Here are things I’ve seen both myself and my clients struggle with at times this past year:

Feeling like our business and our work doesn’t matter.

Creating copy that really capture our brand's message and purpose.

Attracting dreamy clients and repelling the not-so-dreamy ones.

Feeling like we just sound like everyone else instead of like a creative expert with a vision.

Maintaining momentum, confidence, and creative energy in our business.

We’re all pretty much trying to cultivate and build the same things:

A business that feels true to our vision and our values
A sustainable income that allows us to thrive in our work
The space to hone, develop, and expand our skills and expertise
Clients who we’re able to do our best, most impactful, and purposeful work with
Freedom and personal fulfilment along the way
The confidence and inner peace that we’re doing work that matters
Creative energy that fuels and guides us along the way

Either you’re not booking as many dream clients as you want to and you're starting to worry that you’ll never find stability with your business.

Or you’re feeling disconnected from the words you’re using to describe and define your brand and you’re afraid nobody will truly see and understand what it is you do and how it is you can help them.

Or self-doubt and fear are holding you back from truly moving forward with confidence and inner peace that your work matters and that it's impactful and purposeful for the people you’re here to serve.

What do I encourage you to do next?

Listen to your clients.

They can tell you so much more about your business than you can figure out alone. They can tell you why they’re hiring you, they can tell you what it is they truly want from working together, and they can tell you the true benefits, results, and takeaways from their investment in the work you do.

All you need to do is pay attention.

If you want to sell more

Listen to what it is they’re telling you they need. Make note of why it is they’re hiring you - make space in the on-boarding process to ask them, “why have you made this investment? What are you hoping to take away from our time working together”. Not only can you use this answer to enrich your work together, but you can also use it as an insight into how to market, position, and sell your services moving forward.

If you want to book more dream clients

Write a list of five of the dreamiest clients you’ve worked with so far. The one’s you’ve been crazy excited to work with along the way. The one’s you’ve felt you’ve done your best work with. The one’s whose client engagement you never wanted to end.

Ask yourself: why? Why was this client dreamy? Was it because of their mindset? Was it because of what they were looking for? Was it because of their personality? Was it because of the results from our time working together?

Pay attention to what worked best with these clients, and pay attention to what they were telling you about your time working together. Use this to shape and evolve your services, process, and marketing moving forward.

If you want to remember that your work matters

Self-doubt shows up for all of us from time to time. Whether it’s imposter syndrome or the fear that we’re just not good enough, sometimes we lose sight of how important our work truly is.

Listen to what your clients are saying about your work together and listen to what it is they say are the most important and valuable parts about working with you.

For example, a client recently told me that they chose me as their creative coach because they knew that I would be able to make space for their vulnerability instead of it being a tough-love kind of engagement. This was a huge a-ha moment for me in my business; by paying attention to what my clients are telling me, I’m able to truly take ownership of how and why my work matters and how best I can share that through my brand.

Pay attention to how your work is truly creating the space for change, evolution, and transformation with your clients. Pay attention to what makes you good at what you do.

If you want to share your message in a way that truly resonates and connects

Nothing feels worse than generic and meaningless website copy and content. So many of my clients tell me one of their biggest fears is that they just sound like everyone else in their industry, instead of truly sharing their message and their vision with the right people for them. Our message sometimes just feels like it’s floating around in our head, instead of something tangible that we can share through words and visuals. Pay attention to how your message shows up practically with your clients; how does the work you do truly impact them and your time working together?

Listen to the words they use, the metaphors they describe, and the results that truly matter to them. See how this blends with your own words, metaphors, and message, and see if something more tangible can come from that blend.

To Finish

Every single day our business is trying to teach us things, all we have to do is pay attention. Your clients can help you see your business in a totally different light, and they can help you truly understand and see the impact of your work and how you can continue to move forward and evolve with your brand.

Here’s to paying attention.

Every Sunday I send thoughtful insights to my community through Weekly Letters. If you're not already on the list, you can sign up below to receive this weekends letter straight to your inbox.

So You Want To Sell More & Feel Better In Your Business? You Need To Listen To Your Clients