Setting up my business - 3 months check-in
3 months ago, I left a lovely office with one of the most amazing views in Bern and ventured out into the unknown: setting up my own business as a life coach supporting mothers on their journey. As I am sat here three months later, I realise that I have grown a lot, yet certain things are still very unknown to me.
Where I am at right now:
I would say I’m still in the process of setting up my business. This includes finding structure, increasing productivity, experimenting with marketing and content, trying to reach my clients and get them to sign up for my offers, etc.
What I enjoyed in the past 3 months:
I really enjoyed the flexibility of being able to work at my own pace and rhythm, of being able to adapt according to my and my family’s needs and to incorporate some private tasks into my work day if needed. It has meant that I have moved forward less quickly than I’d like to, but I have also felt less pressure and stress. When I was employed, I felt like I was constantly late: late for work when I brought my kids to nursery, late to pick my kids from nursery when I was finishing up my work and rushing back home. This feeling is gone now - there are definitely other emotions that have come up instead, but it’s something I am really happy to not have at this point.
I’ve had some really lovely chats with moms about their current situation and the feedback on my coaching offer has been very positive.
I’ve had fun writing blogposts, doing something that I love and creating it in a way to help my business move forward.
What has felt challenging:
Even though I try not to focus on it too much, there is the pressure of not having clients sign up for my coaching offers. I try to be patient and tell myself that it’s a process that just needs time, but it’s also quite scary and unpredictable, so every now and then, I’ll have a moment of self-doubt where I start looking for a new job…
Life has been very busy with two little ones, a move and my husband’s work commitments. It has meant that for me, I chose to postpone some tasks for my business and prioritise private tasks during my official work hours, simply because I knew that it would benefit me more to get these tasks done first. It’s a constant juggle - adding to the usual juggle of life with kids.
There’s this general kind of stress and pressure when you start your own business. You are accountable to yourself, yet you could always be doing more. It’s been hard to just “switch off” on weekends or holidays, knowing that I could just be doing a little bit here or there from my ever-growing to do list.
What has supported me:
Knowing my WHY? and feeling crystal clear that I want to set up this business. At this point, I don’t know how it will look like in a year, in 5 years or in 10 years. Maybe I will go back to an employed job if the opportunity arises and continue coaching alongside, maybe I will stay with this business full-time. What I know is that I truly believe in what I am doing and the support I am offering mothers, and I am really excited to see how it’ll unfold in the next years.
Having supportive family and friends. My husband has pushed me to work on this project from the first time I talked to him about. He is the one who reassured me that we would be fine on a financial level. This has given me the confidence to take this big leap.
A month ago, I decided to start working with a business coach. It is a huge investment, but I have already seen big progress in the way I work and the amount of things I get done. Because I am a mom (and we are moving house at the end of June), I don’t have an endless amount of time to spend on my business. I believe I would have been able to find my way even without a coach, but I am more efficient and more mindful now about what I do during my workdays and where I put my energy. This has been really helpful for me to move forward and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next 3 months we’ll be working together.
What I have learned:
Taking time for personal growth and development always pays off. I have been working through some mindset and growth topics both on a personal and a professional level and I have started seeing the effect of it. One thing I find very hard is to set boundaries and communicate them. I have started to actually be aware of my boundaries and made progress in communicating them to my loved ones.
For me, it’s hard to trust my intuition because often fear and anxiety gets into the way. It’s something I have been working on the past months, it’s still a work in progress, but I do see some changes already.
Are you curious about what lays ahead for my business? I’ve created a short survey (5-10mins) with some questions regarding a membership for mothers returning to work after having had a child. It would be really helpful for me if you would time some time to fill it in - and if you are interested in a 1:1 coaching call as a thank you for your time, don’t forget to add your e-mail address too!