“When your business model is really optimized, the money's good. You have the kind of lifestyle you want. You have the kind of income you want. You're working towards your legacy and it meets your why.”

–Carolyn Herfurth

Is a fuzzy business model slowing you down?

Carolyn Herfurth is a strategist and business model geek, and we’re diving into something a lot of us don’t have clear when we start our business or experience growth.

In the simplest language, the business model is all the offers, products and services that you make in order to make money. But you can have low, medium, or high touch offers. It’s not one size fits all—but finding the right fit for you at every stage of your business makes such a difference.

We talk about:

• Variety in filling your funnel
• Having the confidence to charge the right rates and changing rates to allow for the support you need to fill a program
• Getting clear on what we are offering and why and what the price is
• Decluttering your business model
• Why a thought partner is so important
• Quarterly check ins on the five pillars of your business.

ABOUT CAROLYN

Carolyn Herfurth is the strategist expertise-driven founders hire when they’ve built something that works and are ready for what’s next.

With 23+ years in business design, she uncovers the unmined gold in their experience, assets, and ideas, so they can create their next big thing.

LINKS

• Carolyn in Pause Magazine
• https://cherfurth.substack.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynherfurth/
• https://instagram.com/carolynherfurth

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• TRY THE SIMPLIFIER. Try Carolyn’s Simplifier to help you develop your business plan. Ask yourself: What's the thing you're selling? What's the problem it's solving? What's the promise you're making? And what is the purpose of that thing? Why does it exist? And then what's the price?
• DECLUTTER YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. What are you still offering that no longer works for you? It might be something you no longer doing or an opt-in that leads nowhere. Even if people love it, if it doesn’t work for you and the rest of your business, you can move it out.
• DO A QUARTERLY CHECK IN. Check in on each of the five pillars: What is your relationship with your business now? Is your business model clear? How are you regarded as a thought leader? How easy and effective is your marketing? How are sales (is it easy to close)? Rate each of these on a scale of 1–10. Then explain in a sentence why you rated yourself that way. What does it show you about what needs to change.

“I know in advance what my body and soul need in order for me to call it a summer that feels just how I want summer to feel.” – Mia Moran

We think summer will take care of itself. It’s a go with the flow time, a less structured time, a different time — and it really needs a plan. Your summer plan needs to honor the vibe of the season and keep you connected to the things you want in this season.

I’m going to talk to you about Anchoring, but we’re not going to jump into it right away. So often when I see people feeling overwhelmed or struggling with planning, it’s because they’re skipping the first steps in the process: Centering, Visioning, Deciding.

Anchoring is when we make space for the things that really matter. It’s the part when we actually put things on our calendar.

One way to anchor for summer is to start with some key dates. Some things I’m starting with:

• Vacation time (don’t forget to add things you need to do to prepare or re-enter)
• Business events or launches
• Start and end of summer dates (these might be different for different people in your family)
• Key family events — graduations, celebrations, appointments
• Flexible space for things you want to happen

And then there is the restorative summery part … the reading more, the gardening, the moving your body differently, the relaxing. We plan for that too. Join me to plan a summer that turns out just how you want it to feel: https://plansimple.com/summer

LINKS

• A Smarter Way to Plan Your Summer
• https://plansimple.com/summer

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.

• KNOW HOW YOU WANT SUMMER TO FEEL. Decide how you want this summer to feel. You need to know that before you put anything on the calendar.
• HONOR YOUR BUSINESS. What commitments have you already made for your business this summer? What have you been doing that you don’t want to lose momentum on and have to restart this fall? Make a list. You’ll want to make sure these things are part of your summer plan.
• ANCHOR KEY POINTS. Pull out your calendar and make sure key dates are on there: start and end of summer (this might be determined by when kids are home or when you are at a summer place for example), vacations, business events or standing appointments, family celebrations or other events. You’ll add other things — like the morning swim you want to take daily or the weekly family dinner — but having some of the big rocks as anchors gets you started.

One more doable thing you can do!

SIGN UP TO PLAN SUMMER WITH ME

We’ll look at summer through all the lenses — energy and health, work, family, summer vibes — and come up with a way to hold both spaciousness and momentum this summer. 90 minutes to design a summer that actually feels good... across your work, life, and well-being. Join me:

https://plansimple.com/summer

“Summer needs a slightly different plan layered on top of your 90-day plan.”

–Mia

Do you ever lose sight of your goals over the summer — or get resentful because other things are happening?

Routines and schedules change. You’re traveling or having visitors. There’s often a desire for spontaneity that’s different from the rest of the year. And it’s hot, our energy may dip, even as longer days feel like more time to do things.

Things get wobbly in the summer. That’s why I love to have a specific summer plan. A plan helps you recognize and navigate wobbles.

In FLOW 365 we just set our 90-day goals, but I’m going to weave that together with my summer plan. (And you can do it with me.)

Things that often get wobbly in the summer

• Marketing or work on business growth
• Healthy eating
• Sleep, regular workout, or other health practices
• Personal space and time

Questions to ask before you look at your calendar:

• How do I want to feel this summer?
• What would make this summer really feel like a win?
• What do I not want to drop this summer?
• What will make my future self proud and happy?

A plan helps you find a baseline for the things you want to keep momentum going on while enjoying the season.

LINKS

• May Momentum https://plansimple.com/may
• Where I’m sharing about my plan and what I do
• https://www.instagram.com/plansimple.co/
• https://substack.com/@themiamoran

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• SET YOUR FEEL FOR SUMMER. Before you look at your calendar or start to think about goals, decide how you want this summer to feel. Then ask: What would make this summer feel like a win? This doesn’t mean you won’t do other things, but the feel and the win will guide other decisions.
• ANTICIPATE YOUR WOBBLES. Summer gets especially wobbly. Maybe it’s because our schedule and routine often shift dramatically, and we want some spontaneity in the summer. Knowing what’s likely to get wobbly or fall through the cracks can help you navigate. For example, you might find you aren’t as active being visible in your business or you miss yoga more weeks than you show up or you’ve been eating clean and feeling great, but too many BBQs and ice cream shops throw you off. What’s likely to get in the way of doing and feeling the way you want this summer? What’s likely to get wobbly?
• CONNECT WITH YOUR FUTURE SELF. Think to the end of summer. Imagine yourself there, moving into the next season. What is your future self proud of? What happened this summer that you are celebrating?