Are your grocery store aisles empty? Ours are pretty darn close and for the first time, I’m a little freaked out by the coronavirus pandemic. I’m not worried about stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer (how much TP does one family really need?) but the general panic is a little disconcerting and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

This week I’ve spoken with leaders who are canceling major revenue-driving events like galas and conferences, reallocating budget funds to protection measures, and dealing with the impact of staff leaving or working remotely.

One recurring theme we’re seeing again and again is preparedness.

Some people are thinking about preparedness in terms of not needing to buy TP for the next twenty years, but I’m thinking about financial planning.

Instead of wondering how in the world we’re going to make payroll without the revenue from this big event, we can sleep at night with a solid forecast that shows us exactly what our financial position looks like.

We can model different scenarios to understand what levers we need to pull to reduce expenses or increase another revenue stream.

Knowing your numbers allows you to weather the storm of uncertainty.

Let me tell you, the leaders with the plans are making the smartest, most thoughtful decisions, because they have crystal clear insight into what the future of their own business or organization looks like. They’re not making knee-jerk decisions because they can see the big picture in a snapshot.

I know I make it sound easy.

But it really is, even if you’re not a numbers person. Here you go:

1. First, you need a plan. This plan maps out your revenue and expenses, by month, at least through the end of this year (but further if you can), and it needs to be all in one place (not half a dozen Google Sheets and random notebooks on your desk). This plan is your crystal ball into the future. You need to understand each revenue stream and each expense line which will come in handy later.
2. Next, you need to be on top of your numbers. Smart, thoughtful decisions can only be made with recent data. Last quarter’s numbers and guesstimates won’t help, so make sure you’re on top of your bookkeeping every single month.
3. Finally, create a monthly routine to stay in touch with this plan. Schedule your CEO day to review your numbers during this social distancing time! Because you have everything mapped out with crystal clarity, you will know exactly what levers to pull to increase a revenue stream or decrease an expense line.

What do you think? How has COVID-19 impacted your organization so far? We’re all okay around here, but unsure of what the long-term effects will be. Luckily, I know exactly what my financial picture looks like and can make decisions accordingly.

Thinking of you all during this storm of uncertainty!

PS – If you need a resource to help you put together a plan, our Profit Playbook is a good place to start. Download it here!

The number one thing I wanted when I was simultaneously growing a business and my first baby was balance.

The problem was, I had no idea what that actually looked like or how to make it happen.

For the first year of my daughter’s life, I focused my time, energy, and attention on her and on my business only.

My “balance pie” had two giant slices and everything else got crammed into the remaining sliver because my business model wasn’t set up for growth and there was only so much of me to go around!

That certainly wasn’t the balance I was looking for.

So I made a shift that didn’t involve creating a course or crazy Facebook ads or anything beyond what I was already doing.

✅I’ve added several talented women to my team to help shoulder the client load.

✅I’ve streamlined internal systems and processes to make our work more efficient.

✅I’ve raised prices multiple times.

✅I’ve said yes to a few great clients and no to many so-so clients.

✅I hired a coach who’s been there, done that, in order to help me through the growth.

As a result, I’ve had room to grow my business and uplevel our client service while enjoying a healthy balance of all aspects of my life.

I didn’t (and couldn’t!) do it alone though. Hiring a coach was the biggest game changer for my business.

How do you make sure you have balance in your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Have your wheels been turning about finding a better balance for your business and your family since you read my last blog post?

Have you been thinking about how you too can bust through your revenue ceiling, ditch the nitty-gritty work, service your clients even better, and spend MORE time with your family?

If you’re a high-achieving business owner who’s ready to scale, THIS IS FOR YOU!

Let’s Amplify Your Agency!

Amplify is a one-on-one coaching program for entrepreneurs who are ready and excited to grow, but overwhelmed with where to begin.

Click here to learn more and apply! >>>

During our six months together, we will:

1. Clearly define your goals.
2. Create an achievable road map to accomplishment.
3. Help you step into the CEO role.
4. Provide loving and consistent accountability.

Let’s Amplify Your Agency together!

>> Head here to fill out the application and learn more!

I cannot wait to work closely with you this year to work fewer hours, make more money, and regain that freedom you made the leap for. Let’s AMPLIFY!

In the past five years, I’ve built a business from a tiny idea to serving dozens of clients around the globe and creating a sustainable lifestyle and income for my growing family.

It hasn’t always been easy and I haven’t done it alone. As a Type A, Enneagram 3 (“The Achiever”) it’s hard for me to ask for or accept any type of help. I’m fiercely independent and my natural instinct is to go it alone (true story: I used to ask college professors to do group projects by myself, citing a myriad of reasons but mostly just preferring to work alone).

When my first daughter was a newborn, I hated accepting meals from family and friends because I thought it threatened my sense of accomplishment. Why shouldn’t I be able to make fresh homemade meals every day AND keep a tiny human alive?! I learned quickly that I needed the help and couldn’t have been more grateful to have hot, homemade meals available when I was so exhausted.

On the business side of things, the biggest game-changer for me has been hiring a coach.

Five years ago, I had no clue what I was doing. I Googled everything. I didn’t know how to take my business from overwhelm to sustainable.

I debated buying a course or attending a conference but craved one-on-one support. Because I had limited time already, I needed advice tailored to me and me alone!

Investing in several coaches over five years, I’ve gained:

A community. A coach becomes a tribe to reach out to, no matter how challenging my day, for advice, support, or encouragement. She’s been there and done that in a way that my team hasn’t. I’ve been given the confidence and clarity to make the toughest and most important decisions for my business and life with this tribe behind me.

Accountability. It’s so easy to toss ideas around with biz besties or our spouses, but let the ideas disappear into the ether. Coaches have helped me turn those ideas into reality. For example, I’d thought for months about adding to my team but I feared letting go. My coach provided the push I needed to make it happen.

Fresh perspective. Coaches have given me permission and ability to think bigger. Left to our own devices, we are all inclined to play small and slow. When I envisioned my business model looking the exact same in five years from now, my coach called me out for playing small.

Coaches have helped take me from overwhelmed to oh-so-balanced. AND I now have the confidence and skill to think bigger than I ever have. I’m pretty sure you can’t place a price tag on that.

Do you have a mentor or a coach? How has it changed your business or life? Let me know in the comments.

Did you know that I offer one on one coaching? Click here to learn more about my Amplify Coaching Program.

Last week I shared three of my favorite books in 2019 and how they made an impact on my life and business (and we have a fun giveaway running – enter at the end of this post to win copies of these books!) Little things, like reading a handful of good books, add up to big things, like changing how I think, act, and run my business. We don’t always need walk on the moon-level goals!

So today I wanted to share with you a simple change I’ve made that has significantly improved my balance, inner peace, and leadership ability:

Establishing a morning and afternoon routine

I don’t know about you, but my days often start with a whirlwind of activity and before I know it, eight hours have passed and I’m closing the laptop completely exhausted and ready to drown the stress of the day in a big bowl of pasta.

By starting and closing my days with a similar routine, I enter and leave my (home) office feeling accomplished, calm, focused, and ready to take on the next day with peace and ease.

Morning

• I get up at the same time each day, early, and before my kids, to eliminate the crazy multi-tasking of getting everyone ready simultaneously
• I spend at least ten minutes quietly journaling, reading, or meditating to focus my mind
• I don’t touch my phone or computer until I’m done (most of the time!) to reduce distractions

Afternoon

• I plan tomorrow’s priorities and ensure they’re aligned with my big picture goals
• I update my to-do list accordingly, then cross at least one thing off
• I clean off my desk. Remove empty cups, stray post-its, and put everything in its place

As a busy entrepreneur and mama, these little changes in my daily routine have resulted in a year of:

Focus – I know exactly what needs to be done and when

Growth – I can calmly and deliberately focus on my most important tasks that align with my biggest goals

Balance – I have intentional work and family times and my routines signal the beginning and end of each

What little changes have given you big results?

Have you entered our giveaway yet? Enter for the chance to win three of my favorite books to kick off 2020 with inspiration, clarity, purpose!

I hope you had a fabulous break. Have you cleaned your house and made #allthegoals or are you still wondering what day it is and when is the last time you ate a vegetable?

If you haven’t made any astronomical goals for 2020, HAVE NO FEAR! You aren’t behind or less than anyone else.

I vowed to read more physical books in 2019 and while the 15 books I read certainly didn’t hit any records (HOW are you people reading 50 books a year?!), there were 3 that made a massive impact on my life and biz. Sometimes even the littlest changes can have the biggest impact.

And to help you kick off YOUR year of impact even if you don’t have massive goals, I’m giving away a copy of my 3 favorite books from 2019!

Thirst, by Scott Harrison, is the story of Charity: Water, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide clean water to everyone in the world. They’re creating massive change in the world by thinking differently and bucking the traditional charity model. My takeaway? Inspiration to get creative and do things my own way.

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz, is the handbook of money management for entrepreneurs. It provides a framework by which to manage your cash flow to ensure your business is profitable from day one. My takeaway? A crystal clear plan for growing my bottom line.

You are a Badass at Making Money, by Jen Sincero, will help you shift your mindset around money, big time. Kick your doubts, fears, and insecurities to the curb, and think about money in a brand new way. My takeaway? A positive money mindset can lead to financial abundance and a greater impact on the world.

Enter the giveaway here to get these three books (and maybe a little surprise from me!) delivered to your doorstep. A few small changes to kickoff 2020 could be the catalyst for an amazing year!

Cheers to 2020!

Hi friends! Before we all disappear until 2020, I want to share a couple quick thoughts with my tribe of world-changers. First, a question:

Do you have a strategic plan in place for 2020?

I know it’s so easy to get caught up in year-end fundraising and employee performance reviews and planning next month’s marketing efforts that we may put our plan on the back burner, to be completed “later”. But then the holidays come and go and we’re back in our desk chairs on January 2nd, neck deep in urgent emails and our strategic plan is the last thing on our mind.

So, here are five things you can do NOW to ensure you kick off the new year ready to build and grow with intention.

1. Set your impact intentions for 2020 and focus on that growth metric as you work to close the year. How many people do you want to serve? Exactly how do you want to impact your community?
2. Think of the top 3-5 strategies or opportunities that will shape your year. If you could do nothing else but those 3-5 strategies in 2020, would they help you make the impact you want to have on the world?
3. Jot down a few tactical to-dos under each of those strategies so you turn on your laptop on January 2nd with a crystal clear plan for getting it done and changing the world in 2020.
4. Put resources behind your strategies. Remember, if we want to have X impact on the world, we need Y resources to accomplish it. Write down any investments you might need to make to tackle these strategies.
5. Get the right people on the bus. Who will help you achieve the impact you desire? If you think you might need support understanding and using your numbers to make smart financial decisions in 2020, I’d love to chat more, learn about your impact goals, and see how we might help. Choose a time on our calendar here! >>>

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the most fulfilling 2019. It’s truly an honor to work with purpose-driven leaders like you who truly are making a difference in the lives of millions of people around the globe. We look forward to taking on 2020 together!

PS – Wondering how to set impact goals for 2020? You can check out exactly what our 2019 impact was in my Year in Review post. Check it out here!

Impact. Value. Purpose.

With a constant barrage of media at every turn of our head, these buzzwords pop up in leadership conversations every day and their meaning has been diluted through overuse.

(Not unlike that catchy tune that becomes increasingly annoying as radio stations play it every five minutes from November through January. E.g. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”.)

But impact, value, and purpose are important, regardless of whether you’re a nonprofit or entrepreneur. How often do you ask yourself:

What impact am I having on the world?

What value am I providing to the people around me?

Am I living a purposeful life, or am I going through the motions out of habit?

I know, these are super existential questions from someone who’s usually chatting about budgets and cash flow and balance sheets.

Part of why I believe the concept of impact and purpose is important is because it is the foundation upon which our strategic and financial planning is built. In other words:

If we want to have X impact on the world, we need Y resources to accomplish that.

Before we dive into reviewing and reflecting upon 2019 financial statements, I challenge you a simple exercise to be more thoughtful and intentional this December.

Are you game?

1. Set 15 minutes a day as entirely uninterrupted time. Maybe you use your time to make a to do list for the week, or meditate, or sip your coffee, the requirements being that you are alone and single-tasking (no scrolling Instagram while drinking your morning tea).
2. We will get to your end of year income and expense numbers later, but right now, I want you to calculate the impact you’ve had this year. How many people have you served? Your team, your clients, your community? (Pro tip: use your uninterrupted 15 minutes to calculate this number!)
3. Now that we understand the impact we’ve had this year, regardless of the bottom line, what is the impact we want to have next year? Set your impact intentions for 2020 and focus on that growth metric as you work to close the year.

Just as it’s important to be present for the simple joys of this magical season, I also think this is a wonderful time to slow down and reflect upon the purpose behind what we do.

I’ve set aside some time over the past couple weeks to reflect upon our 2019 impact – read our full 2019 Year in Review here.

I’d love to hear the impact you had on the world in 2019; add a comment and share!

PS – We are thrilled to be opening the doors to our one-on-one coaching program again in January, where we work through stuff like this every week to help you grow your business thoughtfully! Fill out the application here and we’ll see if you might be a good fit!

Have you heard the news? 100 Degrees Consulting just welcomed its newest team member into the world. Meet Noelle Skryzowski, born October 24, 2019.

While we are awake partying all night with a little one who can’t yet tell time, I hope you’re still thinking about the three financial metrics that you can easily calculate to assess the financial health of your organization. But if you’re not a numbers person, you may be thinking, okay, I did what you said and calculated these metrics but I’m still not sure what they mean for me.

I’ve got you.

First, revenue diversity. This measures how much of your revenue is coming from each source. We know not to put all our eggs in one basket (does anyone carry eggs around in a basket anymore?), but what about relying upon ONE client or product launch or donor to fund our entire organization? Probably a little risky.

For example, when I do this calculation for my own business, I can see that no one client earns more than 15% of my total revenue for the year. So if a client disappears, my business will remain strong. How does your revenue diversity stack up?

Second, burn rate. This measures how much you spend each month, on average. Every single business or organization is going to vary wildly and there’s no right or wrong on how much you should be spending. BUT, it’s great to know your number over time to see if your expenses are creeping up (but your revenue is not). AND when reviewing your financials for the last month, you have a quick gut check. If your expenses are much higher than your burn rate, what’s happening?

Finally, months of cash on hand. This measures exactly how long you could stay in business if you only had the cash in the bank today. Our goal is to have 3-6 months of cash in the bank at all times. We don’t know when the next recession will hit and the last thing you want is to miss payroll the moment things take a slight downturn. After four years in business, I just achieved my goal of six months of cash in the bank. So if every single client left me right now, I could pay myself and my team and my bills for another six months. That type of security feels pretty awesome.

So THAT’S why these financial metrics are so important. Because they actually mean something about the health of your organization AND if you have what it takes to stick around for the long haul.

PS – Do you follow what I’m talking about, but feel like your finance strategy isn’t quite measuring up? Take our NEW, REVAMPED quiz to figure out which finance pro you need to help your organization soar!

Entrepreneurs: Take your quiz here! >>>

NonProfits: Take your quiz here! >>>