What makes a project, an offering, ANYTHING worth saying YES to, in your business?
Story time.
I’ve shared my obsession with Profit Clarity before. This is an annual tradition I adapted after I first tried it for my 2012-2013 numbers.
On April 1st each year, I go through every revenue stream in our business so I know exactly how much each offering is bringing in and how many hours I’m investing to create that offering, and then I draw a line at the $10K/yr. level on the list of revenue streams. I draw this line so I can stop feeding energy to anything below that line.
This annual practice — and in particular, this NO line-drawing — has allowed my business to go from just over 12% passive income when I first did this analysis to 58% passive income when I did it earlier this year. All while doubling the annual dollar amount.
Now, there is ALWAYS something I keep doing even though I technically should kill it off. Please note here that “stop feeding energy to” and “kill off” are two very different things. 😉 I very definitely DO have offerings I should’ve sundowned but I get a non-monetary value out of them so they get to stick around.
When I’m advising actors on whether or not they should accept a role in a project, I remind them that gigs pay in one or more of FIVE different ways.
1. money
2. brand-reinforcing
3. relationship-building
4. joy
5. good karma
If the gig is not paying you in ANY of those areas? It’s pretty important that you begin to examine why you feel the need to say yes to it. In fact, you may learn you need to start turning things down!
I use pretty much this same list I share with actors when it comes to what *I* continue to offer up in my business. There are absolutely mitzvahs I do (investments in others, moving forward a social issue I feel strongly about, educating a newbie about what it’s like to work at this tier, etc.), there are fun things I do (because joy is FOR SURE a big value I invest in, in life and in business every damn day), and there are relationship-builders, brand-enhancers, and — of course — money moves. 😉
I feel as though at some point, all five of these are an integral part of building the empire. Because, like I’ve always said, it’s not the ONE thing you do; it’s all the things you do.
I’ll ask you — what reasons do YOU use to say yes in your business? Comments are open just below! Whether it’s building up experience, growing your fanbase, or making a statement you feel strongly about, I’d love to hear about the values you’ve woven into your business model! Haven’t ever thought about this? Oh, man, I’d love to help you get more ready than ever for your success at the next tier! Join us for 100 days that’ll change your freakin’ life right here! 🙂 Let’s DO this!
Psst! — Please visit the calendar of events at my site for a whole bunch o’ livestreams I’ll be doing in September and October. Oh, yeah! I’m going live weekly, y’all! Woo HOO! 🙂 Let’s make a date of it!
But first, one last broadcast in August… in fact, it’s coming up at 12:30pm PDT on Thursday the 29th! [REPLAY BELOW] If you’re tired of feeling blocked in your creative career, join me for a livestream about how to know whether it’s resistance and you need to JFDI *or* it’s an actual block that deserves a bit of work before moving forward in the pursuit of your dreams.
So! Excited! (I really love jamming with y’all.)
Much love,
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
THIS!! Love THIS!! Exactly what I try to do each and every time. Not always successful, but trying. Thank you, Bonnie.
Does it pay?
If not, or whether it does or not, does it sound like fun?
Good networking opportunity—get to work with good people?
Interesting part?
Where is it? Can I reasonably get there?
Will they have me?
I look for two out of four of learning, money, networking and fun.