Suzanne Chadwick
Welcome to 2024 lovely, I am so excited to share today's episode with you, it's gonna be awesome. I took myself out for a planning session the other day. And I shared that process on my Instagram stories. And I wrote a little post about it. And the response that I had was amazing. And it was definitely something that really resonated with people. And so I wanted to do a little bit of a deep dive here on the podcast about it. I love to do deep dives here on the podcast. And so it was really looking at how you plan for the next 12 months, whatever year it is that you're going into, and do it in a really energized way. Something that inspires you planning that inspires and excites and fuels you for the year ahead. And it's not boring. And it's not just tactical, but it's like oh, so juicy.

Welcome to the brand builders lab podcast. I'm your host Chadwick certified business and mindset coach, author and speaker Each week, we'll be talking about simple but powerful business and mindset strategies that will help you build a lean, clean and profitable business. So you can learn to get out of your own way and pay yourself more more. Forget average, it's time to level up.

So if you want Oh, so juicy planning, then you come to the right place. But listen, before we dive in, I do want to remind you that as this podcast goes live, the doors or the applications to the amplify mastermind are open now, who is this for? You either are or you want to be a coach, or consultant, or you are a service provider. So it might just be you, you might have an agency, you might have a team. So this is specifically for service providers who want to build knowledge based businesses, where you are sharing your expertise, you are wanting to build your personal brand, you are wanting to become known for what it is that you talk about, and what you do. And within amplify. That's what we help you to build, grow and scale. So you could want to be a speaker podcaster author, maybe you're just really wanting to get off the tools and start to mentor and coach others you might want to build digital products and programs, whatever it is that sits within that realm, which are all the things that I do, then that's what the amplify mastermind is all about. And it's about creating a community of others who are doing similar things where you can come and have honest conversations, talk about all the things that matter to you. So if that fits the bill for you, and you're like Suze, I want to become confident I want to become a confident creator online. I want to become a confident coach or consultant, mentor, or leader in my business come and apply for the amplify mastermind, all you have to do is go to CS chadwick.com, forward slash amplify, because it's all about amplifying your message, your impact your income and your influence. So if you've got any questions, just DM me at Suzanne Chadwick, I'm more than happy to answer them for you. But I am excited for what 2024 has to bring. We've got both the online and the in person options. If you are in Melbourne, or I did have somebody who was actually from overseas that was like, I might just fly in for whatever in person events that you've got going on with the mastermind. And I was like that is the kind of commitment that I like to say. So if you've got any questions, let me know. But otherwise, let's dive into add ons. So juicy planning. So let's talk about planning. When I say let's do some planning. Are you excited? Are you bored? Are you like, Yes, let's go. Maybe you're thinking I don't even know how to plan says I don't know how to plan for my business. I don't know how to plan to create the things that I want. So in this process, I'm going to take you through three core exercises that I do when I'm planning. So if you are watching the video, which will be on the show notes page as well. I've got my little notepad that I take with me and I write it all down because I do feel like being tactical as well. When I went to Tony Robbins he said when you write it you ignite it. Like that really aligns with my Oh, so juicy planning. So I am writing it down in my notebook so that I can ignite it and then I can always transfer it to a signer where we project plan how I'm going to do that as well. So the first thing which is more the typical thing that you would do when you're Planning for your business is obviously looking at your business plan. Now, one of the things that I teach and I talk about in BBA is going through all of your strategies. So when I'm looking at what I'm going to be doing for the next year, as I'm recording this, we're about to head out of 2023 and into 2024. And I'm looking at what did we do in 2023? What felt good? What is it that I don't want to do anymore? What are the things that I need to be aware of, so that when I plan for 2024, I'm really looking at what I'm trying to achieve, do be have all the rest of it. So first of all, I'm actually going to start with my words. So my word for 2024 is going to be community. It's really about community connection in person. So that is something I want to do more, I want to bring my online community together, and I want to start being more in person for some of the things that I'm doing in my business, which is how I started my business, and something that I really love to do, and I miss, I really miss it. So that's a focus for me is starting with my word, which is all about community. Because when I know what it is that I'm trying to achieve or focus on for the year, that obviously filters into my business planning. So the first thing that I'm going to do and like I said before, if you struggle with this, this is what I teach in BBA. But I'm going to take a look at what my brand strategy is, what is it that I want to focus on and be known for this year? Really looking at who we're serving, has that shifted? Or has that changed? Is there anything that we want to do to go deeper when it comes to the people that we are teaching serving, working with. And so I think that it's worth looking at that because I think sometimes we get better at articulating that. Even if you're not shifting who you're working with and what you're doing, we get better at articulating that that person, what they are struggling with what they desire, what they want, and how we meet that need. Because you remember, part of your brand strategy is your USP or your UVP, which is your unique selling proposition or your unique value proposition.

So if you can continue to make that better, make it clearer, make it more on point as to why you're the person that they should be working with, and how you uniquely provide value to your clients, then that is time well spent. Like this is not something that I'm going to say gloss over like you do it once you never have to do it again, every year, I'm looking at how do we really define and build and grow the brand? And what does that look like? So that's the first thing. The second thing is obviously your business strategy. So reviewing and taking a look at your products and services, how much you're charging? are you increasing your prices? Are you doing anything new? Are you getting rid of any products and services. And so taking a look obviously at what has happened in the past 12 months, and then looking at what you want to happen in the next 12 months is really important, and not just kind of letting things roll. Like if you already know that everything's running really well, and you're really happy with all your products and services. And you're like, Yep, let's just keep going, let the momentum keep rolling. Like we are good then amazing. But it's always good to review and say, especially within your business strategy and looking at your financials, what was our profit and loss for the last 12 months? And what are we going to focus on? Are we going to be giving ourselves a new goal of increasing our revenue or our profit by 1020 30%? Is there anything else that we want to be focusing on and doing? So one of the things for me is really taking a look at BVC, which is the personal brand agency that I started in 2023? You know, I started that we haven't done a huge amount because I've had other things on, but then it's really taking a look at how is that going to fit in with the work that I'm doing with what I'm wanting to do with clients, how we're serving clients, when it comes to helping them to really execute on building their personal brand? And what is the revenue look like? And the goals for revenue look like for that particular business? We then take a look at your sales and marketing strategy. And so I was really looking at how we plan out for that I'm actually going to have an in person session with my VA in January when we come back to take a look at what our sales and marketing looks like. What are the campaigns that we're going to run? What is it that we're focusing on when are our launch dates, all of those sorts of things, so that we can obviously then meet my business strategy for the revenue that I want to generate in the business. And within that also taking a look at like what do I need as far as team goes? Like, is it okay with what I have just my VA and contract actors? Do I want to bring more support on? What what is it that I want to do. And so really taking a look at all of those elements, which I think is just stock standard for business planning. Now, I just want to remind you, and I'll put the link in the show notes. But your best year yet, like review, and planner is something that I have had for years, it's something that you can grab, and we'll have the link in the show notes. And it really just asks you all of these questions, as far as planning your brand, strategy, your business strategy, your sales and marketing strategy, as well. And so those are some core things to really look at. As far as standard planning goes. Another one is, obviously your systems as well. And whether you need to change, update those. So as I said before, my word for 2024 is going to be community, it's about building community, really nurturing my community bringing my community together. So we're changing platforms. So I have been with Kajabi for years. And whilst Kajabi is great for my courses, it doesn't we don't do our emails through it, we don't do our website through, we don't have our communities on it. So it really just houses, my courses. And now, there are so many other platforms that community driven, where the courses are just part and parcel of the platform. And so it's all about community first, which is exactly what I want. And then within the same platform, we've got the community, we've got courses, we've got, like events, all the rest of it. So I have recently found a new platform that I will be sharing with you that we are moving all of our courses and all of our communities to in 2024, which I'm super excited about. But that has been a Systems Assessment for us. So really taking a look at what we need to do now one of the things that I did do, whilst I was going through my planning was I actually ran a Profit and Loss report, take a look at all of this software and the systems that I currently pay for. And I went and checked every single one to make sure, yes, I still need that. Yes, I still want that, yes, we are still using that, and got rid of anything that I wasn't using anymore, which was great. And so now I know, okay, so my expenses from software is around about, I don't know, 1000 1500 a month, and then my team costs x amount, and then any other support. So things like my insurance, my accounting, any legal fees, like what that looks like to so when you are looking at your costs for the business, obviously, being really aware of what those particular costs are, are really important too, so that you don't have money slipping out of your account that you're not consciously and actively using and aware of. So that I feel is the first thing that you do when you're planning. And that's what most people do when they're planning. When we talk about business planning. Those are the things people look at. And then we're like, okay, cool, we've done our business planning. But what I want to talk about is planning holistically for the next 12 months. And because we are not just business owners, but we are human beings with interests and families and people around us and creative desires and all the rest of it. I don't just plan for my business. When I do planning, I do what we've just talked about my business planning. The next thing that I do with my planning is that I have a number of things I focus on number one is health. Number two is wealth. Number three is family. Or you could have a social. And the fourth one is self. And so when I take a look at that, I think about my health, I think, okay, what is something that I really want to focus on this year? What is something that I really want to work towards? What are my goals around my health? And I'll give you a really simple example. Everyone's always like, yes, I want to, I want to lose 20 kilos, or whatever that is. And yes, that is definitely a goal where I want to get fitter and healthier. And I want to fit into my clothes better. But for me, one of the things is that I've been waking up with a lot of headaches. Now I am somebody who does get headaches. So it's not completely unusual. But it's gotten to the point where I'm actually like, I just feel like I need to completely revamp the way I'm looking after myself where I eat reducing coffee, like eliminating as much sugar as possible. I'm a big sleeper, which is great. I've never really had a massive problem with sleep. But just looking at how do I want to function? How can I make my body function better for me, so that I feel really good when I win Wake up in the morning, I wake up with a headache. But I wake up feeling amazing. And so even just over the last couple of weeks since doing this planning, and changing a few things in my diet and what I'm doing, I actually have not been waking up with headaches, which is amazing. But also things like I really want to become more flexible. I want to really look after my body and work on flexibility and work on having a body that feels healthy, being limber, all those sorts of things. And so that is one of my health goals. So I want you to ask yourself, when it comes to your health, and this is not about your weight, it's about how can you feel better in your body, in your skin in your mind, so that you are living your optimal life, because one of the things that I believe and that I have heard many people who I admire and I follow is that when you are a business owner, being healthy and looking after yourself does seep into your business success. Because if you're always tired, and you're feeling rubbish, are you going to be at your optimal when you're working with clients? Are you going to be at your optimal when you are creating? Yeah, or just building your business? So health from that perspective is how do I become the best version of myself and take a look at what areas you might need to shift and change those things, and get the support that you need if you need it. Last year, I

hired a health coach, I have told you before I check in with my life coach every now and again as well. Whatever you need to feel at your best is really important. The second thing is wealth. For me something around wealth is that I want to increase my pay this year, within my own business. And I want to really take a look at where we're investing money, where we're saving money where we're spending money, and be in those conversations with my husband, so that I can really see like, how long are we off from paying the house off? Is there anything else that we could do to pay the house or sooner is an investment property, something that we can think about? How do we want to build wealth for ourselves? And I think just sometimes just asking the question, whilst you may not always have the answers straight away, it just starts you thinking in a different way as well, where you can kind of be like, Okay, if I want to build wealth, what are the different ways that I could build wealth? And am I happy with what I'm paying myself? Do I want to pay myself more? Do I want to put more money in Super, two, I want to start paying myself super? Yes, those sorts of things. So really taking a look at your wealth, and what your goals are around that to the next one is for me is around family. And you might have this could be around friends, it could be around social. So from a family perspective, there are certain things within my family that I want to continue to support my kids with. There are things that I would like my kids to be doing more of. And so how do I then set goals so that we spend really quality time as a family, we do things that we love as a family, but other things like date night, so we're going to be away over the Christmas New Year break. And there was a music gig happening. And when I listened to the group that is going to be playing where we're going away on a holiday, I was like, I love this music. So I went and I found a babysitter in the holiday town that we're in, I booked tickets. And I'm like start as you mean to continue. I want to have more music gigs. I want to go on date nights that have activities and fun. Like, I love piano and because so paint and sip type things or musicals like I went and saw Moulin Rouge for the third time. And I took my son, and he absolutely loved it. And it's just really saying, what is it that I want to do with the family that makes me happy with my partner that makes us happy. That helps us build a stronger relationship. That means that we don't just fall into the rut of day to day life and just the grind of it all times, where it gets really easy just to get into a rut and for life to become really boring. And I just don't want to be one of those people. So in order to not be one of those people, I then have to intentionally set things so that we are doing things that we love. And so my hubby printed off a 2024 calendar, and we're taking a look at lots of little trips to go away. So where do we want to go? What do we want to do when we're planning it out? And we can book it and those sorts of things. So that we've got more things to look forward to. We've done some really big holidays in the last year or so sort of post COVID And so we were listening to a A podcast and the guy was saying you can go on these big trips, but they kind of fizzle out really quickly as in, you go away. And then it's not so new anymore, but you spent all of your money on this particular trip. And he said, you can actually get a lot more satisfaction and joy out of life if you plan a lot of little things. Because then you get a lot of newness, and you get a lot of new adventures, and you get a lot of things to look forward to. And so we decided that this year as a family, that's what we're going to do, we're going to do some daddy and daughter and daddy and son dates. And the same with me, mum and daughter, and mum and son, dates, dates for me and my hubby, dates as a family, those sorts of things. So, family was the other thing that I was planning. And I think the thing that I need to think about when I do that, for business, is putting our family things in the diary first, and then putting the business around that. And I always love the story. And I don't know that Brene Brown was the one that originally told the story. But I just remember her sharing it where when you've got a big glass jar, and you've got boulders, you've got pebbles, and you've got sand. And so what you want to do is that if you fill the glass jar with sand, which are all the little things, or the little things that don't matter, then you don't have any room to put the biggest stones and the pebbles in, which are the things that are more important. So with your glass jar, put the big stones in first, which are things like health, wealth, Family Self, put those big stones in first. And then the next thing are the pebbles, which for me are the business and other things like they're really important to me, but they're not as important as my health, wealth family itself. And then I put the pebbles in, and then the sand, kind of when you pour the sand into the glass jar, then it kind of fills in all of the extra space. And so you've just got to really plan and build according to your priorities. And so put your priorities first on the calendar, when are the school holidays, if you've got kids, when are the school holidays, when are birthdays, when our family trips away, when are important dates. And then once those are on the calendar, then I start to plan my business. And I've always done that. And I think that that just really helps with making sure that you don't miss things that are really important. And the last thing in this section, so obviously our first section is the business planning the review and the plan. The second section is more holistically for yourself. And so number four is self. So for me, I was really thinking about what is my mind management practices going to be this year, really working on like my own self belief and the relationships that I have. So relationships with my partner built relationships with friends, relationships with peers, relationships with people who support me and care for me, and helped me to go further. And so one of those things for me was the Tony Robbins trip that I did with Marianne. And so that was very much for myself, it was an opportunity for me to fully immerse myself into a new way of thinking, being learning, energetically, and just creating space for me to do the personal development that I've been wanting to do. And so I want you to think about when it comes to self, what are some of the things that you really want for yourself. And this is not about your children, it's not about your partner, it's not about your business. But if you were to just take those away for a moment, and think if I was to be truly happy in myself, what are the things that I would need to think about and do that would make the biggest difference. And I will just always remember, when I was single before I met my husband, I remember going through a period of time where I was just focused on me. I was focused on becoming the healthiest version of myself. I got my finances under control. I was spending time with people who I loved I was traveling, I was really creating the best life for myself, and for me to be the best person in my life. And I think a lot of times with business and family and all the rest of it. It's really easy to put ourselves last but us to become the last thing that we think about the last person that we consider. And I just really want to encourage you to remember the whole you have to put your hours oxygen mask on first, before you can help others. And that's why when it comes to self in your planning, this is probably one of the most important things. How are you going to nourish yourself? How are you going to create the life and the environment and the support system that you need in order for you to thrive. Because if you're not thriving, everything else will suffer. Don't think that just because you give, give, give, give, that it's going to be the best of your giving. It's only when we plan and we live in a place where we put ourselves in a place to thrive, that then we can be amazing in our business and amazing partners, and amazing parents, and amazing friends. And I just don't want you to lose sight of that. That's like a really important thing to remember and think about as well. So that was section two, health, wealth, family and self. Yeah. So let me know how you go with that as well. And then the last thing that I do when I am planning, and this just this is the juiciness This is what feels amazing is that I write a letter to myself for the next 12 months. And that letter is as if I want you to think about if you were writing to somebody that you deeply loved, that you deeply believed in, that you wanted to support and encourage and inspire. Guess I want you to imagine like that there's a person that you want to do all of those things for. And then you're writing her a letter, that he's going to do all of that for her for the next 12 months.

So this letter that you're going to write yourself, I want you to be like Dr. Seuss, I just want you to know that I think that you are incredible. I think all of these things of you. i When I look back on what you've done in the last 12 months, I know it's been hard, I know that you've had challenges, I know that you have struggled with these things and name them. Yeah. But I want you to know that in the next 12 months you are going to soar, you are going to create your best work, you are going to show up as your best self, you are going to have experiences that you have been dreaming of and wishing for that you are going to become that next version of yourself that I believe in 100%. And I just want you in your own words, to really think about everything that you would want to say to yourself in this moment that is going to speak to the struggle you've maybe been through that's going to speak to the self doubt that you have. And I want you to share everything that is going to inspire and encourage you for the coming months that is going to blow like when you reread it, it's going to blow you out the water. Like if I even want you to like if there's not tears, you've not gone hard. If you don't have tears when you're reading this letter to yourself, you held back. Like I want you to feel deeply into this letter that you write yourself. Like I want you to read it and go I'm blowing myself away. Like this is the most incredible LETTER I've ever received. And yes, you can receive a letter from yourself. But that's how I want you to feel about it. This is the most incredible LETTER I've ever written. This is the most incredible LETTER I've ever received. I received this wholeheartedly, I am going to step into this belief that this person who is my past self is telling me I can step into in order for me to become my future self. Like I embrace all of this, I accept it. I hear it, I take it in and I am going to use this and live this in the coming months. It will be one of the most powerful things you'll do. And I want you to feel it, like really feel it. And maybe it's something you'll read once a month. Maybe it's something you'll go back to every time you feel a little down every time something doesn't go your way. Maybe you'll go back to this letter, and you'll reread it and it'll re inspire you and reinvigorate you and re energize you because that You can trust this because it came from you. And so that is my three part planning that I do that I wanted to share with you. And I hope that you do it. And I hope that you feel connected to it. And I hope that it's something that you walk away just going oh my oh, that was the most powerful planning that I've ever done. And that it really fuels you for the coming months. I'm going to try not to get emotional as I say this to you. I want so much for you. If you have sat and you've doubted yourself, we all do. If you've sat and you've doubted yourself, and you've wondered, Is this worth it? Like this has been hard? And when is it going to get easier. And I've had these amazing ups, but I've also had these incredible lows, I just want you to know that you're not alone. And that we all go through it. And one of the reasons why community is my word for 2024 is because I want you to feel like a pair of warm arms around you that you are cared for you are thought about you are not alone and that you can achieve the things that you want. Is it going to be easy? Probably not. Is it going to take a lot from you, and a lot for you to build and grow the things that you want. And I'm not just talking about in business but in life. Yeah, it is. But that's what we came here for. That's what you were you were built for. Yeah. And I believe that what you want to achieve in the next 12 months, if you commit to it, if you show up. If you ask for help, you will make it happen. So my beautiful, amazing, gorgeous community. I just want to tell you, that I love you. And thank you for your support this year. It's been a tough year for many, many people. And you have sustained me, you have encouraged me. You have been there for me and I am always always so so grateful. Have an amazing break if you are off as you're listening to this, and I will speak to you oh so sane

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