23 Things I Learned in 2023 and Two I’ll Never Do Again

PodcastLeadership

Dec 6

Episode 802: Show Notes

2023 has been a whirlwind! This episode is dedicated to the lessons I’ve learned and how I am going to apply them in the future. I want to give you all an opportunity to reflect on your own journey. How did this year go for you? What does next year look like? If you haven’t listened to my episode on 13 Critical Questions to Ask Yourself Before the End of 2023, I highly recommend you get started there first.

If you want to dig deeper, and truly gain insights that fuel your future, I would love to see you join the Creative Template Shop. In particular, the Co-Op. That’s where you are going to get the opportunity to explore your business holistically. Everything from sales and marketing to your client experience, and everything in between.

Today, I’m going to talk about 23 things I learned this year, two of which I will never do again! I’m usually a never-say-never person, but I’m pretty confident I won’t be doing these again. The 23 lessons I am sharing today are things that come from my personal experience inside Boss Project, things I’ve observed with clients, things I’ve gone through and challenges I’ve been through, exciting things I’m leaning into this year, and things that will get you thinking about your own take on all these things! Let’s dive in!

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Team Management, Performance, Contracts, and a Tough Decision

#1 When performance issues arise, take disciplinary action. Don’t wait. Put plans in place far before you think you need to. That’s how to improve a relationship way before it’s too far gone.

#2 This year’s leadership changes taught me the importance of a comprehensive contract. If you are to enter into a business partnership in the future, include provisions for all the possibilities.

#3 When Emylee stepped away, I had to give some real thought to what would happen if we closed Boss Project. I decided not to start over, and I’m very excited about what the future holds.

AI, Buyer Psychology, and the Myth of Obligatory Sellability

#4 AI is going to continue to influence the way we work, and embracing it is a critical part of moving into the future. There are so many unexplored areas of the business where I could be leveraging its power.

#5 Today, people are more responsive to short-term obligations than longer ones. Following 2020, people are seeing huge changes in purchasing behavior and buyer psychology.

#6 I really don’t need my business to be sellable to facilitate early retirement. If I sell the business, that’s great! If I never sell the business, I will still be able to retire in 10 years.

Intuition, Simplicity, and the Single Best Place to Make a Change

#7 In the past, I have ignored my intuition and moved forward anyway. At the moment, there’s something on the table that I’m not totally convinced about. This time, I have decided not to move forward, even though I was super tempted to do it.

#8 I highly recommend assessing your offers every few years. Going through some sort of audit process is important and normal. Just recently, I reassessed our offers and chose to simplify everything significantly.

#9 I don’t recommend adding additional models to your business structure or changing your model. Changing your offer within the same business model is going to have far less impact on your business model than moving from one business model to another.

How Not to Bury a Lead, Why You Should be Authentic, and an Important Question to Ask Yourself Today

#10 How are people moving through your business? Don’t make it complicated! What would it look like if you made it easier for them? How often are you holding people back from taking the next step?

#11 Even though I’m in a period of craving less structure, that doesn’t mean that no structure works for me. Not including a structure is a surefire way to stop my progress. What’s true for you?

#12 People crave real connection. They want to buy from humans. They are interacting enough with machines and technology, and the more human you appear, the more people will naturally like and be attracted to you.

#13 Do what has worked before! What have you done in the past that you no longer do, but that yielded results? For me, strategic partnerships have been such a huge part of Boss Project’s history and they are something that will make a huge difference in Boss Project’s future.

Budgeting for the Ebb and Flow of Business

#14 Business is not a linear upward movement. It hasn’t been for us, and it’s not realistic for you! Some years will be smaller than the previous. Plan, save, and budget with this in mind.

#15 Instead of paying yourself all the profit, I would suggest that you cap the percentage allocated to yourself until you have developed an emergency fund consisting of three months of operational expenses.

Scheduling, Creativity, Paid Advertising, and Karma

#16 I am unlikely to change a plan if it’s scheduled in my calendar and someone else is involved. But I’ve had to learn that if I’m the only one that will be there, I won’t necessarily stick with it.

#17 Creative responsibilities require a different state of mind to operational and financial ones. I can’t always schedule creative outputs ahead of time, and that’s been a real mindset shift for me. I’m still learning what planning this looks like for me.

#18 Sometimes paid approaches are simply going to magnify the efforts you are already doing. Although I was hesitant at first I am also really excited about where paid strategies might lead.

#19 Karma pays off! I’ve had a couple of instances this year where I have done things to benefit others, and I have seen that openly giving will pay off time and time again.

An Empty Nest and a Craving for Connection

#20 This year, I learned that Empty Nest Syndrome is not limited to parents of older kids who leave home. When you experience changes in your home environment, it can really rattle a home. I’ve been grieving, and it has really changed me.#21 I have to be mindful of what I’m craving. What do you need? What do you want? Being aware of what I crave in every season has really helped me to emphasize different things in my business. Right now, I’m craving connection, and that’s changed how I do business and life!

Two Things I’m Pretty Sure I’ll Never Do Again

#22 I will not take on one-on-one clients while a family member is in hospice ever again. I did it this year, and I felt like I was simultaneously letting myself, my family, and my clients down. I don’t want to experience that again. What have you said yes to this year that added a lot of unnecessary stress to your life?

#23 I won’t take on another business partner. Now or ever in this business or any business. And that has nothing to do with the incredible thing I built with Emylee! I value relationships so much that seeing what I’ve seen and knowing what I know, partnering in business is such a risk to a relationship of any kind.

I want to invite you to have an environment that’s there to support you within your business, and I believe the Co-Op can do that for you. Become part of a community of people who believe in your future and want to support you.

Quote This

If you are unsure, do not do it.

Highlights

Team Management, Performance, Contracts, and a Tough Decision [0:04:50]
AI, Buyer Psychology and the Myth of Obligatory Sellability [0:08:59]
Intuition, Simplicity, and the Single Best Place to Make a Change [0:14:43]
How Not to Bury a Lead, Why You Should be Authentic, and an Important Question to Ask Yourself Today [0:20:06]
Budgeting for the Ebb and Flow of Business [0:27:01]
Scheduling, Creativity, Paid Advertising, and Karma [0:30:37]
An Empty Nest and a Craving for Connection [0:37:28]
Two Things I’m Pretty Sure I’ll Never Do Again [0:43:20]

OUR HOST:

Abagail Pumphrey

Abagail on Instagram

Boss Project on Instagram | Facebook

Abagail Pumphrey, the Co-Founder & CEO of Boss Project, has been a driving force in the creative entrepreneur industry since 2015. With a passion for empowering service-based business owners around the globe, she became internet-famous after the launch of the transformative training, "Trello for Business." This innovative system revitalized the operations of over 10,000 business owners, making a significant impact on the online business landscape.

Under Abagail's leadership, Boss Project has been featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, Marie Claire, INC, and HuffPost. Her twice-weekly podcast, The Strategy Hour, is a staple in the business community, continuously topping Business and Management Charts on Apple with millions of listeners from around the world.

Abagail's superpower lies in her ability to break down complex concepts into easy-to-implement, duplicatable systems. As an expert in online sales and a data-driven strategist, she has turned a layoff into a 7-figure work-from-home business. Abagail's mission to help more female founders become financially free, without letting their businesses take over their lives, continues to inspire and guide entrepreneurs on their path to success.