5 Ways we can Change the way we Grow Our Business for the Better

Welcome to episode 111 of Dawn of a New Era with myself, Dawn McGruer, the business growth coach, helping CEOs and businesses to scale and grow for more fun, for more freedom. One of my passions is obviously, yes, growing businesses, but growing with ease and flow. And this brings me on to this week's podcast episode, which is five ways we can change the way we grow our businesses for the better. As we are stepping into a new year, I think we can all embrace change.

And I think one of the things that's so exciting in time is that even if we step into a new hour, a new day, a new week, a new month, a new year, we have the opportunity as business owners to redesign how we want to work. And one of the things that's really important is that we don't create a business that becomes a beast, a business that we resent, but we want a business that is aligned to the life that we want, we deserve, and we dreamed of when we set our businesses up. Often, the whole graft, the hustle, the churn, the effort that's put into our businesses, our babies, is so vast that it can take away the focus and the key objectives and the why and the purpose of why we set our businesses up in the first place. So we have to get really into our own minds and step away from the weeds.

We want to be looking at the bigger picture. We need to create a space where we can craft a creative design for the coming year. One of the things I want to focus on is embracing innovation. In order to change the way we grow our businesses for the better, we need to embrace innovation and we need to explore new technologies, strategies, and ideas that can really revolutionize not just our businesses, but our industries and the way that we work and the results that we get.

So I want you to start thinking about optimizing, making everything better, making everything bigger in a way that feels transformative. This is not about doing more work. This is about working smarter, not harder, and looking for opportunities to adopt emerging trends or insights and staying ahead of the curve and looking at embracing innovation in a way that feels good for you and your business. This could be that everyone is doing X, Y, and Z over here, and you want to go and do something completely different.

This is definitely something that I live and breathe because so many coaches in my world are doing the same things, and for me, we've developed growth tactics on innovation. Things move. Our consumers are dynamic. Our whole industries that we work in, everything changes every minute of the day.

We can't stay stagnant, and every strategy needs to be honed, and it needs to be developed, and it needs to be adapted and evolved all of the time. If we embrace innovation, we should be doing this dynamically each and every day ourselves. But sometimes we get caught up in the weeds. And one of the things I want you to look at is taking time out and moving into a creative space so you can really innovate and optimize what you're doing.

So find the things that are getting traction, that are getting results, that are just absolutely driving joy and epic change in yours and your clients' lives. And think about how we can make them better. How can we drive that experience forward? How can we make it more immersive?

How can we show up in a way that's going to make us more dynamic and give us more joy? So nothing can stay the same. Think about this, that if there is one thing in your business you don't like, delegate it, declutter it, change it. You have the opportunity to reshape the canvas.

You started with a blank canvas. You created something. Now, if that's become a beast or a monster or something you resent, it's time to really simplify, strip everything back, and look at innovation, and look at maybe, is there a new path, a new way to get better results, to get paid more money, to make more profit, to have more fun, to have more freedom, and approach your working day with more joy. And this is the thing: innovation is about us as the business owner driving that through, and it comes from our soul.

And you'll hear me talk about this all of the time. I truly believe success comes from our soul. Every time I have a feeling, it's like when we meet somebody, you have a gut feeling. If you think about something, it doesn't quite sit right.

Our soul has many entities, and one of the things that we think about is feeding our soul by remembering to be grateful and having gratitude about our successes and what we have. And I think the thing is, is innovation can stem from all of this, from everything in your soul and what success means to you, because Because success is relative, and it's relative to your wants, your needs, and your desires. So your success will look different, and it doesn't look like the people that you scroll through social media. It looks like your own innovation.

So you need to keep your blinkers on and be really clear that your innovation is your truth, and think about what success is for you, and does it feed your soul? Does your business bring you joy? And then number two, customer experience. This kind of builds on the first one, but I want you to shift your focus from simply selling your product or your service to delivering exceptional customer experiences, moving it up a notch to what really feeds their souls, okay?

And this is the interesting dynamic part of it, that everyone I work with, when we talk about success from your soul, it's twofold. It's about your soul and their soul, and when the two come together and they align, that's when the power and the magic happen. Because if you invest in understanding your customers' needs, preferences, and pain points, then you're going to tailor your offerings to provide really personalized solutions and get deeper into the heart of it and create memorable interactions that build long-term loyalty. And I've got some clients I've worked with for many, many years, and even in my agency, I've worked with some clients for over 10 years.

I have people in my network that I've known for over 20 years, and just this year, someone who I met 20 years ago, who I invited to speak at one of my events, someone who I admired immensely, actually hired me as their coach. When it goes full circle like this, it's proof in what you're doing. You're showcasing your results, and you're creating a memory and an experience, but also results that are remarkable and that come from the soul. And the successes of your clients will be your biggest referral.

So remember that when you're creating whatever it is that you do, make it special. Number three, foster a culture of continuous learning. I love... I love this.

This year, I'm finishing my master's, and believe you me, while I have been working, this has been so hard. And you want to encourage everybody in your team and yourself to embrace a growth mindset and actively seek out opportunities for learning and development. I want you to invest in training and learning and workshops and creativity that fosters new skill and knowledge that feeds your soul, because the more knowledge and wisdom that we have, the greater power we have to change our lives and our clients. And I want you to encourage everyone around you to share their insights and ideas and really foster a culture of collaboration and innovation across your peers and your network.

Number four, prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. So in today's socially conscious world, consumers, customers, and stakeholders are absolutely increasingly demanding business to prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. I want you to be really mindful on how this works, because when you evaluate your business practices through an environmental, social, and sort of a governance lens, we start to see opportunities and possible threats. And I want you to think about implementing initiatives that reduce things like your carbon footprint, support your local communities, and promote ethical and fair business practices across the board.

And I think this year has been one that in the coaching industry, it's been very disappointing to see some of the practices and the way that people market revealed. But another way, it's been great because we have got rid of a lot of the unethical strategies and businesses who are out there for their own good. We all, as coaches and business owners, yes, we want to drive revenue and profit in our business, and we want to all achieve our goals. But your business is nothing, nothing without clients who are happy from the heart.

And this again brings it back from success from your soul. If what you're doing feels good, and you're bringing joy, and you're bringing life, and you're bringing change, and you're bringing results, then that's great. But think about reviewing what you're doing. Is this something that we can bring into community?

Is this something we can do to support the bigger picture outside our own? And sometimes we live in such closed bubbles that it's hard to see outside that. And I think the thing is, is give the gift of giving, and a random act of kindness can fall into this category. I want you to think about the way that you work with people and the way that you are giving, because ethical practices are the things that sell and the things that people remember.

And these are the things that harbor these positive, strong, powerful relationships that

will automatically reach out to work with you, and you won't have to reach for them. For me, on the one-to-one side, I can honestly say that my one-to-one clients, the majority come from referrals. And a lot of my clients will be people I could have worked with as suppliers, not just people I've worked with as clients before. And I think the thing is here is that if you have a synchronicity where you have a clear ethical path and you showcase your mission and vision, then people will buy into that.

And it comes down to knowing, liking, and trust, and using these online channels in the right way to get to know people, to showcase the behind the scenes, and to give authentically, and to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I think that's so important. And number five, build strong partnerships and collaborations. So this is so important, and this really does come from the heart of your business, because success from the soul is so powerful when you bring other people in there.

And when you have partnerships and collaborations with other people, and that you can utilize the fact that you're not in competition, but we can come together as a community, as peers, and we can all win together. No business can thrive in isolation, and I urge you to lean on other people because they'll lean back. We want other people around us. Entrepreneurs, as much as I truly believe I'm an absolute introvert with a little bit of extrovert peppered in for goodwill, I do believe that the power of everything I do is because I have a strong community.

I have a strong audience. I have been online. I've shown up. My visibility has been consistent, but I'm showing me, and I'm showing my voice, and I share the things that work and the things that don't.

And when we build strong partnerships and collaborations, you can tap into new opportunities, new markets, leverage complementary expertise, and expand your reach. And this is something that I seek day in, day out in my success. From your soul mastermind, because that's what it's about. That's why I built it.

I wanted to bring partnerships and collaborations into what I do so that I refer people. I have a panel of experts, of people that I know, like, and trust, that I've worked with, that I know that absolutely I can refer a client to. I have a whole piece of clients that I refer in my circle and cross-pollinate, because if we have a strong, powerful community, everyone should be benefiting. And what we're trying to do here is look for mutually beneficial collaborations with other businesses or nonprofits or other industry influencers to create innovative solutions, but also maximize growth opportunities for us all.

So I want you to think about how you can bring your community in. This is your support community. This is your client community. This is your alliances, your suppliers, everybody that you work with.

Your connections are so powerful. And I think one of the things is that we don't focus on growing these as much as we could, because it's not just business; it's all the people in the business, and that's the heart of it. Your business is not a business without clients. Your clients are the most important people, and so are your team.

And, you know, when you build that kind of whole ethos and environment, then everything seems easier. Everything flows easier. And I think if you set the foundation, really focusing on these five areas, we can definitely change the way we grow our businesses. Because if you embrace these five ways to change, then we can adapt how we grow our businesses and make it better.

We can position ourselves for long-term success and create a positive impact in our own industries and communities, but in the broader picture of the world. And I think for me, this podcast is about change for the good, looking at what we can do better to aid our own personal growth and development, but also to create these experiences and these packages or programs or products that change lives. And the heart of the matter is, is that many of you who are listening. We're listening, we'll be leaving a legacy.

And that's a very powerful thing. And it's not about ego. It's about wanting to do something for the greater good. And if you are a service-based business working with clients, or even an e-commerce business listening to this, we are doing something because we had a mission and a passion and a vision, and we got inspired to do something, and we wanted to change.

Even if you're in a role, our whole center of why we do something is we want it to be better. We want to aid whatever it is that we're doing. So we want to help people naturally as humans. And I think the thing is now is that if we embrace these changes and we start adapting and we start growing our business in a more positive way, then the ripple effect happens and behavior breeds behavior.

So just think about all the changes you can make and the impact that it will have. So I hope you enjoyed this week's podcast. And remember, you can catch up with me on all the normal channels at Dawn McGruer on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. So let me know if you enjoyed this episode, and let me know what changes you're going to make in your business, and catch up with me on the next episode of Dawn of a New Era.

Thank you for listening to Dawn of a New Era podcast, and for your free checklist to find out how to boost your business for growth, profit, and success, and join our community, go to dawnmcgruer.com.