• Celebrating 3 years of The Artisans Business Solutions
• Setting yourself up for success in 2023
• Creating space for ways of working
• Email Unsubscribing

Welcome to Take Control with Nicole, as business owners we experience first hand the fine line between our personal and business lives. During our conversations, we will look at simple hints and tips to create time, reduce overwhelm, and help you to navigate through your journey to where you want to be. If you’re looking for smarter ways to work, and create space and time freedom in your day, then you’re in the right place. All right, let’s go.

Well, hello, welcome to the first episode of Take Control with Nicole for 2023. Ah, I know whenever we shift over to that next year, take that leap from December to January it takes me a red hot moment to start to connect with the next date in the year to move from 2022 to 2023, but we’re off to a right start, we’ve got that correct already. Yay. Anywho, what have you been up to over the Christmas holidays, the Christmas break, if that’s what you chose to do? Because I know that in business world, many of us we don’t actually stop. We have that choice to design our businesses and the way that we move in and out of each of the months and the year and the fluidity of how we choose to business and human, that maybe you’ve been operating over these past few weeks and it’s just business as normal. Whereas some other people like myself, we’ve chosen to take a pause on the things. And we actually went away for a break to Ocean Grove with the family over Christmas in New Year, which was glorious. So excited, though to be back and to start sharing with you my ideas of first of all, before I jump into that. totally forgot yesterday was a momentous moment. Can you say that in a sentence? I don’t know, I’m going to momentous moment for the Artisans it was our third birthday. Now, flashing back to 2020 when I hit go on the Artisans Business Solutions, did I see I was going to be at this point recording you this episode? I don’t know, I had visions of what it could be and I know that every decision and experience has shaped where we are and how I’ve arrived to this moment today. And I just am so thankful and excited about all the things that have happened and are going to happen from this moment on. So for everybody who has been in my journey, which everyone who is listening here today, that is you, thank you so much for contributing and providing those experiences for me and those evidences that I am doing a thing. And it’s a fabulous thing and I’m loving it. So thank you shout out to you all. So today’s episode, what I wanted to have a conversation about and bring out space and our container for today is really about setting ourselves up for this year, whatever that might be. Now, one of the things that I do sort of every quarter, to be honest, so we’re hitting over another quarter, is just re looking at or looking at how we’ve been operating and what we like, what’s worked, what hasn’t worked, what are we actually going to say goodbye to thank you for serving me for this moment in time and what are we leaning into? What are we moving towards? The first place I’d love to start is let’s just have a human moment. Let’s give ourselves this opportunity to actually connect in with you as a human. You as a partner, as a puppy owner, as a parent, as a business owner, as a friend, as a community member, all the things so lots of hats might actually put my multiple hats on this episode who knows I love that image if you haven’t seen it, pop on the socials go and have a look. It’s really fun. Let’s just check in how have you actually danced into January? How are you feeling? You know, are you excited about this year? Are you still feeling a bit tired? Have you had a rest? What is it that you need as a human first? Because I know that’s one big lesson from last year is we tend and we can just keep on going were pushing through the things especially last year the real feel and the vibrations that I was picking up from many a conversation especially heading in through November and December time was you know this this underlying rush and push and just get things done and gotta say yes, say yes to the things and lala lala land, hundreds of outings. You know how are you arriving here today as you pop in your air pods and listen to this episode.

Hello there, I’m just interrupting this episode as I would love to invite you to come on in and join us inside the Members Lounge. My community have shared with me that they joined initially, because they really wanted to discover the power of ClickUp, they wanted to be able to design, build, and connect their ClickUps within their own individual businesses. However, once they were inside, they really discovered how the power of looking at the foundations of your operational areas of your business and designing those really to set you up for success is such a powerful element. And guess what else, we have a fabulous community inside. So once you’re in, you’re never gonna want to leave. So come on over, have a look. Go to my website, theartisans.com.au and pop up to the Members Lounge button at the top. And we look forward to supporting you as you discover how fabulous it is when you’re confidently striding down easy street. See you inside the lounge.

One thing we can look at and one thing we can evolve, is preventional planning. Is that the right word? I don’t know. Thinking about how we want to experience this year. How do we want to feel when we get to December 2023? Do we look back on this year and have that same feeling of it was a push. Or are we energised and excited about putting up that Christmas tree? If that’s what you do. Or are we feeling whatever way you want to be feeling I’m not going to put words in your mouth, this is absolutely a time for you. So have a moment if you need to pause, do that. Have a moment and check in sorry, talking about the businessing things. Let’s do some housekeeping, some cleanings and spring cleaning, summer cleaning, whatever you want to call it. But the first place I like to create some space for is ways of working, thinking back across the last sort of 12 months, even the last three months in particular, what were those things that really stood out in the way that you were operating in your business that you thought there’s got to be a better way, there must be a better way out there of doing x y z. Fabulous awareness. When we’re aware that this is not the way we want to continue going forward. So we have a fabulous opportunity now here to dive in a little bit deeper and see what is happening there. Why is it creating those feelings? Can I shift things slightly? Is it time to outsource? Whatever it might be, give yourself that space to actually think about it, identify those key priority areas that are really causing you that pain or that feeling of yuck. We’ve got then some action items to start to focus in on for this year.

Another one is subscriptions and systems, the two s’s. So sometimes we especially in those early times of business, we tend to press yes, buy here. Take my credit card details, take my money, I want all the things and the highest subscription. So this is a really great opportunity to just pause for a moment and review what is actually going in and out of your bank accounts. What are you actually using, I will have if you’re interested a ClickUp template for fun, where you can actually capture your subscriptions and keep an eye on those things. So I might put the links in the show notes. So pop on over and download that if that’s something of use for you in this particular moment as you’re listening. Another one is email unsubscribing, you may have arrived back to your inbox if you had switched off for the last few weeks. And it may be a little bit look on in there. There’s a couple of things that we can look at here, our communication strategies. So that’s the first place to think about how are we actually encouraging our humans to communicate with us. I know for me, email is not a primary source of communication. For me, I have my tools such as WhatsApp and Slack and also into ClickUp and other project management tools that my clients are using. We primarily communicate especially action tasks in those project management tools, and the human connection points in those lives that have fast fire conversations in those other ports of call. It’s honestly a fabulous way to reduce the amount of incoming emails in your inbox. The other thing that tends to sometimes clog up our inboxes are all those subscription emails that we have subscribed to thinking with best intentions that that is the information we want to see in our inboxes. What tends to happen, we don’t read them they pile up, we end up with 1000s of things going on. So have a moment to just go through and declutter that, unsubscribe, create those rules, introduce some new ways of operating in the way that you communicate into your team and also with your clients. These other methods can really enhance the connection with your humans, for your team and your clients as well. Really bringing that personable element to it that sometimes can be hidden in emails, however, saying this, my fabulous friend and human Kathy Rast has shared with us a way that you can really enhance your out of office messages to continue connection with your clients. So that’s an offering that she is promoting, not promoting, popping it out to the world and inviting you to come and work with her. I’m going to pop that link below because I know out of office messages, probably a little bit can sometimes seem, what am I going to write in there seems a bit blunt, I am out of the office from this day to this day, there’s some beautiful ways that you can operate a work and use your words and your language to really connect with your humans. So pop on over and find Kathy Rast and have a look at connecting with her for that particular service. And many of the other word related areas that she does. I know that the moment I did that it was beautiful. Anyway, go see Kathy.

Okay, so there’s just a couple of little housekeeping things there. Looking at your systems as well in the way that you’re working in them. So we’ve spoken about that. But what techy stuff is causing you a bit of angst, are you up at night? Some things of recent times I’ve had conversations with clients about is the reliance on a steady internet connection. Are you at a position in your business where you and your team are reliant on cloud based solutions, and your internet goes out and then you’re down, you’re you’re relying on a 4g phone connection, things like this, that may not seem a thing at the time, but when it happens, it can cause can be delays and things in your business and potential stress that we can alleviate by prevention. So prevention is a fabulous way to introduce ease and simplicity into 2023. Okay, it’s probably some other housekeeping things, but they’re the ones that I wanted to really focus on today for you.

The next thing is what are your building bigs or your goals for this year? Now I know this time of year is always about thinking where am I headed? What am I doing, what’s my focuses and all those sorts of things and it’s fabulous. But for any goal planning or any building big planning, we’ve got to ensure that we give ourselves the right space and capacity to actually action these items to take that dance across the floor right? Now sometimes we can do it all ourselves. It may be creating a new data, whatever that might be a new online product or a new course that you’re doing or whatever it might be any service for your team or your for your clients. However, we don’t have to do it alone. There are so many beautiful people out there that are ready to come and support you. Beautiful Kathy Rast shared instead of outsourcing, what are you going to source out this year? What are you sourcing out? I love that that’s gonna be a new thing like brain popcorn. That’s another one sorry, completely diverted. Not sorry, yes, sorry. Brain popcorn, that moment when an item and a thought and whatever pops into your brain, what are you going to do with those brain popcorn moments? Anyway, come fall back in. Get excited when words happen. So building bigs, creating those achievable actionable steps, how does that look like for you this year? And who and what do you need, so that you can feel supported and surrounded and easily dance around that floor with confidence? As you take those steps each and every day towards whatever your bigs are, we have a fabulous opportunity at the start of the year in any moment. To be fair, it doesn’t have to be a transitional period. If we notice a thing is happening and as a result, something that we don’t want to be happening is occurring, how wonderful we’ve become aware. And we have the choice of what we’re going to do next. We either sit in it, and we stay here and we continue to feel the same way and experience it the same way or we could transition it over into where we want to be going. That’s enough for the first episode in January.

We’re all just doing our thing I know I’m just coming back into the world, officially starting back next week. So I still am having a moment to just be and enjoy and reset and refresh and do some planning myself over this space. I’m really excited about this year, dancing in with my Virtual COO offerings and working with some fabulous clients at the moment to who are really making some transition or changes in the way that they are operating in their business. And seeing how, when you as a business owner, can make those shifts that support you and your business team. Those little evolutions, those transformations, it’s so impactful to see the results come to life. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. I’m so excited for another year of Take Control the Nicole. I’m excited about the fabulous guests that are coming up already. We’ve got some beautiful humans lined up for you to pop in your air pods and listen away. So excited you’re here for the journey. If there’s anything that you would like to hear, or like to hear about, or from, please let me know, pop on over to Instagram @theartisanssolutions and start a conversation with me. I’m so excited to connect with you all. And hopefully this year is the year that we start to really gain more connection with all your beautiful humans who are listening and tuning in each week. Well, thank you very much again, have a wonderful rest of your day. Enjoy creating space and time freedom for yourself in 2023. Bye now.

Well, there we go. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been such a pleasure having you on board. Have we connected on social jazz? If not, please come on over. Say hi, I’m on all the platforms at the artisan solutions. So I’d really look forward to seeing you over there. And if you enjoy today’s episode, don’t forget to tag me and I’d love it if you could leave a review. And of course, share this with others so others can come and join us next time. All right, that everyone have a fabulous rest of the week and until next time, see you then.