HustleandHeart
Case study: “20 times what I invested”

Case study: “20 times what I invested”

Client case studies

Naomi Terese has run her own business, Fat & Skinny Catering, in Melbourne for 14 years. She did the Hustle & Heart program in 2016. Here’s Naomi’s story:

I’ve run my catering business, Fat & Skinny Catering, for almost 14 years now. I love what I do and really enjoy giving clients a great experience, but I felt like it didn’t matter how hard I was working, I wasn’t able to make any more money. I started the business as a lifestyle choice to support myself and my kids but the more years that passed, I wanted to step it up to the next level, as a single Mum with two kids to support.

I’d met Brook when I came to her Melbourne Blogging for Business course and liked her straightforward, practical approach to marketing, so I enrolled in the Hustle & Heart program to try to figure out why my business wasn’t growing.

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I only completed the first of the eight modules – which is all about money.

Thanks to that single Hustle & Heart module, I’ve just had the best Christmas period in 14 years. Because my profitability was so much higher, I made back the cost of the program 20 times over!

The money module did feel, as Brook put it, like diving straight in the deep end of the pool right at the program’s start. It was really difficult – not because the homework exercises were hard – but because money and profitability is such an uncomfortable subject.

Talking about what doesn’t get talked about

Examining my beliefs about money really hit a nerve. But I do like Brook’s approach to talking about what doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. As the program puts it, we all have money baggage, which is made up of our socialisation around money and our response to that.

I loved the talk about money and how wanting to earn decent money was nothing to be embarrassed about. The difficulty is really to your mindset and a lot of this was unconscious. The money module brought up lots of beliefs about self-worth, values, generosity and being ‘nice’ or ‘kind’.

I’ve not seen the program exercises on revenue and profits broken down in that way before. The process was really easy, working backwards to figure out your revenue, profit, and financial planning. Through these exercises I figured out that 61 per cent of my revenue was bringing in just seven per cent of my profit. It was devastating. It felt like such a rookie error. I couldn’t believe I’d made such a mistake.

That’s why I didn’t complete the program – I got busy correcting this pricing mistake.

Average client spend increased almost three times

Since then, the average client spend with Fat & Skinny Catering has gone from $1200 per gig to $3500. It’s made a massive difference to the entire business and is such a huge relief.

I made several changes that helped improve our profitability. Although we specialise in ‘stand-up food’, people were wanting banquet and buffet options, so we brought that in. But most importantly, we offered fewer options in the decision-making process, which makes it far easier for people. We have different menus to cater to different needs and budgets, but these used to be in five different documents and I often only sent the highest priced menu to wedding inquiries.

We are still a mid-priced caterer offering quality food for excellent value, but I was making it too confusing and overwhelming for people to decide. Since consolidating those five documents into just the one document, people have started ordering the upscale packages far more regularly.

Best Christmas period ever

We had the best Christmas period we’ve ever had since I did Hustle & Heart – the business took more in that one month than in a normal year. And thanks to changing my pricing, for the first time in the last 14 years, I’ve been able to save significant money to help fund a move to new premises that will support our business growth. I’ve always had casual support staff for busy periods, but in the last year I’ve taken on one full-time staff member and two permanent part-timers in addition to casual support.

Now I’m on the hunt for new premises in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne that reflects our values, personality and style of our business. This place won’t just be a commercial kitchen – I want clients to come visit to eat! I’m looking for a commercial kitchen three times the size of my current kitchen, lots of natural light, and an office too. We’ll need to keep growing to support the move – I’m aiming to double our revenue and keep increasing our profitability.

Word-of-mouth marketing has been invaluable and I’ve got enough experience to know and recognize who our ideal clients are – and who they’re not. As well as blogging, email marketing and social media marketing, we’re concentrating on online advertising and SEO (search engine optimization). I’ve got plenty of ideas that I’m excited by – opportunities I see to deliver quality, fun and interesting food for excellent value. I’m really looking forward to the next stage of Fat & Skinny Catering and to redoing the program, live with new participants, this year.

The challenge now is what comes with growth – procedures, staff training and expanding our premises. Now that I’ve got my pricing sorted and more profits to invest, I’m sure I’ll get far more value out of the marketing, sales and promotions components of Hustle & Heart. The flexibility to have the program materials available for you to access at any time, and no expiry to use your one-to-one with Brook, is invaluable when you’re running a busy business (and life!)

When you’re self-employed, all the decisions you need to make day-in and day-out can wear you down. There’s a lot of stress and responsibility – as well as a lot of fun too. But it can be hard, for sure. Having the support of Brook and Hustle & Heart has been so valuable. I’m excited by the future and not nearly as scared. I’ve done my sums thoroughly for this next stage and the worst thing that could happen is I’d be embarrassed if I fail. Suddenly that doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.

Are you ready to grow your business? Hustle & Heart is open for a limited time only. Check it out now.

Case study: Opened a new studio

Case study: Opened a new studio

Client case studies

This case study looks at Helen Wilkes, who enrolled in our first ever round of Hustle & Heart back in July 2015. Helen was a new yoga teacher with a fledgling business. Here’s her story:

I was on a working visa from the UK, taking full-time contracts in Sydney city when I first considered doing Hustle & Heart. I was pretty sure the timing was wrong – I was just about to return to the UK to visit my family and have a holiday in Ireland and Spain as well. I was going to be distracted by people around and wanted to actually relax a little too!

My yoga business was small and fledgling, I’d only been in Australia for three years and in Sydney for far less time, and I was pretty new to this whole self-employment thing.

But I was sick of taking contracting jobs over and over again. I had experienced Brook’s trainings before when she came and taught business and marketing on my teacher training course and I was reassured by Brook that I could manage my time while overseas and that I’d be able to download all course materials to keep forever.

I’m glad I took the plunge! I ran a little behind on the lessons week-to-week, but I had the support of our Hustle & Heart community and knew that I could always catch up. The lessons were short and doable. Each one didn’t take too long, though I needed a lot more time for some lessons to digest and come up with creative ideas. Creativity can’t really be done so easily on a timetable anyway and it was fun mulling over big ideas while lying on the beach!

Since I did Hustle & Heart, things have changed pretty dramatically. I was running two casual yoga classes a week at a local community centre in Sydney. I was scared to raise my prices. I wasn’t working out of a glamorous, trendy studio and I had assumed that my clients wouldn’t support higher prices. I felt inexperienced and that my prices was justified.

Raised prices, more client commitment and a new premium offering

Helen Wilkes YogaBut I wanted more financial stability for myself which meant I needed more commitment from my clients. The first module of Hustle & Heart looks at money in depth, including how our personal money baggage influences our pricing. We walked through a profit plan and looked at our current offerings. I created financial goals for myself and knew I had to raise my prices.

I introduced yoga courses, asking clients to commit upfront and raised my prices on different courses and classes, between 21% and 57%. I was amazed that everyone accepted this with little comment and I’ve sold out, or almost sold out, every single course since.

Not only that, but I realised that clients had been asking me for more intensive one-to-one help and I hadn’t really been listening. I’d been referred them onto my cheaper offerings! Ha. I’ve picked up four private clients for my new premium one-to-one offering, just by getting over my own money baggage and listening more closely to my clients.

I’ve also pitched for corporate health programs – and got them! I have three new corporate clients, including one commission to write a customised program for a big team.

Clarity and confidence

Since doing Hustle & Heart, I’m far more confident with selling. I do it naturally, without realising it. I don’t think of it as selling even, but rather, matching a need. This confidence has extended into choosing my counsel more wisely. When you’re new to business, everybody is quick to share their opinion, but not all opinions are relevant (and they’re often contradicting each other). Now, I’m not listening to people unless they’re my ideal clients or they’ve already done exactly what I want to do.

The program also taught the importance of planning and key measurements, regular check-ins, and the importance of prioritising your time to work on your business. Every couple of weeks I sit down and look at my income and my goals. I’m specific about what I want to do but also flexible when things come up.

I have a new local referral partner and have done some free events to raise awareness and get in front of new people. Hustle & Heart helped me appreciate that people power businesses and that finding your mafia helps you grow your business through collaboration rather than competition.

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt through the Hustle & Heart program is to narrow my focus in marketing. Of course, I knew this before but I was afraid of putting people off my business, especially as I was new, with only a small client base.

But now I don’t really care about not appealing to everybody. When people unsubscribe from my newsletter, it doesn’t bother me.

And the result is that I’m attracting the best people! People really get me, they get what I do, and the atmosphere is fantastic. I feel excited by my business but also not attached to the outcome. It’s a feeling that people can leave or take me, but I’ll be here and they’ll know that.

Since this case study, Helen has launched a brand new yoga studio in Sydney’s Maroubra called The Collaborative Maroubra.

Why your business needs a mafia

Why your business needs a mafia

Building your reputation, Client case studies

From my small, local, lovely primary school, where we walked to and from school through little swathes of suburban bush, and my mother did canteen and everyone knew everyone, I went onto an all-girls Catholic high school. (We weren’t Catholic.)

To further my culture shock, high school began with cliques already in place. A swathe of girls came from a particular primary school, with friendships already established. Advantage was clear before we’d even begun.

Like lots of kids during these tumultuous, awkward years, I struggled to find my group and changed a couple of times before settling into my brethren.

In high school, your group was supreme – they had your back, they deflected barbarous words from bullies, and they picked you in sports class (always appreciated by geeks like me). In business, it’s no different.

You need a business mafia – to support you, to make your business bigger than its parts, and to pick you up when the chips are down. Here’s why a business mafia is important – and how to get one.

[Tweet “You need a mafia in business – to support you, to make your business bigger than its parts, and to pick you up when the chips are down – here’s how to get one”]

Referral engine

One of the key roles of marketing is to generate new leads – a business mafia does this for you, naturally and continuously.

Not all prospects are a good fit from a particular business, and we don’t always have the capacity to service all leads. Your mafia’s prospect – who’s a disaster for their business – could be your next perfectly-suited ideal client. Sometimes a mismatch is due to personalities, especially relevant when your business is highly interpersonal. Sometimes the mismatch is due to the particular stage the prospect is at not being appropriate with the particular stage your business services.

You don’t want to convert every single lead into a new, paying client. In fact, many leads cost you money. But these same leads may be awesome new clients for your mafia.

A mafia referring new leads to your business will save you marketing money. So ensure you treat your mafia well to keep those leads coming.

Amplify your reach

You’ve invested considerable time, money and effort into business blogging, email marketing, social media and other marketing endeavours. You need a distribution network to help you get the word out – that’s where your business mafia comes in.

It starts with a simple ‘like’ or ‘retweet’, but the possibilities of amplifying your business reach through collaboration are endless. From guest blogging and interviewing via podcast or video, to hosting Instagram challenges and competitions, and collaborating on events and packages, get creative!

Two businesses are better than one. But when you have a network of respected business professionals actively promoting your content marketing for you? Priceless.

Complementary goods and services

Alongside referrals due to lack of capacity or prospect mismatch, a thriving mafia enables you to refer other complementary goods and services that your clients likely need or want.

Think fitness and dietary professionals; natural fertility support and yoga teachers; financial services and legal services; mortgage brokers and insurance brokers; graphic designers and printers; web developers and copy writers; business development experts and brand strategists.

Your business doesn’t need to offer every complimentary or related service. Generalists are harder to market, harder to establish a strong reputation, and it’s more difficult to charge good money. You’re far better to focus on consolidating your area of expertise and your network of complimentary professionals who your clients and prospects are likely to need before or after they use your business.

No connections – no excuse

Before you start getting discouraged, remember that very few people are born well-connected. From those primary school kids graduating en masse to high school, to leaders, mentors and the ‘internet famous’, very few people have connections and networks they haven’t earned or worked for. Which means that anyone can be well-connected – including you.

It’s simpler than you think to find a business mafia and, like all things, it gets easier with practice.

How to find your business mafia

Start with the obvious – whose business blogs are you reading? Whose business content are you already enjoying? Who is enjoying your content – sharing, retweeting, commenting and liking? This is your mafia. You just may not have realised it.

Now get out your notepad and answer the following:

  • Who are your prospects likely talking to before they hear about your business?
  • Who is actively discouraging people away from your industry or sector?
  • What information do your prospects need to know before they could consider doing business with you?
  • What misconceptions or misinformation do they need to overcome?
  • What information or support do people need after doing business with you?
  • What could help consolidate what you’ve done together, that’s not strictly related to your business?

Now, get Googling. Set a timer. Write a shortlist of business types and second, individual businesses. Ideally, your mafia should be committed marketers – producing regular blogs, podcasts, videos and the like. They should be active on social media. Ideally, they’ll already be promoting other business’s content.

Start with 10 different businesses that you’re seeking to meet. Write the list, stick it to your wall. Start sharing their stuff – the information that relevant, valuable and useful to your clients and prospects. Always frame their links with your own comment. You’re not a bot spitting out “Good job!” “I like this!” “Let’s collaborate!” – so show some personality and intelligence by adding some detail to your comment.

Make it real

Networks aren’t just for the virtual high-fives and feel-good emoticons – powerful networks are those who celebrate each other’s birthdays, are available for panicked or celebratory phone calls, who dance on tables and handstand in parks. These are your brethren – they know the unique stressors and sublime satisfaction of running your business like nobody else.

The final piece of advice is perhaps the hardest: don’t be afraid to reach out beyond social media and email. Pick up the phone. Organise a Skype date. Turn it into coffee or dinner. Make it real. 

You need a mafia for reasons that go way beyond just business and marketing purposes. You need your business mafia to look after your biggest business asset – your attitude.

Find your mafia of Hustlers with Heart! Our Hustle & Heart flagship program includes a thriving community of like-minded, awesome-type folk, and you get lifetime access once you join, of course. Grow your community, get support, ask questions and have more fun in business. Register your interest in the program now.

Case study: Lauren Tober business coaching

Client case studies

Note from Brook: I first met Lauren in 2012 in Byron Bay when she came along to one of my online marketing courses. We kept in touch and collaborated on her community building free project, Capturing Gratitude. Late last year, Lauren became a business coaching client and very quickly launched her first digital program, A Daily Dose of Bliss. Over to Lauren …

Business coaching case study

My work as a clinical psychologist in Mullumbimby, near Byron Bay is thriving, and I have wait lists. But I was keen to develop online offerings so that I could have more time to spend with my family and my own self-care. I already have a few audio meditations for sale on my website so I wasn’t a novice to online selling, but I really wanted to launch my e-course ‘A Daily Dose of Bliss’ that I’ve been developing for a couple of years now. I decided to engage Brook as my business coach because I’d worked with her before and I knew she knew her stuff and I wanted someone ‘in the know’ to support me during the launch.

Within a couple of weeks of commencing, I opened the doors to my online shala and invited people to purchase. The experience was very nerve-wracking and, of course, plenty of hard work and late nights, but I was thrilled that 37 people signed up in the first run. I’m just about to run it a second time and, hopefully, many more times into the future.

Brook helped me in those pivotal days to focus on the key tasks that were essential, not only to the smooth running of the course, but reaching the people who would be most likely to benefit and would purchase. She was, variously, my teacher, trainer, cheer-squad, confidant, accountability coach, and business manager and it made the whole experience that much more easy.

Shining a light on finances

Brook helped me to concentrate on the economic realities of my business. Like many creative people, I’m far more interested in sharing my work and creating new offerings, both online and with the face-to-face iRest Yoga Nidra courses I run, but Brook helped me to examine what’s working and what’s not, so that I’m set up to reach my financial targets.

A Daily Dose of BlissDreaming big

Since starting coaching, I’ve been encouraged to dream big and have moved outside my comfort zone – sometimes, well outside! Supported by my lovely husband Stefan, who looks after the technical details of A Daily Dose of Bliss and other digital conundrums, I’ve pitched myself to festivals, streamlined my websites, cut out a lot of unnecessary details with running Capturing Gratitude, and written a plan for A Daily Dose of Bliss.

Through various exercises and homework tasks that Brook has given me, I have a much clearer and deeper understanding of exactly who is best suited to my business and how I can best reach them. I feel that my marketing communications, from email newsletters to social media and blogging, is far more strategic and effective at appealing to people and helps to make their lives easier, simpler, happier and more enjoyable. This was the reason that I created online courses in the first place.

I want my business to be meaningful for me, to provide well for my family, and to make a positive contribution to the world. I donated ten per cent of the cost of my online course to Krama Yoga in Cambodia and have many more plans for the next course, and the one after that.

Brook is a great combination of supportive, plain speaking, encouraging, and firm when required. I love the work that I do, and I now feel far more confident in the online arena and sure of my place in it.

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More information on business coaching with me.

Talking yoga biz: Kate Alexandra

Client case studies

Kate Alexandra yogaKate Alexandra has only just started teaching but has gone about things differently from most. When Kate decided to start offering yoga classes in the front room of her house, she didn’t just set about marketing and open her doors for business. She approached things very smartly, using tools which were totally free, and has been booked out ever since. (more…)