The Life-Friendly Business Podcast For Female Entrepreneurs

In this episode of the Life Friendly Business podcast, Erin Thomas Wong speaks with Claire Richards, an award-winning will writer and owner of a raffia business. They discuss Claire's journey into both businesses, the importance of humour in serious conversations, and the necessity of having a will in place.

Claire shares insights on managing two distinct businesses, marketing strategies, and the importance of community and support for entrepreneurs. The conversation emphasizes the balance between work and personal life, and offers valuable advice for aspiring business owners.

Takeaways

1. Claire Richards is an award-winning will writer and owner of a raffia business.

2. Humour can help make serious topics like wills feel more approachable.

3. Having a will is essential for everyone, not just the wealthy.

4. Small business owners should consider the implications of their business in their wills.

5. Marketing strategies differ significantly between industries.

6. Running multiple businesses requires effective time management and scheduling.

7. Finding a supportive business community is crucial for success.

8. It's important to assess the viability of a business idea before diving in.

9. Digital assets are an important consideration in estate planning.

10. Balancing personal and professional life is key to managing multiple businesses.

In this episode of The Life Friendly Business podcast, Erin Thomas Wong discusses the concept of 'CEO Time' - a dedicated time for business owners to step back, strategize, and prioritise their tasks for the week ahead. She emphasizes the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, and how this practice can lead to greater productivity and a more balanced approach to running a business.

Erin shares her personal experiences and practical tips for implementing CEO Time effectively, encouraging listeners to take control of their schedules and make strategic decisions that align with their business goals.

In this episode of Erin Thomas Wong interviews brand designer Ellie Bowie, who shares her unique approach to branding and her business journey. They discuss the importance of understanding brand values, the need for authenticity in messaging, and how creativity thrives on rest and reflection. Ellie emphasizes the significance of taking time to explore one's business identity and the role of intentional content creation in attracting the right clients. The conversation highlights the challenges of balancing creativity with business management and the necessity of self-leadership in the entrepreneurial journey.

Ellie Bowie is the creative curiosity behind Bowie Design – a brand identity studio rooted in her deep-thinking, define-before-design approach.

Takeaways

1. Branding is about how you make people feel.

2. Understanding your business's values is crucial for effective branding.

3. Small businesses often need to explore their brand identity deeply.

4. A strong brand helps businesses stand out in a crowded market.

5. Your unique life experiences shape your business identity.

6. It's important to take time to understand your audience's needs.

7. Creativity thrives on rest and reflection.

8. Authenticity in messaging attracts the right clients.

9. Intentional content creation is key to visibility.

10. Don't rush the branding process; it takes time.

In this insightful conversation, Teresa Heath-Wareing shares her journey from a corporate marketing career to becoming a successful online Marketing & Business Growth Strategic Coach. She discusses the realities of online business, including the importance of understanding conversion rates, pricing strategies, and the ongoing nature of self-doubt. Teresa emphasizes the need for resilience and support in the entrepreneurial journey, while also redefining success beyond monetary gains. Her insights provide valuable guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of the online business landscape.

Teresa is an international best-selling author, award-winning speaker, TEDx speaker, podcaster of a number 1 rated podcast Your Dream Business and online business owner. She is a Marketing and Business Growth Strategic Coach who works with online business owners, course creators, membership owners, and coaches to grow their online business to 6 and 7 figures.

Takeaways

1. Teresa transitioned from corporate marketing to online business coaching after a life change.

2. Success in online business is often misrepresented; it's not as easy as it seems.

3. Conversion rates for email lists typically range from 1% to 3%.

4. Pricing strategies should align with the perceived value of the offering.

5. Self-doubt is a constant in entrepreneurship, regardless of success level.

6. Resilience and the ability to learn from failures are key to success.

7. Support from fellow entrepreneurs is crucial for navigating challenges.

8. Success should be defined individually, not just in monetary terms.

9. The online business landscape requires ongoing testing and adaptation.

10. It's important to balance ambition with personal life and well-being.

In this episode, Erin Thomas Wong interviews Leila Green, the founder of The F**k Mum Guilt Movement, Triplet mama and trailblazer for empowering working mothers to ditch the guilt.

They discuss the pervasive issue of mum guilt, exploring its origins, impacts, and the societal pressures that contribute to it. Leila shares her personal journey as a mother of triplets, highlighting the challenges of balancing motherhood with personal and professional aspirations.

The conversation delves into the importance of community support, the need for acceptance over unrealistic expectations, and strategies to overcome guilt and comparison in motherhood. They emphasise the significance of self-advocacy and the necessity of open conversations about the realities of being a mother.

Trigger warning: We discuss premature birth, birth trauma and miscarriage.

Connect with Leila Green on Linkedin or Instagram @tripped_up_mama

In this episode, Erin Thomas Wong shares insights into her approach to running a life-friendly business, focusing on bootstrapping, managing costs, and leveraging technology. She discusses her personal experiences with reinvesting profits, the importance of outsourcing tasks, and the tools she uses to streamline her operations. Erin emphasises the significance of understanding business expenses and encourages listeners to be mindful of their financial decisions while also highlighting the value of continual learning and support in entrepreneurship.

In this conversation, Erin Thomas Wong interviews Stephanie Rough, a professional organiser, declutterer and Founder of The Organised Zone, about the importance of organisation in both personal and professional life. Stephanie shares her journey into the world of professional organising, the benefits of decluttering for mental health, and how she helps clients create systems that work for them. They discuss the challenges of teaching organisation to children, the importance of visibility and confidence in business, and the need to celebrate small wins. Stephanie also offers practical tips for small business owners, emphasising the importance of confidence and taking action.

In this episode of The Life-Friendly Business podcast, Erin Thomas Wong discusses the importance of building emotional resilience for business owners.

She highlights the challenges faced in running a business and offers strategies to develop resilience, including acceptance of challenges, self-awareness, maintaining a sense of purpose, flexibility, and protecting one's energy. The conversation emphasizes the need for support systems and community to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

In this episode Erin Thomas Wong speaks with Katherine Whitby, a Paediatric Nurse, Health Visitor and Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner, about the challenges new parents face in today's world.

They discuss the importance of providing emotional and practical support to parents, especially in light of the pandemic's impact on healthcare services. Katherine shares her journey in establishing Baby Steps, her approach to helping parents navigate misinformation on social media, and the significance of building trust and authority in her field.

The conversation also touches on maintaining a life-friendly approach to business, the 5% rule for effective management, and the need for clarity and adaptation in business strategies. Katherine shares valuable advice for fellow business owners from her 20 years experience, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one's purpose.

How Self-Leadership & Smart Decisions Fuel Your Business Success

In this conversation, Erin Thomas Wong shares her journey as a business owner, discussing the challenges and realizations she has encountered over the past year.

She emphasizes the importance of self-leadership, understanding decision fatigue, and the necessity of stepping into the CEO role of one's business.

Erin reflects on her personal experiences with anxiety and the need for validation, while also providing insights on how to manage decision fatigue and make better choices in both personal and professional life.

Takeaways

1. Self-leadership is crucial for personal and professional growth.

2. Decision fatigue can hinder productivity and decision-making.

3. It's important to embrace the CEO role in your business.

4. Every decision we make impacts our overall well-being.

5. Validation from others can be necessary during challenging times.

6. Recognizing when you're overwhelmed is key to better decision-making.

7. Setting boundaries is essential for managing responsibilities.

8. Procrastination may be a sign of decision fatigue.

9. Utilizing tools like checklists can help alleviate decision fatigue.

Season 6 is here! And you can now listen or watch this episode!

Today, Erin Thomas Wong shares her personal experiences and insights on implementing life-friendly strategies in business. She discusses the importance of clarity, planning for unexpected events, and maintaining a balance between work and personal life.

Erin emphasizes the need for self-care and the significance of having systems in place to ensure business continuity during challenging times.

The episode serves as a call to action for listeners to reflect on their own business practices and make necessary changes for a healthier work-life balance.

Takeaways

• The life-friendly approach can support you during unexpected events.
• Clarity is essential for making effective business decisions.
• Regular 'CEO time' can help prioritize tasks and reduce overwhelm.
• Planning ahead for at least 90 days can provide a clearer business overview.
• Saying no to certain commitments can protect your well-being.
• Automations can help maintain business operations during personal crises.
• Self-care is crucial for sustaining business success.
• Recognizing your limits is key to avoiding burnout.
• It's important to have systems in place to support your business.
• Sharing experiences can foster community and support among entrepreneurs.

About Erin

In this episode we are talking about the super important topic of time management. We'll dive into how you can achieve business success while still having a balanced personal life. I'll share tips on optimizing your time with simple exercises like time tracking to spot what’s holding your business back. We’ll talk about how to align your actions with your business goals and focus on the tasks that really make a difference. Plus, I’ll give you some pointers on balancing tasks through delegation, elimination, and automation to make things run smoother and boost productivity. Discover how self-care, mindfulness, and strategic planning can help you work smarter.

In this episode of the Life-Friendly Business podcast, I delve into the importance of learning to trust in ourselves. Reflecting on my own experiences, I discuss how slowing down and listening to our energy levels can lead to increased productivity and creativity. As we navigate the busyness of life, it's crucial to create white space in our schedules to enhance our performance and avoid burnout.

In this episode, I share my journey of transitioning to Kajabi as the backbone of my online business. From starting out with Wix and Joomla to embracing Kajabi's all-in-one platform tailored for digital creators, I now have a streamlined operation for my business.

The continuous innovation of Kajabi, ranging from podcast hosting, funnels to community forums, has enriched my business strategy over the years.

I also share how I have not only offset the cost of using the platform, but also made money by using Kajabi.

Even if you're not in the the market right now for a new website, hopefully this will give you some insight into what might be possible for you and the things that you need to be thinking about as your business grows.

In this episode, I chat to Mahnaz Sharif, a Work-Life Management Mentor, as we discuss the impact of establishing boundaries in both personal and professional life. Mahnaz shares her journey of recognizing the need for boundaries during lockdown, emphasizing the importance of self-care, balance, and setting limits to avoid overworking. She introduces a boundary-clock tool to help visualize and improve boundaries, highlighting the significance of prioritizing well-being alongside professional growth.

Mahnaz empowers driven women to work most efficiently in their life so they can have the success they truly desire and still be there for loved ones. She is the Founder of the Build with Boundaries Podcast and helps her clients learn to find their version of harmony, respect their time and energy so they can carve out time for them, their life, their family and their aspirations.

Today, we discuss the invisible load that many women, myself included, bear daily. This load includes mental and emotional burdens tied to caregiving, household tasks, and constant decision-making. I share how women often shoulder these responsibilities unconsciously, impacting our focus on work and life.

I emphasize the need for breaks to disconnect from this mental clutter. I provide tips to manage the invisible load, such as integrating responsibilities into work schedules, delegating tasks, and practicing self-compassion. By acknowledging and addressing these challenges, we empower ourselves to navigate them effectively, fostering a balanced and fulfilling personal and professional life.

Chapters

Join me, Erin, in this episode of the Life-Friendly Business Podcast as I share highlights from my experience at Atomicon 2024 in Newcastle, an annual conference by Andrew and Pete. Key insights include:

- Davina McCall on resilience and persistence.

- Jen Gottlieb on embracing the beginner mindset.

- Jasmine Kemp on targeted ad strategies.

- Mike Morrison on customer-centric memberships.

- Suzy Ashworth on high-value offerings.

- Suman Randhawa on heart-led sales.

- Lisa Bilyeu on proactive confidence building.

This week I'm talking to Janine Coombes, a Marketing Coach specialising in service offer positioning. She’s shared the stage with Deborah Meaden and regularly appears on internationally renowned stages such as Atomicon, MarketEd Live and You Are The Media.

We discuss offer creation, pricing strategies, and niching. If you've ever felt stuck on what your niche should be, or how you should price your offers, this episode is for you. You won't want to miss her tips on sizzling hot offers and the 3 P's!

Janine also shares her transition to entrepreneurship for work-life balance, and how she's able to run her business in a life-friendly way.

Free - The Charge More Guide

In this episode, we explore the often overlooked fear of success in entrepreneurship. We dive into the complexities of balancing business and family life while uncovering the mindset barriers that hinder us from embracing our full potential. By confronting deep-rooted beliefs around money and success, we can redefine our relationship with achieving success and scalability.

Embracing success can empower us to create a positive impact and expand our reach, with the support of a like-minded community to keep us motivated and accountable on our journey towards business growth.

Get ready for a powerful episode about the profound identity shift in women when they become a mother. Today I'm speaking to Amy Taylor-Kabbaz. Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. After more than a decade covering breaking news and current affairs for the ABC around the country, her 'traditional' career took an unexpected turn when she found herself lost, overwhelmed and diagnosed with a thyroid disease after the birth of her first daughter.

15 years - and two more babies - later, Amy is now one of the world’s leading specialists in the field of Matrescence. She is the author of the best-selling book ‘Mama Rising’, the host of the ‘The Happy Mama Movement’ podcast (with more than 500,000 downloads), an internationally awarded Life Coach and meditation teacher, and the creator of the #1 children’s podcast in Australia (with more than 23 million downloads!) ‘Bedtime Explorers’.

Amy and I share personal motherhood challenges and emphasize the importance of supporting women through this transition. Amy reflects on her career shift to advocate for maternal support through the Global Matrescence Foundation and highlights the societal pressures on mothers. She discusses the term 'mumpreneur' and stresses the importance of aligning personal and professional goals with motherhood.

And Amy shares a very moving story from her Mentor (which had me in tears) encouraging women to be patient with their journey, emphasizing self-acceptance and understanding during matrescence.

And we are back for Season 5! In this episode, I discuss the challenges women face in balancing work and personal life within their businesses, often leading to feelings of overwhelm and burnout. I stress the importance of introspection and carving out "CEO time" to assess how their businesses truly benefit them. We talk about the 7 core principles of a life-friendly business, highlighting flexibility, inspiration, income support, and self-compassion as crucial elements for well-being.

I encourage you to redefine success and take decisive action to create businesses aligned with your desired lifestyle, and emphasize the power individuals have in reshaping their professional paths for joy, fulfilment, and sustainability.

Chapters

0:00 Evaluating Your Business and Life Alignment

1:44 Recognizing Signs of Business Burnout

3:16 Taking Control and Making Positive Changes

5:13 Principles of a Life-Friendly Business

8:21 Finding Clarity and Seeking Support

In this final episode for our Visibility Series I emphasize the importance of visibility for a successful business. I discuss different ways to increase visibility and the mindset challenges that may arise. I also talk about streamlining tasks to create more time for focusing on the bigger picture.

Do reach out and let me know what you've enjoyed during this special Visibility Series! Find me on social @lifefriendlybiz or visit the website at www.lifefriendlybusiness.com

In this episode, we explore the world of self-publishing and its benefits for businesses and brands. We're joined by Linda Liebrand, a Book Marketing Specialist, who provides insights on why self-publishing is a great idea and shares tips for designing a compelling book cover. Linda also walks us through the process of self-publishing using Amazon KDP. Whether you're a business owner, existing or aspiring author, this interview is packed with informative and inspiring advice for your self-publishing journey.

Today I'm speaking to Jo Swann of Chocolate PR who helps mission led entrepreneurs to get their message heard via the power of the press. We discuss the benefits of PR, why you need to story tell rather than sell and how to overcome imposter syndrome. Jo also outlines two approaches: responding to media inquiries and taking stories directly to journalists, and what you need to have in place to get started.

Connect with Jo at www.chocolatepr.co.uk or check out her podcast PR Powerhouse.

Chapters

0:00:00 Setting up the business and helping people

0:03:23 Empowering entrepreneurs through the power of the press

0:08:55 Creating a Persona for Effective PR Visibility

0:10:35 Foundational Work before Approaching Journalists

0:11:46 Proactive PR Approach and Engaging with Journalists

0:14:23 Benefits of PR: Building Confidence and Opening Doors

0:18:10 The Long Game of PR and Building Expertise

0:26:26 The Importance of Consistency and Persistence in Marketing

0:28:07 The Need for an Ongoing Funnel and Consistent Marketing Efforts

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💥 I help women adopt a life-friendly approach to growing their business through my membership, mastermind and podcast

A brand is not about a logo, a brand is all about the relationship and the connections you make with people. Today Jill Pryor, Brand & Graphic Designer, shares her tips for using visual design to draw your ideal customers closer, how to create a consistent look and feel across your platforms and why your brand visuals and words are like a marriage.

Jill also shares her personal journey of running her business whilst dealing with the loss of a parent, the menopause and her daughter's mental health battle.

Using YouTube is a powerful way to build credibility and reach new audiences and to see this in action I've invited Louise Brogan, international speaker, writer, host of the LinkedIn with Louise Podcast and YouTube channel, back on to the podcast to share her experience of building her channel to over 6,500 subscribers, and where this fits in her business model.

We discuss building authority, a fear of success, whether you should give your best content away for free, and how to avoid the top mistakes that people make with YouTube.

Running an event is an amazing way to get yourself and your business in front of new audiences. Today I'm speaking to Natalie Pithers, Founder of the Curious Descendants Club and Genealogy Stories, about the inspiring event she created about The History of Ukraine, which not only raised £56k for charity, but also led to her dream job. We also discuss the challenges of running a business as a single mother of 3, avoiding burnout and utilizing FOMO!

Are you discounting TikTok because you don't think it's the right demographic for you or your audience? Think again. Today I'm speaking to Michelle Haslam, TikTokPreneur, who shares her story of growing her account to over 77k followers and how she has made money through utilising the platform. Michelle offers some surprising insights on how best to grow your following and how to avoid the most common mistakes people make.

Does the idea of a networking event fill you with dread? Or maybe you feel like it never yields the results it should? We all know that getting ourselves out there in person is a great way to tell more people what we do, but are we approaching it with the right mindset?

Today, as part of The Visibility Series, I'm speaking to Joanne Dewberry - Networking Ninja, Sage Business Expert & Multi-Award Winning Blogger.

Joanne shares her tips for successful networking and how to avoid the top 3 mistakes people make.

You can connect with Joanne at https://joannedewberry.co.uk/

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💥 I help women adopt a life-friendly approach to growing their business through my membership, mastermind and podcast

How do you get visible when you really don't feel like doing it? If you're feeling massive resistance to putting yourself out there, it could be that you need to find your own way of doing it, and that's exactly what Laura Robinson has managed to do.

Listen for the top 3 mistakes people make when trying to get visible, and how to avoid them.

When I speak to my clients about putting themselves out there and getting visible, there is a huge gap between what they KNOW they could be doing, and what they actually DO. Today I share the 3 keys to getting visible in a consistent and sustainable way.

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

I'm back for Season 4! Before we dive in to our special Visibility Series for this season, I wanted to give a little update on my quest to simplify my business that I touched on in Episode 50, and I had lots of people reach out to say the topic really resonated with them. So this is what's happened in the last 4 months...

💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. If you're feeling overwhelmed, overstretched and pulled in different directions, it could be that you're simply trying to do too many things. And when our focus is split, we're not able to give our full attention to the things that matter.

'Simplify' is going to be my word for this year and so in this final episode of Season 3 I share behind the scenes of my business and the realisations I have had.

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

I discuss why Community and Connection are the two things that drive my business and how that creates a ripple effect for the women I work with.

Are you creating community around your brand? Listen now for why you should.

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

I'm speaking with Darya Simanovich, CEO & Founder of Chelsea Creperie, Chelsea Swim Spa, and the social enterprise Buy One Give One. After arriving in the UK with £200 in her pocket, no English and no connections, she has grown an impressive portfolio of businesses. 

We discuss the importance of building a team of people around you, how she has funded her businesses and why she recommends lean startups.

Connect with Darya on Instagram @daryasimanovich

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

If you're feeling a bit flat, a bit 'meh' and a bit uninspired right now, this episode is for you. I share 5 questions to help you reignite your business mojo and get you back on track!

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

We are busting a myth today. The myth that if you work part time, it means half the pay. I'm speaking with Ali Geake, Donor Communications Consultant, who shares her journey of building her business around her life-friendly boundaries, and how she has tripled her income on part time hours.

Connect with Ali at www.aligeake.com

www.linkedin.com/in/aligeake

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

If you want a life-friendly business this year you need to be super intentional with your time and energy. Do you need to learn how to say no to things which are pulling you away from what really matters? Let's discuss!

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

After 14 years in business I share the 5 hard truths I wish someone had told me when I started. Listen now for my insights!

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

In this interview with Marion Ellis from Love Surveying we discuss how she navigated change and now helps others do the same.

We talk about being a woman in a male dominated industry, going through the menopause and juggling business and family.

At Love Surveying Marion provides the support, coaching, and networking surveyors and property professionals need to confidently handle career challenges and navigate the business journey that’s right for them.

Founder of The Surveyor Hub podcast and community Marion also supports surveyors in business through her coaching and mentoring programmes.

Connect with her at www.lovesurveying.com

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

Are you making judgements and decisions in your business from a place of fear? If you do, you're really not alone. Today we're discussing how this fear could be holding you back, and I share an old fear inventory from the past which stopped me in my tracks.

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💥 I help women build life-friendly businesses on their own terms through my membership, mastermind and podcast.

In the last episode of Season 2 we discuss something which maybe isn't talked about enough.... feeling like you want to give up and close your business. This is something so many of us go through and it's important to be honest with how you're feeling and get support.

Season 3 will return in a few months time so in the meantime do keep in touch with me via my email list. 

This week we're discussing the power of the hive mind, and the surprising benefits of immersing yourself in a mastermind. 

The term 'Mastermind' was coined by Napoleon Hill in his book 'Think and Grow Rich". The mastermind concept allows you to leverage the different skills and talents of two or more people to produce a better result. In fact, many businesses, small and large, have thrived by being part of one. 

In today's episode I share my opinion on why masterminding is invaluable for a small business owner.

Are you frustrated with slow growth in your business? Do you feel like you are missing crucial pieces of the puzzle? Are you investing in one course after another looking for the answer?

This episode is for you. Here's maybe why you haven't made the progress you're looking for.

Today we're talking with Animal Communicator & Healer, Susannah Rafelle of Self Selection For Animals. Susannah has been able to talk to animals all her life and she uses this gift to help people to have happier and healthier animals and a peaceful family life. She has built her business around her gift, and we discuss the challenges of charging what you're worth, and learning to be business savvy.

Should you spend money on business support if you're not even making enough money to pay yourself? How can you justify paying out for something if there's not a tangible financial return?

Erin shares her own experience of investing over the last 13 years, explains the difference between a mentor, coach & consultant and offers you these questions to consider every time you think about investing:

1. Will this give me the confidence to market myself more easily, and therefore make more sales?
2. Will this teach me valuable skills to grow my business, which would take me years to learn on my own?
3. Will having this support make running my own business more enjoyable and less stressful?
4. Will doing this reduce my self doubt, overwhelm and procrastination?
5. Have I been meaning to make a change or develop something for aaaaaages and it’s just not happening when I try to do it alone?
6. Will I be able to recoup the money I’m investing with the sales I make as a result? (for example, within the next year?)