A sneaky peek at Louise’s 2023 review
I love New Years’ Day way more than New Years’ Eve. I’m very rarely awake when the clock strikes midnight, but I always look forward to the clean slate feeling as January 1st rolls around. There’s something beautiful about grabbing a notebook as soon as I wake up and taking some time to review and reflect, before going out for a lovely long walk to ponder the year ahead with Tom The Husband.
For the first time ever, I thought I’d share some of what came up for me as I reflected on everything that’s happened over the last 12 months. It feels weird to assume you’re interested, but I know how much I enjoy seeing other people’s reviews, so perhaps you’ll enjoy reading mine!?
The bigger picture
As has been the case for so many of us, 2023 didn’t pan out exactly as I’d hoped. But even though I didn’t hit my income goals, my overriding feeling as I put down my pen and headed downstairs for my first breakfast of the year was one of pride and fulfilment.
Success has never been about money in the bank for me. Instead it’s about living life on my own terms, with the freedom and flexibility that comes from being my own boss. And 2023 had that in spades!
I started a new hobby, pottery, which I absolutely love! Tom and I had some restful time away, both on our own and with family. We had a huge summer of shenanigans to celebrate us all being together for the first time in 15 years (it’s a long story!), and I took a dear friend away for her 60th birthday.
As a business owner you have to keep your eye on the ball and your head in the game – nobody is coming to rescue you if you don’t do the work. So having all that fun stuff in my year, as well as some ad hoc games nights, trips to London and dinners with friends, made me feel like a fully-rounded human at a time when business challenges could’ve been all-consuming. Here’s to more of that in 2024!
During the first few months of last year I was providing project support at the University of Warwick after seeing a post from my old boss looking for some flexible support at a time when investments in my business meant my bank balance needed a boost. Being back in Higher Education after 7 years of doing my own thing was a challenge, but ultimately very rewarding; I was supporting their ONS Teaching Excellence Framework submission, and we were over the moon to be awarded the highest possible rating across the board. (Dipping my toe back into the world of ‘normal’ work also confirmed that I couldn’t go back to a 9-5!)
2023 was also the year I launched Unfrazzle, my podcast to help solo business owners stop faffing and stay focused. I’d never have believed you if you’d told me that I’d be hosting my own podcast. I used to choose modules at university based on whether or not a presentation was involved, for goodness’ sake!
I always knew I wanted to make the podcast in a way that worked for my personality, so I chose to keep it simple with short, succinct episodes, and the response has been incredible!
If you listened, subscribed, left a rating or a review last year, thank you. Knowing people are listening and finding it helpful gives me the motivation to record more episodes this year. I can’t wait to share them with you! (And if you haven’t listened but would like to, you’ll find Unfrazzle here, on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts!)
The thing that made the biggest impact in 2023
What is blindingly obvious to me as I look back on last year is that I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of one remarkable human.
I’d been following Janine Coombes since we first met in 2018, so when I realised I needed some serious help with my messaging and marketing, of course she was the person I reached out to.
The first thing Janine did was make me feel like less of an idiot for finding it so hard to figure out my messaging. She described me as ‘a tough nut to crack’, not because I was a nightmare to work with (I wasn’t!), but because my offering is so unique that many people don’t get it. But we kept at it, and now I feel so much more able to talk about what I do in a way that actually lands!
The impact Janine had on my business last year goes WAY beyond her marketing expertise.
Her belief in what I do – and the progress she made in her own business when she became my client part way through the year - meant that I never once doubted myself during 2023. Not once. (And believe me, there were moments where if I’d been going it alone I might have had some serious wobbles.)
Thank you Janine. You’re fabulous. And if you, dear reader, need some Janine in your life, head here to find out more about working with her.
My year in numbers
2023 wasn’t a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s still so much to celebrate. Here’s a quick overview in numbers:
9 – the number of times I was a podcast guest or delivered a guest expert session or workshop (more than I realised, but not as many as I’d hoped!)
68 – the number of cuppas I had with fabulous humans (waaay more than ever before, thanks largely to the ONLE Networking community!)
3 – the number of in-person events I went to in 2023 (one of which marked the first time I’d stayed in a hotel on my own. I’d done plenty of hostels solo in my younger days, but never a fancy hotel!)
14 – the number of episodes of Unfrazzle released in 2023
17 – the number of new people who experienced Make It Happen Club in 2023 (I had to count this one twice as I couldn’t quite believe it. This makes me VERY happy!)
My year in other people’s words
If you follow me on LinkedIn you’ll know that 2023 was the year I had the courage to ask members if they’d be willing to go on video sharing their thoughts about Make It Happen Club. And oh my goodness, was it beautiful. So much so that I had to hide in my jumper at one point! (Who knew that receiving so much lovely feedback would feel so squirmy!)
You can find those videos over on the Make It Happen Club page of my website if you’re interested. But in the meantime, here are some of the lovely things that In It Together clients said about me during 2023:
From Janine Coombes:
“The traction I’ve had in this year is like no other year. I’ve never been so productive…”
“Getting the Freedom Giver curriculum done is the thing I’m most proud of in my nearly 7 years of running my own business. … In short, Louise is the reason that I got my Freedom Giver finished last year.”
From Katie Duckworth:
“I feel so much calmer. I haven’t got that overwhelming sense of too much to do. You’ve really helped my business to work. I’ve got new clients coming in and I feel confident that I can serve those clients really well now because I’m on top of all the stuff that needs to be done.”
From Sarah Clay:
“Louise is so invested in my business and such a huge support, it's like having the ideal business partner and my favourite security blanket all wrapped into one! Always upbeat and positive, Louise picks me up when I'm down and encourages me when I'm 'up'.”
From Meg Lyons:
“Instead of floundering and falling into the same patterns, with her help, I established a regular routine on a part of my work that I’d been putting off.”
I know deep in my bones that the work I’m doing in the world is making a massive difference in people’s lives, not just in terms of the things they’re getting done, but in how they feel about themselves and their work. Receiving feedback like this is what keeps me going when it feels like I’m pushing a boulder up a mountain.
I hope I’m as generous in sharing when someone has made a positive difference in my life. I can always do better, though, so during 2024 I plan to up my game when it comes to sharing positive feedback! It really can make someone’s day.
Taking care of my mental wellbeing
I began 2023 with Covid, and was taken aback at the impact that had on my emotional state. I felt utterly depleted and raw at the start of the year, so I got in touch with Vanda Varga, asking her to work her magic.
We worked together for 6+ months, and I have never felt so mentally and emotionally well. The resilience she helped me build from the inside out has made such a difference, so if you need some help getting mentally fit this year I highly recommend checking her out. You can find out more here. Thank you Vanda!
Looking ahead
Don’t tell anyone, but this is the first time in a while that I’ve had very specific outcome-based goals, and I’m looking forward to making them happen!
I won’t bore you with the details, but the plan is to appear on more podcasts and grow my audience so that more people learn how to find what works for them when it comes to getting the important stuff done.
Alongside that I’ll be growing Make It Happen Club, and hope to build on the success of the last few years by supporting even more ambitious business owners 1:1.
After 7+ years in business, I know that things might not unfold exactly as I imagine, but that’s ok. I have the tools, support and resilience I need to roll with it, find the gold and keep moving forward. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Want to come along for the ride? Make sure you’ve joined my mailing list here!