Episode 171: The April Recap

Remember when I said March was kind of boring? Let me tell you, April was the complete opposite with big decisions in business and life which I’m going to share with you in detail in the April recap. Let’s do this.

In the March recap, I talked about how it was a pretty non-eventful month, but not to worry! April threw a number of plot twists my way. Honestly, this month was a real testament to the work I’ve done in the business and on a personal level over the last 12 to 18 months.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what happened, so let’s get down to it.

For Scoop Studios

On the heels of a very non-eventful (in a good way) March, April was, honestly, a very odd month. Money-wise, it was the best month we’ve had so far this year and the highest revenue month we’ve had in the year since Brittany exited the business.

Seeing those numbers led me to a big exhale. It’s proof that the pivot and rebuilding we’ve done over the last year was exactly what was supposed to happen.

While revenue isn’t the only key performance indicator I look to within the agency, it’s a big one as it’s very clear cut to show how my focus on lead gen in Q1 is getting results and an indicator of the overall health of the business. Essentially, it’s the cold, hard numbers that say, “You’re exactly where you need to be,” which has been extremely affirming.

Because, the truth is, I don’t have every last thing figured out — and I don’t expect that I ever will — but getting to this point and sticking to my plan, well, that’s made me feel very confident about what I want for the rest of 2019.

Here’s the best part: It was the biggest month of the year, and my non-money measures of success are right on track as well. I’ve been actively trying to work less and focus on the parts of the business where I’m most essential.

I actually said to Sara when we had our final April numbers that I was floored as April felt like a month without any drama or struggle. I share that as I want you to know it is possible to meet bigger revenue goals and not kill yourself in the process. While I believe in seasons in your business, I don’t believe every single one should be about hustling until you drop.

And on the new business front, we signed two new retainer clients, so we hit that quarterly goal, and we’re on pace to exceed it. And speaking of quarterly goals, I canceled my other two goals for the quarter, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have my time and attention focused so narrowly.

For Small Business Boss

So speaking of those goals, they were both ones I’d set out for Small Business Boss. First was the Small Business Boss summit — and I mentioned in the last recap that ticket sales were not great.

Honestly, I discovered that people were interested, but they wouldn’t commit by buying tickets two months in advance. They loved the event but wanted to keep their options open. Talk about frustrating. I hustled super hard for the last week of ticket sales — and it was dismal.

I had to make a call. Risk running the event and having it flop OR deciding to cancel it and cut my losses. With speakers coming from out of town and the costs for the event, I knew in my gut it wasn’t the right time.

That’s not to say it was an easy decision or one that didn’t get my ego involved. But here’s what I know now: Things work out as they should, and forcing the event would have meant an extreme amount of time, energy, and quite frankly, stress on my part. This is not the season for it, and I’m super okay with it.

To put a bow on it, I had to majorly check my ego and work through a case of comparisonitis. I know many people that run successful events, but then I just knocked it off and moved on. It’s not a failure but a total and complete lesson — and I’m really good with it now.

And funnily, it really helped me get even clearer on what I want Small Business Boss to be and where my time for it needs to go. I have plans percolating, but I’ve come to recognize that a lot of the things I’ve been thinking I “should” do aren’t right for me, and they aren’t right for my community. So screw it. I’m gonna do something else entirely that best serves the Small Business Boss crew.

More to come on this as I figure it out, and I’ll be honest, it’s scary to be so candid about this, but I know how critical it is to see these things happening in real life. The dream of group programs, courses, and memberships is pretty alluring, and I want you to know it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

I am super excited to share that the writing I’ve been sharing on the industry and online marketing has been very well-received, and I can’t wait to do more of it. If you want to check any of that out, it’s over on the Small Business Boss blog, and I have some more fresh posts in the works.

Personal Updates

Speaking of what’s fresh, remember when I said that April was full of plot twists? I’d be remiss in not sharing some personal updates.

In early April, on a random Sunday, I had a very honest chat with my husband, Scott, and we realized it was time for us to move into the city. I’m over country life after 20 years of it and ready for something new. This was not our plan until my son was done with high school in three years — but it’s time. So most of April was spent decluttering, packing, and preparing our house to list for sale.

Oh, and I should mention we were scheduled May 2nd to leave for a family trip to London, and then I was to stay afterward for a Double It mastermind retreat. So we were on a tight timeline for house stuff as we had to get ourselves moved before school starts in September.

But then my husband woke up with a back issue that lasted for days on end, and we had to cancel the family part of the trip. Disappointing for sure, but it’s all worked out in a very Patterson family way with our house getting sold when we should have been away. And the best news of all is that his back issue is pretty much resolved with no ongoing injury.

As of recording this on May 20th, we’re waiting for the final paperwork on our house, and we have an offer pending on our new house in the suburbs of Ottawa. Everything is working out in the weirdest but most wonderful of ways.

All of this for me has come down to doing a lot of internal work so I could handle these things, and most of all, have the confidence to make big, complex decisions quickly. A year ago, I’m not sure I was equipped to handle these things, but I really like how 2019 is going so far in my business and personally — even if I’m not a fan of canceling trips. (Thank you, travel insurance!)

In the May recap, I’ll have lots to say about my mastermind retreat and what I learned, some major realizations about myself, and of course, some big old behind-the-scenes of my businesses.