From 5k months to 5k days

Once upon a time 5k months were the dream. Hitting them was the most exuberant fuck yes air punch moments of my life!!

That was several years ago now. Since then 5k days have become the norm. 30k days have become gobsmackingly frequent.

September 2022 was the highest cash month of my career today inside my coaching company (I have several companies), at $121,000.

October 2022 was then the lowest cash month of my coaching company for several years.

November 2022 looks to set another record.

And I almost didn’t share here because I have SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS!

There is SO much shame created in the industry for “up and down” months and the narrative is heavily pushed in the direction of constant increase month on month on month. And to that I say it’s utter BULL! I’ve been in business for 16 years, long before I even started coaching. I have entrepreneurial blood. My entire family are entrepreneurs going back 100s of years. Up and down months are so freaking normal. It’s part of business… christ, it’s part of LIFE! Look at how the Universe works… the entire damn thing is built on a cyclical design. If you’re increasing month on month in your biz that’s AMAZING, I’m so happy for you. And if you’re not… totally normal! Perfectly acceptable. You’re not doing anything wrong. Inevitably everyone has a lower month, or year, or even a few.

There’s also another OBSESSIVE narrative in the coaching industry which is so harmful and that’s the competition to hit higher and higher cash months, celebrating ourselves and our clients solely on their financial achievements. Once upon a time it was innocent. These days it’s a marketing ploy, and most of us know it, and we play the game well. Look at the way I opened this email… got your attention didn’t it? I know it and everyone else who is hitting desirable cash months also knows it and is using it to attract clients who have been shamed into feeling like they’re less than or doing something wrong because they’re either not hitting those months, or their months are really up and down. I’m done. I’m over it. It’s not how things are done in other industries. Frankly it would just be weird! I run a dance studios… we celebrate our incredible dancers, we celebrate our kids, we celebrate welcoming new dance styles in to the building, we share our inspiration & vision for the future of dance, we create residency programmes for dancers whose talent & skill goes undervalued and under-supported so that we can offer them the platform that will elevate their potential. At this time of year we geek out about pantomime, the ballet classics like the Nutcracker and Swan Lake and we increase how many layers we’re wearing at the studios! And the dance studios are also breaking financial records. We made an incredible come back after covid as one of the only remaining independent dance studios in London, but not anywhere do you hear us talking about that… because business is not “just” about making money. It’s about making a freaking difference and pouring your love and passion into something so it can thrive and others can benefit from that!

Business coaching, consulting & mentorship has a lot to answer for. I don’t know how you guys feel but when I got into coaching it was to help others build a business they could be proud of, to help them capture their vision and leverage their potential to heights they might not have been able to achieve without all my years of business experience supporting them. I was literally “asked” to coach & teach, hence the coaching company name “Ask Harriette”. My business prowess & experience was recognised and sought out. I did NOT come in to this industry to make it all about consistently increasing cash months, about me and my goals. I see the potential in people and ideas and I’m bloody good at helping that vision & fire come in to fruition in a way that generates money in a savvy, sustainable, financially literate, compassionate, aligned & purposeful way. I’ve worked with artists, musicians, dancers, authors, healers, other coaches, realtors, accountants, legal professionals, nurses, health practitioners (acupuncturists, cranial sacral therapists, homeopaths etc), builders (yes really), retailers across a wide variety of products, gardeners (yup another really), stay at home mums, and countless more. It was never about me, it was always about them… the clients with a vision and so much potential my heart could and does (frequently) burst. Business coaching HAS to come back to that otherwise it misses the point entirely and we risk turning one of the most expansive industries into a soul-sucking soul-destroying corporation which is an exact replica of the world so many of us just escaped from!

I’m also a Priestess and back in 2017 I “gave up my life” to be in sacred service to humanity. What does that mean in real terms? It means I have an obligation and a responsibility to recognise where I’m not in service, but also where others are not in service. The only way this planet and it’s humans will heal is with open hearts, compassionate work, and a commitment to serve not only ourselves, but each other as well. Shaming the recipients of your posts for having a “down month”, telling your clients that “it must be your energy” if they’re having a slow sales period, and continuing to uphold this increasing focus on the highest cash months as the marker for business success MIGHT not be in service. It’s certainly not for me to point a finger and declare what is right and wrong. That wouldn’t be in integrity to who I am as Priestess, Coach & Entrepreneur. I don’t believe the right and wrong narrative is helpful. BUT, Priestess or not, I believe we all have a right and responsibility to be selfless to a point, as long as our own cup is filled up of course. Money obsession (particular cash goal obsession) isn’t healthy, nor is it selfless. I certainly doesn’t serve you or those you seek to serve.

^^^ take from all this what you will. I’d love to know which point resonated with you the most. I for one would love to see more celebrations of non-monetary things for both yourself and your clients.

One of my clients recently made the most incredible liberating decision to burn her business to the ground and start over because she recognised where she’d got swept up in all the patriarchal crap of the coaching industry and it was sucking her Soul and her life force. And…. she’s THRIVING making less money than she has in a long time but is fully filled up and so freaking happy! I mean… isn’t THAT what it’s about?!

Another of my clients recently suffered the loss of her incredible mum and has surrendered to the grief in a way that has unlocked the most profound wisdom from within her. I’m in awe of the insights that are pouring from her recently, and the way she’s navigating one of life’s hardest lessons with so much grace and service to both herself and her own clients.

Another one of my clients just birthed a SECOND business with a business partner and is absolutely flying, whilst still holding down her coaching business and helping others become certified in the most insane skill set.

Another one of my clients has had a really rough year and has been pushed time and time again to face and integrate her shadows. It’s been a tough ride, and she’s still very much IN IT. And… she’s holding herself, leading herself, choosing to get back up and go again every single day. That’s strength that makes me cry. In fact… water works starting right now as I type. Watching her & holding her as she navigates such a challenging time is a freaking honour, and I’m so god damn proud of her strength.

I could go on…. you get the point! Isn’t this WAY better than celebrating high cash months? Isn’t this WAY better than shaming people for whatever wound of your own you’re projecting all over them? Isn’t this WAY better than feeling like you’re in competition with one another? Or feeling like you’re not good enough because you don’t have a high cash month to celebrate?

WHAT IF we were all just women, all perfectly imperfect, all with limitless potential, all supporting each other to bring out the best in one another, all sharing our wisdoms, our insights, and our kindness with so much liberation, gratitude, and recognition for the world we chose to move away from and the world we’re choosing to build TOGETHER… what if?! Wouldn’t that be something!

I love you, thank you for being brave enough to share your delicious Light with the world. You are more than capable of making lots of money doing what you love, and it’s certainly not a bad thing to desire to make money from your biz (I have a whole other post on that), but don’t get lost in the cash competition. It was never about that. It’s NOT about that. It’s about YOU, your vision, your potential, Your Light.

I love you

Harriette xxx