling motherhood with running my business. I've felt restless, unable to find joy in my work, except for connecting with my clients.

There are so many people who talk about flow and ease. And yes, I think you can get to that, but it's the structure that gives you that flow, ease and freedom. And business is hard work, it requires hard work. I think whenever there's a change or a pivot that we need to make, it can feel like it needs to happen overnight. In fact, it takes time, it takes energy, it takes effort, and it takes resources. So contrary to what you've seen on social media, for me this year has been really hard. That’s why change is happening.

signs that I was ready to evolve

So, looking back, I now realise there were signs that pointed to the need for this pivot, signs I didn't recognise at the time.

So, one of the biggest ones was that my big launch did not go to plan. In March, I launched the Embodied Boss collective, which is my brand new group programme signature offer. I set goals—a safe, a good, a better, and a best goal. I hit my safe goal, which was great. I am so thrilled with the offer, and the women in there already, it's going so well but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. There were reasons why it didn't perform as I hoped, which I know now. But this was a huge sign.

Another indicator was my lack of excitement and feeling creatively drained. It's been a mix of feeling uninspired, struggling to come up with content ideas, and getting tired of discussing the same things. It's like I've been running on a hamster wheel that's not right for me. I've found myself creating content on the fly because I've been so uninspired.

It sounds a lot like burnout, but I knew I was taking care of myself. It's more about the stories I've been telling myself, and it's time for that narrative to change.

And change is coming. Everything—from the topics I talk about to how and where I create content—is going to change. It's tough, especially for me as a recovering people pleaser. I worry about letting people down by shifting gears. But I also know it's what needs to happen.

I also know now that I need to go all in because if I'm not excited about what I'm sharing or creating, then what message is that sending? To me, that's me being inauthentic and that just does not sit right with me. So all of these different things happened, I'm checking in with what's working, what's not working and I'm seeing that changes needed to happen.

a huge, but important realisation

And then I had that lightbulb moment, that sudden realisation. It struck me that if I kept going in the same direction, the business simply wouldn't make it. It's like I've been pushing the business one way, while everything else—the universe, the signs—has been pulling me in another. I've been resisting it, fighting against it. But then, it hit me that everything needs to change.

It was a terrifying moment, truly scary. I've had so many thoughts about what I've built so far. Even talking about it now, I feel butterflies in my stomach because of how scared I am. It's akin to the feeling when I found out I was pregnant for the first time, realising that everything was about to change massively. And that's precisely what's going to happen with the business.

When I first had this realisation I was approaching it really negatively for quite some time. I was worried that people were going to think I was a fraud, that people were going to think that I don't have my ish together or that they’d choose someone else over me. I had the moment of feeling like I’d lost it, even thinking about going back to full-time work. I had that moment.

Then I really changed my perspective. One of my favourite quotes kept coming to mind: "If you do the things you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." I realised that if I continued creating and presenting things the way I always have, without genuine excitement and alignment with my true mission, it wouldn't lead to anything good. I've been merely showing up for the sake of it, and that's not being true to myself or my role as a mentor, nor is it leaving a meaningful legacy. So, things need to change.

I want to be known as the go-to business mentor for strategic planning and productivity. I aim to not only guide you out of information overload and into implementation mode but also help you integrate these practices and strategies seamlessly into your life. I want to enable you to operate in your zone of genius while I handle the rest. So, I'm reframing it not as a pivot, but as an uplevel and evolution—a Branch of Holly 3.0, if you will.

Sneak peak into what’s changing

So, in terms of what I've done so far, I was really mindful not to approach this from a place of lack or scarcity, which is where my mindset has been for quite a while now. Instead, I want to embody authenticity for you. So, let me share what steps I've taken to navigate through this process.

As I mentioned, I've had my fair share of deer-in-the-headlights moments, those instances where I felt like I'd messed everything up and was ready to throw in the towel. And to be honest, I'm still scared—terrified, actually. But despite the fear, I'm moving forward.

So, what have I done? Well, I've poured myself into journaling. My journal is filled to the brim with reflections on various prompts and questions aimed at gaining clarity and piecing together the puzzle of my thoughts. I've also leaned heavily on my mindset coach throughout this process. We've delved deep into these issues.

Additionally, I recently joined a Business Mastermind, something I haven't done in a while. But I know from experience that I thrive in such environments, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Regarding the rebrand itself, I'm fortunate to have a client with a fantastic business who's graciously offered support from her and her team. I'm practising what I preach—implementing and outsourcing so that I can focus on my strengths and stay true to my zone of genius.

Really diving deep into client results, I love what I do and I've realised that my mission boils down to three key areas: ideation, implementation, and integration. Ideation involves organising and prioritising ideas and setting the foundation for productivity. Implementation, which forms the core of the Embodied Boss Collective, centers on doing the work and reflecting. Lastly, integration focuses on incorporating productive practices into daily life and business.

Another significant change I'm making as part of this rebrand is transitioning away from calling myself a coach. I am going to be leaning more into the fact that I am a mentor, I am strategic at heart. One word that really came up when I was analysing all my clients’ testimonials and messages etc is the word partner. They see me as a business partner, so again, it doesn't feel authentic to me to keep calling myself a coach when I don't align with that anymore.

I've also been reimagining my offers, and figuring out what my new office suite will look like. It's still a work in progress, but I'm incredibly excited about it. And I want to be transparent with you—I'm still figuring things out. But I know my audience, and I know you'll be along for the journey.

Yes, it's daunting. Yes, it's scary. But I've had conversations with mentors and clients who believe in these changes, who say it's quintessentially me and much-needed. So, I'm taking the signs and forging ahead.

I've been tiptoeing around this shift since returning from maternity leave earlier this year. The signs were there, but it took me a while to truly listen. But now, I'm embracing the discomfort, recognising that growth often emerges from the messy middle.

Thanks for joining me on this ride! Here’s to Holly 3.0!