Stephanie Hayes Business Strategist & Coach
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How the Heck Are You Fitting It All In?

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Planning, Business Strategy

How the Heck Are You Fitting It All In? I’ve always been a busy person. I am naturally inquisitive and optimistic, so I see opportunities in everything. Share Tweet Pin Email How The Heck Are You Fitting It All In? I get asked that a lot. I’ve always been a busy...

If It Takes Time, Let It

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Strategy, Running Your Business

If It Takes Time, Let It You are producing high quality creative work that will not be high quality creative work if you don’t let it develop. Share Tweet Pin Email If it takes time, let it. This one is for you creatives. I know you’re out there and I know...

Are You Still Just Getting By?

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Strategy, Running Your Business

Are You Still Just Getting By? When you are faced with the realization that something has failed – your business model, your offer, your promotional pitch, whatever it might be – it’s a hard pill to swallow and can make you feel like giving up...

Don’t Solve Symptoms, Solve Problems

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Strategy, Running Your Business

Don’t Solve Symptoms, Solve Problems Here’s a secret: when the answer is tactical, it’s probably a symptom and fixing it won’t create sustained success. It will create a temporary balm but you’ll continue to fight the same friction. Share Tweet Pin Email...

I Want You to Build a Business For YOU

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Models, Business Strategy, Running Your Business

I Want You to Build a Business For YOU Because you will only be successful when your business is designed perfectly for you. Each business is like a fingerprint… unique and personal.⠀ Share Tweet Pin Email It’s not about me. I worked as a business and...

I’m a Business Coach, But I’m Not Promising Massive Profits

by subs@stephaniehayes.biz | Business Strategy, Running Your Business

I’m a Business Coach, But I’m Not Promising Massive Profits So in a land of fast action and sparklepreneurs, I’m gonna stay over here with my rolled up sleeves and my spreadsheets waiting for you guys who want to actually get things done. Share Tweet Pin...
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Recent Posts

  • How to Overcome Perfectionism and Procrastination In Your Business
  • Don’t Be Satisfied With Stories
  • Only You Own Your Time
  • You are the centre of everything.
  • Don’t forget about the profit.

Recent Comments

  1. Sarah on How to Overcome Perfectionism and Procrastination In Your Business
  2. Kristina Pearson on How to Overcome Perfectionism and Procrastination In Your Business
  3. Stephanie Hayes on A Promise I Will Never Make to My Clients
  4. Fancy Ruff-Wagner on A Promise I Will Never Make to My Clients
  5. Stephanie Hayes on If You Do Nothing Else Today, I Want You to Believe in Yourself. ⠀

ABOUT

I am a business strategist and coach that works with service-based businesses who want to move from generating income to building assets, while continuing to do the work they love.

You would suck at being someone else. Really, you You would suck at being someone else. Really, you would. And why the heck would you want to be, anyway? ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Tell me if you can relate:​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ 😖 You avoid searching for your keywords because seeing all of the results makes you feel like running away, screaming while tossing a match on that whole business you created.​​​​​​​​ 😵 You obsess over your competitors’ websites, thinking “Dammit! Why didn’t I think of that?! No WONDER she’s doing so much better!”.​​​​​​​​ 😑 Seeing someone else offering what you do gives you knots in your stomach and makes you question who you think you are, pretending to be able to do the same.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Welcome to Imposter Syndrome.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ It’s a pretty regular thing for me, particularly when I’m leveling up, because those are the times when I feel the most vulnerable. I have no evidence yet that what I am thinking of doing is actually going to work, so my confidence in that direction hasn’t yet developed.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Here’s the problem, other than the fact that it makes you feel crappy and small and leads you to drink a whole bottle of wine while eating Doritos.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ It’s so powerful that it can lead you to quit.​​​​​​​​ It can lead you to leave out the wow factors that feel risky.​​​​​​​​ It can make you hide.​​​​​​​​ It will keep you in that “safe” place where you can’t possibly reach your goals.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ All these things ☝️? Not good for your business. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ You know what I finally figured out that has worked to ward off the ugly cry comparisonitis?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ I look at what I *perceive* as their success to be a vision of things to come for me. Like it’s already mine, I just need to get there. Not their thing, but the part of it that makes me want it. What is it about their “success” that makes me shrivel? Well, that thing there is the thing that belongs on my roadmap because it means something to me. And now that is useful.
Episode 3 is live on Making Space, my new audio sh Episode 3 is live on Making Space, my new audio show! In this episode, I'm diving in to why structure feels so restrictive, yet like the thing we all need. I often here business owners tell me that they need structure, but then are loathe to introduce it in case they lose their freedom. I'll tell you what that actually means and how to think about structuring your time so that instead of restrictions, you actually create freedom. I'm walking you through the 3-layer process I use with my clients to create their own unique work schedule and why it's so critical that your schedule is customized to fit how you want to work. Link in the bio to listen or find me on Spotify Podcasts!
Let’s face it... building a business just becaus Let’s face it... building a business just because you need an income is a crappy way to begin. Every day will feel like you’re pulling a dead weight behind you, plodding through and waiting for the end of the day.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Please don’t live like this.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ But before you go off running naked through the alpine meadow in pursuit of your “dream business”, let’s take stock of all the realities and find that version of your dream that makes sense.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Meet Petunia. She has a dream to sell flowers from all over the world to remote settlements who would otherwise have none of the rare beauty of African daisies or South American orchids.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ She wants every rare and exotic species available to every tiny village in the world.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ What a beautiful and heavily scented dream!​​​​​​​​ And what a gargantuan dream. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Petunia starts planning, doing her research, and pulling together all of the information she will need to get started.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ She will need partnerships with delivery companies, import and export licenses, working capital to buy her stock, four trips a year to meet with potential suppliers. She will need a warehouse and a website, and a whole bunch of other stuff to make the business work. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ She also has three small children under the age of 6 and no childcare. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Can she even do it? Maybe.​​​​​​​​ Should she do it? Probably not.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Her best strategy is to start with a small piece that will still feel like she’s working towards her dream, but fits into her schedule, budget and priorities.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Maybe she starts with one small region, and services them really well. Or maybe she focuses on one supplier to begin with, or stays in the country. That feels like something more sustainable.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Where can you make your dream more doable? Where are you feeling friction, that it’s maybe too much?
Would you ask a chef how to fly a plane? Or a ball Would you ask a chef how to fly a plane? Or a ballerina how to pour concrete?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Then why are you asking people who have never built and run a business how to build yours?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ We’re getting a little soap box-y today but I’ve gotta get this out.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ I do my fair share of rummaging around the Internets, watching and listening, seeing what my clients are paying attention to. What I’m seeing is disheartening.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Imagine you’re at a place in your business where you just aren’t sure what to do next. Pressures are on from all directions and it’s made you feel like you’re on a knife edge, with lots of ways to fall off that edge, leaving you paralyzed.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ So, you search for “Business coach”. You find lots and lots of results, and that makes you feel even more stressed out. Oh, here’s one that sounds legit - she’s made lots of people heaps of money and promises to make your business successful. So, you sign up for her program and learn lots about building an email funnel.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ At the end, you’re in the same place, except you have an email funnel. One of my clients even got the advice to just go and get a job. Really?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Dig a little deeper into these promises. Dig a little deeper into these people. Do you really need an email funnel or do you need someone who has seen a lot, practiced a lot, and had the experience of being right where you are, bumps and bruises included?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Business strategy must come from someone who knows how to run a business. Someone who has done it before. Otherwise, you’re only getting part of the picture and no relatability. You want to solve YOUR problems, not one from a textbook.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ What do you think are the most important things you would like to see in a business coach?
Episode #2 of Making Space is live! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In Episode #1, I mentioned the Four PIllars of Passion, which is part of the business model design framework I have created and use with all my clients. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We start with the Four Pillars of Passion to establish what is really at the core of their BUSINESS passion, which often gets skipped between the WHY and the HOW of your business design process. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I break this down in detail in the episode and teach you how to figure out what your pillar is, so you can start from a strong foundation for making decisions throughout your business as you create offers, decide on your marketing strategies, etc. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This brings everything back to you, and who you are as a person. Which is essential for ensuring you will continue to feel super aligned with what you're taking on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Listen to the episode in full on Spotify, or any of the other channels you usually use. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And then let me know - what was your pillar? How will this change the way you make decisions in your business? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Link in bio to listen! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ----- ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Curious about how you can design that next step in your business and get fully in alignment to make space for what feels right? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Book a free strategy call and we can dig in to what it might look like to make space in your own business! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ learn.stephaniehayes.biz/consultation or link in bio.
Let’s pretend you’re shopping for a car. You g Let’s pretend you’re shopping for a car. You go to a dealership and every car is colourless. They are all of average height and size, with no special features. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ They serve a purpose and you figure they would get you from Point A to B, but what about when you need to take your bike somewhere, or load up with kid stuff for an overnight trip? Or go skiing? How will you listen to your audiobooks when the radio only plays, well... the radio? And you really love turquoise blue.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ You leave, noticing that you can get a car there if you need it but you’re not particularly compelled to buy anything.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Then you drive to another dealership. Same thing, same results. There is nothing unique or memorable about these cars.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ As you are wiping the tears of boredom off your steering wheel, you pass a dealership tucked away, and it advertises “turquoise blue cars for people who like listening to talky books, skiing, riding bikes and vacationing with their kids who have too much stuff”.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Those cars sound like just what you want. The colour, the features, and just the right amount of pizazz. Someone was listening and knew you were out there.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Which experience do you think will result in a sale? Which dealership is getting high-quality customers that will stay with them forever?​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ You see, it’s common for business owners to feel anxiety about niching down. It feels like you’re reducing your chances of selling. In fact, the opposite is true.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ The more specific and targeted you can get in your product definitions, service structures, copy, messaging and visibility strategies, the more quickly you will find your customers.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ People want to see themselves in your offers. And since they don’t think of themselves as generic, featureless “everybodies”, neither should you.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ What can you do to better define your market?
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