For those who don’t know already (ps omg why don’t you know already? pps deep breath, aah), I decided to merge my brands and unify all the different projects and services I am delivering under one umbrella: Learning Essence.
This merge serves me in three ways:
- It allows me to tell my story in a much simpler and coherent way
- It allows me to scale up with greater ease
- Allows me to delegate and use my own time effectively
It is now very easy to share it with you – in point form no less. What actually went down was a soul-searing, 6-week exercise of asking myself very challenging questions!
- What do I do that impacts my clients and stakeholders and supports their transformation the most?
- What does not serve them anymore?
- What structures will allow me to share my work in the most effective way?
- How can I best utilize my areas of genius to power my business?
So what unfolded seems less like any brand exercise and more like I was examining the deepest recesses of my being! Over 13 years, my business has grown and evolved in sync with my own journey of transformation. Also, the clients and the world that I serve now in no way resemble those of 2006.
And I learned some important things about myself, the work that I share and hence the way forward for my business. I am only going to talk about one of those insights because I think it is so important for all business owners to hear it and know of it. I learned that I am woefully out of date and out of touch with my potential clients and the world as it operates today. And it was painful to acknowledge it. I had a day where I felt inadequate, doubtful and anxious. Then, it was time to shift the focus, create intention and set the course for energy to follow. Oh wow…this was an opportunity for me to learn new skills and information, to innovate and to raise my own standards once again!
I felt so energized as I set off to investigate. I found I was out of touch in 3 important ways: I did not know my potential clients well enough, my technical skills (coaching and facilitating) needed upgrading and my use of technology to power my business was rudimentary.
Now, I can bridge this gap with immediacy. Now, I can spring into massive action. Now, I know how the challenge looks and feels. The pivot was being able to ask the powerful questions, uncover the answers with authenticity and humbleness and then accepting the truth of the now with no shame, no blame and no judgment.
I have the work cut out for myself. And I feel incredible because this journey is starting from a place of acceptance and self-worth.
