Do you ever want to be given a plan, a step-by step approach or a list of instructions, “Do this and your business will grow”?

Well this is pretty close…

In the ever-evolving world of business, achieving sustainable growth is a goal that's often easier said than done. It requires a well-thought-out strategy and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

To help you navigate this journey, I’d like to share the SVO Model of Sustainability and Growth TM – a simple yet effective framework that emphasizes simplicity, verification, and seizing opportunities. By following this model, you can create a robust foundation for your business's long-term success.

Do you enjoy reading?

I love to read. I’m slowly making my way through stacks of books that I have around the house.

An ideal vacation for me would be to sit somewhere peaceful and read. (Preferably somewhere in or near nature.)

But reading for me is a way to learn, escape, grow, expand, or deepen my understanding of the world around me and of myself.

While I love a great fiction novel I do read many non-fiction and professional development books. Some have really made an impact on my own growth and the growth of my career and business.

I’d love to share some with you today…

Several years ago my husband and I were asking questions like: Will we have enough to retire? How much is ‘enough’? What do we need? What do we want our future to look like?

We’ve both worked in the financial industry and we have a good understanding and knowledge of personal finance. However, we wanted more than our general understanding and wanted to speak with an expert in retirement planning.

We explored possibilities and chose someone who we love working with and has the expertise we needed.

Once we made that move I felt incredibly relieved. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders because we now have a plan built for us.

And, I feel more confident in our ongoing day-to-day financial decisions because I know where we are in relation to where we are going with our ‘plan’. It was a very smart decision for us and I’m so thrilled we made it.

Getting help in the areas you need it is important. We can’t be all the things.

And we don’t know what we don’t know.

You can apply this to a number of areas in life.

When I started my business, and I started writing my newsletters and blogs, I found myself signing off with the words “NOW is YOUR time.”

It just happened the first or second time I started to write. Those words came out on paper naturally (I often write on paper first and then transfer to my computer; my writing seems to flow better that way :)).

I was thinking about these words recently and thought about what I meant by them.

And, what I was reminded of came easily to the page (again). NOW is YOUR time, for me means that it’s time to cultivate the courage to take your next step now.

Your next step could be…

What a question…..and, a question I’m often asked.

It can also be a deeply held belief that some of the business owners I begin working with have: that their business can’t possibly grow because they are already maxed out….or close to it.

This is where the intervention begins :)

Yes, growing your business is hard work and you will have to put the work in. I want to lay that out right now.

However, it’s where you put your energy that counts as you grow and expand into a future vision of your business that delivers results…..and maintains your sanity and personal relationships too.

It’s about laying the foundation for growth.

A house cannot be build on a faulty foundation. It doesn’t sound fun but it’s soooo important and you’ll find that when you do have a solid foundation….after you’ve put in the work to create one…it IS fun. It’s exciting to see what you, your team and business are capable of at that point.

So what does a foundation for growth look like?

Connecting to your work is easy for some and can be difficult for others. There are many factors that can impact how much you connect with the work you do, such as your career stage, proper job fit, etc. etc., but regardless of where you are, there are things that you can do to enhance your enjoyment of your work.

It’s something you may…or may not have heard before.

It can happen to any of us, getting to that point in our career where we don’t know what to do next. And then suddenly, that lack of direction can turn into the feeling of being stuck.

I find the tipping point in going from ‘exploring options’ to ‘stuck’ is when we let fear drive the ‘career path’ bus.

When it comes to looking for new opportunities within your company or organization, it really comes down to two things - who knows you and who knows what you are capable of. In other words, it comes down to exposure.

In my years of working as a sales professional and teaching sales at a Fortune 500 company, I've seen people held back by their own self-diagnosed assessments that they 'can't sell' or don't know 'how to sell'. 

I now coach people who are promoting their small businesses or in career transition and I've seen trends that can make a big impact to your personal sales process (whether selling your skills, product or service).

This chance encounter was not so 'by chance'. And, it reinforced a concept that I learned early on in my sales career...

I've been in a number of conversations with professionals/business owners who want better for themselves - who are striving to put their talents and skills to better or more constructive use, who want to feel fulfilled each day, or who want to step into their own leadership skills and lead with confidence.

He proceeded to tell me his story of working in the financial industry and how he became so dissatisfied that it significantly impacted him professionally and personally. He said that he almost became a different person. 

I had this realization a while back and since then, I've found it to be true so many times that I thought I would share it here.  

I realized that as we move through our days, we are faced with a myriad of opportunities in how we 'show up'.