[00:00:00] Emma: As we step into a new year, it’s time to get about where we’re headed. What does success look like for you in 12 months? And more importantly, what kind of business do you want to run and what kind of life do you want to support it? In this episode, we’re diving into the big questions that set the foundation for a powerful and purposeful 2025.

[00:00:25] From stepping into your CEO role to adopting habits that match your goals, we’ll explore the practical steps to help you close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

[00:00:38] Welcome to the Business BFF, the podcast where fierce and fabulous business women come together for the kind of real talk and honest advice only your besties would give. I’m your host, Emma Bowdler, founder of The Women’s Accountant, and I’m here to help you navigate the wild world of business, finance, and [00:01:00] life, whether you’re scaling up Starting fresh or just need a pep talk from someone who gets it, you’re in the right place.

[00:01:07] So grab your favourite bevy and get comfy. It’s time for a chat with your business BFFs.

[00:01:14] Emma: So the first place that we are going to start is by you spending some time, defining your vision for 2025. So what does success look like for you? And what I want you to think about in that regard is what does, I guess, starting with the end in mind, you know, I don’t want you to just think about the financial goals of your business, but I also want you to have a think about what kind of life you want to live and what do you need I guess, what support do you need around you to support it?

[00:01:52] So something that I like to do, and I do this about every, you know, six to 12 months is [00:02:00] I write down what my ideal day as a business owner looks like. How are you spending your time? What are you doing? Who are you working with and what are you trying to achieve? Now to put that in a bit of an example, you know, you would think that, you know, my ideal day is preparing tax returns for business owners.

[00:02:26] Let me tell you, that is absolutely not the truth. I don’t love that. So that one is definitely not on my list, but for me, my ideal day looks like, you know, one strategy meeting a day with a client. It is. Having the ability to drop my children to school and pick them up in the afternoon. It is being able to take them to sport.

[00:02:52] It is, you know, if I think about my week, not just my day, I’ve got two days a week that are [00:03:00] dedicated to either me or to the business. So Tuesdays is my day that I go and play golf. Fridays is my day that I like to spend working on my business instead of in the grind. So define your vision for 2025 and what does success look like for you?

[00:03:22] Important to know that success is different for everybody. You know, you know, you don’t need to do what everybody else is doing. Your definition of success might look very different to somebody else’s. So you don’t need to, I guess, not copycat them, but, you know, define it for you and not for anybody else.

[00:03:44] The next step in that is identifying the gaps. So when I talk about the gaps, it’s the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be. Be really, really honest about where you are [00:04:00] right now. You know, where are you? Often I see business owners that they think they’ve got everything all together.

[00:04:07] And when we deep dive into their business, often they don’t. You are only doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t being honest with yourself about where you are right now. So some of the common gaps that I see in skillset. Whether that be you know, when we think about a business owner, there’s actually 10 hats that a business owner wears as, you know, whether it’s marketing, whether it’s operations, whether it’s finance, whether it’s HR, whatever that looks like, the reality is that you can’t know everything.

[00:04:42] So sometimes as business owners, we do have gaps in our knowledge. The other one that I see, the other gap that I see is around time management. Management. Sometimes people. Prioritize the wrong tasks, and there’s two other big gaps that I see. And one [00:05:00] of them is confidence. Often people probably don’t have the confidence that they, I guess they’re not as confident as they could be.

[00:05:10] And another gap is around mindset. So an action step for you to do is to ask yourself, what is stopping me from being that person? What is stopping me from, you know, managing my time better, having more confidence, having a better mindset. What does that look like? The next step is to step into the role of a CEO.

[00:05:40] Sorry. Now, this is a hard one. This is something that I have personally struggled with as a doer. I’m a person who just likes to get in and get the job done, but I guess when I think about stepping into the role of a CEO and the role of a leader is you need to think like a [00:06:00] leader of your business and not just the person who does everything.

[00:06:05] So when I think about that. You know, what are some examples that come to mind and the ones for me that I have really lent into over the last, you know, three or four years, is that CEOs delegate tasks that are not in their zone of genius. You know, there’s, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before. We hear people say, you know, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

[00:06:34] And that’s something that I live by. CEOs delegate tasks that aren’t in their zone of genius. CEOs also make decisions based on data and not on emotion. And I guess an example, I, that comes to mind of that scenario is that, you know, I’ve worked with a business owner once who had this range of products that they were selling.[00:07:00]

[00:07:00] And there was one product in particular that they had put so much time and so much energy into. And they really thought that the product was amazing. You know, when we dove into the numbers around what it was taking to build and sell and produce, it actually wasn’t making any money at all. And for that business owner to hear that was really hard.

[00:07:29] And, you know, they were really quite upset about, you know, This product that just didn’t fly and, you know, it was hard for them to take that emotion out of it. So, you know, a good business owner and a, a CEO would look at that data and go, okay, not profitable, not making any money. Let’s just clean the slate and get rid of it and invest that money into the products or services that are making the money.

[00:07:59] So [00:08:00] CEOs make decisions based on data and not on emotion. I guess another example that I see is that CEOs and leaders of businesses will invest in growth and not just survival. And we see this quite often as a business owner, you know, we need to get sales into, you know, put food on the table and all of those things.

[00:08:22] And often what I see is that business owners and leaders of businesses. probably don’t spend as much money or invest as much time in growth as they probably should. So just have a think about that. See how that sits for you. And I want you to have a think about what is one area of your business that you could delegate or outsource In the next month that is going to allow you to step into that role of a leader and not just the role of a business owner.[00:09:00]

[00:09:01] The next thing that I want to outline is that good leaders and good CEOs adopt habits that match your goals. Now, if you have not read James Clear’s book or atomic habits. Put it on your list today. It’s one of my favorites. And he does a lot of talking in that about the daily habits that high performing business owners have and how they, I guess, prioritize those high value work.

[00:09:38] how they prioritize high value work on a daily basis. So, you know, I’m a big believer that habits create consistency and momentum over time. So if you’re the kind of person who struggles with your bookkeeping, have a think about your day and have a think about where you can, [00:10:00] I guess, habit stack some of those things so they don’t get missed.

[00:10:05] So for me personally, and look, I am an accountant and I am a business advisor. So this comes natural to me every morning when I walk into my office with my coffee, the very first thing that I will do is I will open my zero file and I will reconcile my transactions. Okay. Now I’ve got quite a few transactions to I guess reconcile, but I’ve set up the systems and the habits that allow me to have that done in five, five or 10 minutes on a daily basis.

[00:10:36] So that might be something that you want to have a think about. If you are like me and you like to plan your week in advance. Then schedule the time to do it, you know, for me, that’s a Friday afternoon, you know, that time of the day when your brain is kind of switched off and you can’t do anymore.

[00:10:59] I [00:11:00] actually, and I love planning, so it’s good for me, but I will take, you know, 45 minutes to an hour on a Friday afternoon to plan out all of the tasks or all of the things that I want to do in the following week. So it’s just about making those times to do that and adopting habits that match your goals.

[00:11:18] So what I want you to think about is Have a think about one habit that you want to implement, you know, that could be a weekly CEO check in or adopting a time blocking strategy and put it in your diary now so you have got that time delegated to be able to do that. Now, this one’s a tricky one to talk about but it is getting comfortable with the discomfort.

[00:11:47] Okay, so when I talk about that, what I mean is that growth. Often means doing things that feel hard. Now, if you are a [00:12:00] parent, you probably have got children who, you know, may not like to try new things may get a little bit anxious about doing things that are a little bit different. And when I think about that, I think of my.

[00:12:14] Son who’s 10 and Flynn, you know, we’ve recently been on a big overseas trip and he was so anxious about going and he didn’t want to go. And I just want to stay at home and you know, all of those things. But the reality is he got on that trip and he loved it. And I saw. I really big, I guess, area of growth in him in the way that he had conversations with people and, you know, navigating public transport and all of those types of things.

[00:12:47] So if you were to relate that to your business, you know, If some of the things that I often see that feel hard for business owners is things like raising prices. It’s [00:13:00] saying no to clients. It’s saying no to opportunities that don’t really align. And sometimes it’s taking risks. And when I talk about risks, I don’t mean, you know, I, I’m not a risk taker, but I will take a calculated risk.

[00:13:19] So I’m not like a kind of. Balls to the wall kind of person, but I am willing to, you know, take risks that are calculated for me. So, you know, discomfort is part of the process and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in business. I’ve been in business since 2006. It’s still feels uncomfortable. It’s still a process that I need to work through, but what I need to assure you is that it is not a sign of failing.

[00:13:53] So see how that feels for you. I want to challenge you to commit [00:14:00] to one, just one bold action in the next month that will, you know, challenge your comfort zone. You know, that could be pitching to a dream client. It could be raising your rates. It could be launching something new. Whatever that looks like for you, do it.

[00:14:20] Just commit to it. One bold action in the next month. Surround yourself with the right people. And this is a big one. And as a soul practitioner, you know, being in business is really bloody lonely at times. So, you know, success is not a solo journey. Okay, there is real importance and real value in having mentors, in having advisors.

[00:14:50] In having a really supportive community, and, you know, I don’t see anybody else is my competition, but, [00:15:00] you know, when you can spend your time with those people who, you know, lift you up. You know, your mindset will change and your actions will change. You know, I always has said to my Children, you know, who you associate with is who people associate you with, if that makes sense.

[00:15:20] So if you can find that really beautiful, supportive community that is going to step you into that really beautiful leadership role. Now, the last point I want to make is the importance of owning your own values. And owning your own you know, who you are and your whole being. Now, the way that you see yourself sets the tone for how others see you.

[00:15:50] And I’m completely aware that that might, I guess, trigger a few emotions for people, particularly if you don’t have [00:16:00] a really great self confidence, The way that you treat yourself sets the tones for how others will as well. So, you know, it’s important for you as a business owner and as a leader to, you know, step into that role and, you know, into that role of a business owner with the real confidence.

[00:16:27] So you are an expert in your field. It’s time for you to step up and Whether that be in your pricing, whether that be in your pitching, whether that be in the way that you lead your team. So, you know, if you were to have a think about the last 12 months, I would really encourage you to reflect on some of your biggest achievements in 2024 and write them down.

[00:16:56] You know, what are Give me three [00:17:00] reasons that you are the best person to serve your clients. You know, you offer so much value, you know, if you can reflect on those, it might just help you in, you know, build that confidence and help you own your own value. So success isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you become, whether it’s defining your vision, adopting new values, adopting new habits, or stepping into a CEO role that you were born to be in.

[00:17:35] Each step you take today gets you closer to the business and the life that you’ve always dreamed of. Your action steps from this episode, write down your ideal day as a business owner, identify the gaps that you, that are keeping you from being that person and commit to one bold action that’ll stretch you in the best way possible.

[00:17:59] Thanks for [00:18:00] tuning in to The Business BFF. We hope you found this episode equal parts big hug and kick up the bum. All the things a bestie is good for. Remember you’ve got this and we’ve got your back like only a BFF can. If you’ve loved what you’ve heard be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with your fellow business besties.

[00:18:23] Don’t forget to follow us on social media at The Women’s Accountant. For more tips, tricks, and behind the scenes fun, until next time, keep being fierce and oh so fabulous.

[00:18:35] If this episode resonated with you, share it with a fellow business woman. Or tag me at the women’s accountant on Instagram. And I would love to hear about the bold moves you’re planning for 2025.

[00:18:50] Mhm. Mhm.