Creating a business action plan that aligns with the seasons + a guided summer solstice meditation!
Today we’re talking about Creating a business action plan that aligns with the seasons. And make sure you stay on ‘til the end, because I’ll be leading you through a guided summer solstice meditation!
Quarterly planning in your business is so fucking important.
I don’t think it’s talked about enough in the online business space - or it’s talked about only in the higher level spaces that fewer entrepreneurs hang out in.
While annual planning is fine - and it’s the most common planning since everyone is so rabid for change with a new year starting… we can’t realistically see beyond 1 quarter.
It’s an easy rhythm to set up NOW. And it probably takes less time than you think.
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Go on, head to your Google Calendar & section off a full day near the solstices & equinoxes each year. A day for your quarterly planning, or as we’re talking about today - a day to create your business action plan that aligns with the upcoming season.
This is something I’m making all the folks in the Alchemical Business Accelerator set up, too. It’s a day for them to really step out of the day-to -day & embody the Visionary CEO. The one who is steering the ship & visioning the future. The one who sees 5 years, 10 years out, while staying grounded in the present of their biz so they can make the next level steps for the next phase of their business - whether that’s hitting $1 million in revenue in the next 18 months, or hiring their next team member, getting their first client at their dream pricing for the very first time, or just taking a fucking vacation because their systems are finally in place.
So let’s get you on this train! Or on this unicorn? Onto your desired transportation unit of choice, for sure.
Summer solstice is JUST around the corner - meaning, it’s on SUNDAY! This Sunday, June 20th.
And while we COULD say that we’re heading into Q3 of the year… we’re not muggles so let’s acknowledge the very real & tangible fact that SUMMER starts on Sunday!
The seasons are a beautiful way to section off the year so that our businesses are more aligned with nature.
Whether or not you have an online business, the natural world affects your business.
And that’s a GOOD THING!
Because the natural world is a very abundant place.
When a tree is in season, when it is bearing fruit, there is more than you even fucking know what to do with.
There are more apples on there than you even WANT to eat. Or more than you could even COMFORTABLY eat.
You have way way way more than enough. You have to share. You have to give them away or sell them.
Or even compost them so that they feed the worms and creatures and turn into fertile soil to grow even more future fruit from.
And the more-than-enough comes from honoring each season.
It comes because you watered the tree & gave it the nutrients it needed when it first started to bloom in spring. Because you let it rest and gave it space in the winter. And now it’s summer & it’s overflowing with fruit.
Honoring the truth that there’s a season for growth and blossoming, a season for ripening and shining, a season for harvesting and reflecting, a season for recuperation and quiet.
We need it all.
Our meat suit needs it. Our mind needs it.
We’ve covered the Seasons of your business before on the podcast - I’ll put the link in the show notes if you want to listen - it’s episode 18 from November 2020.
But here’s a quick overview of the Seasons & Your Business
Spring is about seeds being planted and taking hold. There’s fresh energy & new ideas.
It’s all about TAKING ACTION and the flow of ideas outward. Deciding how you’re going to bring your creative projects from your heart & your mind out into the world.
Summer is like a tree laden with fruit - things are slower & juicy. It’s a social time with late muggy nights.
You might find yourself wanting to take some time outside, spend time with family, go on vacation -- hopefully you have the systems in your business set up so you can actually do those things without being glued to a computer all day.
Autumn is the harvest. Again, a time for action and reaping what you sowed. You’re reviewing and assessing and being vigilant.
This is a time for reflection & death. You’re thinking back on your projects & letting go of what didn’t serve you. Releasing any pent up resentment.
Winter is about calm and peace. The natural world is asleep, so our inner world turns brighter.
We’re huddled around fires & we’re taking rest. Resting & recouping.
Obviously we’re going into Summer as I’m recording this. But if you’re listening to this episode at another time of year, all of this still applies. There just may be some energetic shifts you’ll want to make based on what season you’re in.
So. As we step into summer, you may already be feeling the HEAT.
While the sunny days bring us outdoors, the midday heat also brings siesta.
If you participated in Your Best Year Yet back in December, you heard Master Astrologer Donna Woodwell talk about this summer in particular being a time for being in a cave (lol).
(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Your Best Year Yet was a free 5-day business alchemy experience where we dropped a new podcast every week. I’ll link to it in the show notes.)
But have you been feeling this?? I know I have.
All the planets in retrograde & the eclipses have many of us on an emotional rollercoaster, and wanting to be in quiet.
This is our first summer living in Lahaina, which is the very dry and hot area of Maui & I’ve been forcing my husband Eddy to come home midday & actually rest, out of the sun & heat.
He will easily work outside on his farm 12-18 hours a day which now, in the hot hot heat of summer, looks like headaches and exhaustion.
Not okay.
AND, a really good representation of the energy of summer!
Because of the heat, he has to be more attentive to the plants - particularly watering them more.
But still, he physically has to take a break midday…
So for our summer planning, we have to balance the energies of tending our plants -- tending to our businesses & clients… while also giving ourselves the rest and play and relishing of our physical senses that are all a must for summer.
So onto our business action planning aligned with the seasons!!
Let’s first get you excited about doing this.
Because you mayyyy be tempted to just… skip it.
There are things to do & every things running smoothly enough.
Or you’re going full steam ahead for your next big goal and stopping to plan feels like a break in momentum.
Or maybe you’re struggling!! And your brain is convincing you that staying in action and motion and overwhelm is definitely a better option than slowing down and addressing what the fuck is going on.
Why you need to care about strategy & planning in your business
50% of leaders rated implementation as equal in importance to strategy
70% of organizations that used a formal process to manage strategy out-performed their peers
60% of organizations do not link their strategic priorities to their budget
But, 64% of successful companies build their budget based on their strategy, rather than on past behaviors
77% of successful companies have an established mechanism to translate their strategy into operative terms and evaluate it on a day to day basis
Seriously. Mark a day off each quarter right now.
These seasonal planning days are a time for both reviewing the previous season and planning for the next one.
And here are the 5 components you’ll want to include…
5 Elements to Include in Your Quarterly Planning Day
1: The Theme of the Season
Define the theme you’d like for this season.
This can be a word or a feeling or your goal or a mantra.
2: Financial Planning
This is the big picture.
How much revenue did you bring in last season?
How much of that was profit?
(Reminder that your profit is the total money in minus the total money you spent in your business)
(Bonus points if you’re including the SALARY you’re paying yourself as a business expense. Because it is.)
How much do you want to make this upcoming quarter?
Both gross & net.
If you sell an offer that is open all the time, like a coaching package, or an evergreen course, you can chunk that out into how much you’d like to make per month & per week.
If you have a launch model where you’re launching courses or programs every couple months, or once a season, then get clear on what that means in terms of what your pricing needs to be & how many buyers you need.
3: Goals & Results
Identify the 3 main goals that you want to commit to for this season. And yes I mean only 3.
Identify the very specific, very tangible results that are attached to your goals. What will manifest that you know that your goal is complete?
Beyond the Goal & Key Results, you want to create an actual action plan for each goal. What projects need to be completed? Who’s responsible for what? What are the deadlines?
4: Check in on your systems
There are 3 main systems in your business:
Your marketing system where you generate new potential customers for your business.
Your sales system where you convert your potential customers into paying customers.
Your operations system where you deliver the results that your clients and customers have paid you for (the website, the coaching, the piece of art, the marketing strategy...)
Each quarter you want to review the improvements you made to each of these systems, and then decide which parts of your systems you want to tweak or experiment with or create completely fresh in the next few months.
This is something we do in the Alchemical Business Accelerator - identify & refine your systems so that they become more clear, more profitable, and rely less on YOU. Or create them from the ground up if you haven’t done that before!
5: Address your Glass Ceiling
On this Seasonal Planning day you also want to identify the biggest obstacle or opportunity that you have in your business. Your glass ceiling.
This is the biggest factor that’s currently stunting your growth.
Maybe it’s not a big enough audience, or not enough sales, or not enough time.
You next want to brainstorm as many potential solutions that you can for this specific thing.
And then identify which of these are Low Hanging Fruit & then which of these would be a massive payoff if it all goes right.
The cross-over of those 2 elements is what we’re looking for - easy to implement & huge potential payoff.
You’ll want to choose 3 or 4 of your brainstormed solutions to focus on this quarter. So decide & then create that action plan.
Want help with your Seasonal Planning??
We’ll be heading into the Summer Solstice Guided Meditation in just a second, but first I want to say - if you like this, you definitely want to get in the Alchemical Business Accelerator.
You’ll get our exact Quarterly Business Planning agenda & resources. Plus a very sexy library of SOPs ;)
So many people want to jump into the EXPAND phase of business before they’ve stabilized or optimized where they’re at.
And believe me -- stabilizing and optimizing can get you all the way to multiple-6 or 7-figures. WITHOUT having to create 10 different online courses that you’re launching every single month because if you don’t the revenue will dry up, because you have no systems in place.
So come join us!! I’m starting to have conversations with those interested in joining the next round. Head over to learn.thedirtyalchemy.com/aba-app-2023 to apply today -- you’ll get to immediately book a call with me to chat & see if it’s the right fit for you.
Now onto our meditation!
Summer Solstice Guided Meditation
Tune into the podcast episode or YouTube video to follow along for this Summer Solstice Guided Meditation.