August 12, 2025 • 25 mins
What if I told you that scaling to 6 figures had nothing to do with working harder, being on every platform, or having a 47-point marketing strategy?
In this raw and honest episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my journey from overwhelmed 5-figure entrepreneur to confident 6-figure CEO. I'm sharing the exact moment I realised I was drowning in my own success, and the four strategic shifts that changed everything.
This isn't another "hustle harder" episode. This is the real story of how I doubled my revenue whilst working 20 fewer hours per week - and why focusing on less actually gave me more.
About This Episode
This episode is perfect for you if you're a service-based business owner who has built a successful 5-figure business but feels like you're constantly spinning plates. If you're working evenings and weekends, checking emails during dinner, and wondering why scaling feels so hard - this is your roadmap to a simpler, more profitable way forward.
I'm not sharing theory here - I'm sharing exactly what worked for me, including the mistakes I made, the timeline it actually took, and the real numbers behind my transformation from overwhelmed entrepreneur to confident CEO.
LINKS:
Step into your 6-figure mindset with our complete Cashflow Forecast template, designed to help entrepreneurs predict cash shortfalls, plan major purchases, and sleep better at night knowing their numbers. Includes automated formulas and step-by-step video tutorial: https://www.claire-bartlett.co.uk/cashflowforecast-188232
Simplify your accounting needs today with Xero accounting software - become a master of your finances and scale to 6-figures with ease. Follow the link now to take advantage of Xero's incredible sign-up offer: https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/9fhxu
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:21):
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to the Simplified CEO.
I am your host, Claire Bartlett.
Now, I'm guessing that you have carved out 20 minutes of your day.
Maybe it's between client calls or when your laptop is updating for the third time thisweek.
Maybe you finally managed to sit down with an actual cup of tea after putting out firesall morning.
(00:46):
Or maybe that you're listening to this while you're doing the school run and you'rewondering how on earth you're to fit everything in again today.
Either way, you are here because you've built something brilliant.
You've got a five figure business that actually works.
But let me guess, you're also wondering why it still feels like you're constantly spinningplates, checking emails at 10 o'clock.
(01:12):
and secretly Googling how to scale without losing my mind at 2am.
Well, here's what I know about you.
You didn't build your business to become a prisoner to it.
You built it for freedom and for flexibility, for that CEO life that you keep seeing onInstagram.
But right now, you're probably doing everything.
(01:33):
You're the marketing manager, you're the finance director, you're the customer serviceteam, and somehow you're still trying to be the visionary.
And you're brilliant at it all.
But that's exactly the problem.
See, what I've discovered after working with hundreds of entrepreneurs is that if you'retrying to make that leap from five to six figures, the strategies that got you here won't
(01:58):
get you there.
And more importantly, the mindset that got you here definitely won't get you there.
And I know because I've been exactly where you are right now.
Six years ago, I was that entrepreneur.
I was doing absolutely everything.
I was the marketing manager, the finance director, the customer service team, and somehowstill trying to be the visionary.
(02:20):
And I was brilliant at it all, but I was also exhausted and overwhelmed.
And despite working 60 hour weeks, I couldn't seem to break through that five figureceiling.
I thought scaling meant doing more.
Like I thought six figures meant working harder, being on every platform.
(02:41):
saying yes to every opportunity.
And I had a to-do list that never ended and a content calendar that made me want to cry.
But here's what I discovered when I finally made that leap from five to six figures.
I hadn't been failing because I wasn't working hard enough.
I was failing because I was focusing on everything instead of the things that actuallymatter.
(03:06):
Today, I want to share with you exactly what six-figure business owners
actually focus on.
Not the fluffy stuff you see on Instagram, not the hustle harder nonsense.
I'm talking about the real, the unglamorous, the profit driving activities that separatethe entrepreneurs still doing everything from the CEOs who've built businesses that
(03:30):
actually work without them.
Because here's the truth, there are only four things that six figure business ownersobsess over.
Four things, that's it.
And when I stopped trying to do everything and started focusing on just those four things,everything changed.
My revenue doubled, my stress halved.
(03:52):
And for the first time since starting my business, actually enjoyed running it again.
So if you're currently juggling 47 different strategies, trying to be on every platform,saying yes to every opportunity,
and wondering why you're working harder than ever, but not seeing the results.
This episode is your permission to stop, to simplify, to focus on what actually moves theneedle.
(04:20):
So let's dive in.
Now, before I share these four things with you, I need to be honest about where I started,because if you're currently feeling like you're drowning in your own success, I want you
to know that I get it.
Roll back to 2018, I was making decent money.
It was around 8,000 a month on average, but I was working every weekend.
(04:44):
I was answering emails during dinner and constantly worried about where the next clientwas coming from.
I had convinced myself that this was just what entrepreneurship looked like, thatsuccessful business owners were supposed to be busy all of the time.
But if I wasn't stressed, I wasn't working hard enough.
(05:06):
I mean, it's just now it just feels ridiculous.
And then but then I had my what I call my car park moment.
I was sat in my car after a networking event crying because I was just so tired.
And I realized that something had to change.
I couldn't scale my business by just doing more of the same.
(05:26):
I needed to do something completely different.
I'd set this business up to give me the flexibility to be a present mum.
And in that moment,
I felt like I was failing at that, was failing at business, and I genuinely just felt likea failure.
It was a tough moment, but that's when I made the decision that changed everything.
I stopped trying to figure out how to do more and started asking what I should focus oninstead.
(05:52):
And that led me to these four things.
Now, when I look at every successful six-figure entrepreneur I know, and I mean the oneswho aren't posting about their success at midnight because...
they're actually living it.
They all have one thing in common.
They've mastered the art of ruthless focus.
(06:12):
They don't do more.
They do less, but they do it better.
So what are these four things?
Well, let me break them down for you.
First, cashflow management.
Now I know before you roll your eyes and think, obviously hear me out, because I'm nottalking about just knowing how much money is coming in.
(06:32):
Most of you already do that.
I'm talking about managing your cash flow like the CEO you are, not like the freelanceryou used to be.
To become a six-figure business owner, you need to know exactly when money is coming in,how much, and from where.
And more importantly, you need to know when it's going out and plan for it.
(06:56):
You need to stop living payment to payment.
You need to build a system that stops that horrible Sunday night panic of do I have enoughin the account for next month's expenses?
Then you can stop making business decisions based on whether a client payment has alreadycleared.
You see, six figure business owners have got what I call the CEO vision.
(07:22):
They can see three months ahead, sometimes six months.
And they know that big expenses is coming in in February.
They know their quiet period is in April.
So they prepare for it in January.
Here's what this looks like practically.
They've got separate bank accounts for different purposes.
(07:42):
So tax money goes somewhere safe the moment it comes in.
There's none of this, oh, I'll sort it out later.
They've got an emergency fund that actually has money in it, not just good intentions.
And here's the key, they treat themselves like a proper employee.
They pay themselves a regular salary, not whatever is left over after everything else.
(08:07):
Because you can't scale a business when you don't even know if you can pay yourself.
You need to have the respect and you don't want any of that resentment building in.
And if you're listening to this and thinking, yeah, that sounds great, but I've no ideahow to track this and don't worry.
because I've got your back.
I have created a super simple cash flow forecast template, which will guide you throughhow to start understanding the ebbs and flow of money within your business.
(08:34):
And I'm giving it away completely for free.
Just follow the link in the show notes.
You can download your copy and you can start building the six figure CEO habit today.
Right.
Number two is profit, not just revenue.
Right.
And this is where it gets interesting because most five on
Five figure entrepreneurs are obsessed with revenue.
(08:56):
They want to hit that next milestone, that 10K month, that 15K month.
But six figure entrepreneurs, they're obsessed with profit.
And I have seen this again and again through the past decade with my clients, alwaysworking towards a 10K month because that is the sales call everyone uses on Instagram or
(09:16):
in the latest course title.
But six figure business owners realize that a 10K month
where you spend 9k isn't success.
It's actually exhaustion just with better numbers.
You have to know your numbers, not just your revenue, i.e.
the money that's coming in, but your real numbers.
(09:37):
You have to know exactly what it costs to deliver your services.
So you get to know your true hourly rate, not the fantasy one that you're putting on yourwebsite.
And you have to do the maths on everything.
That event that costs 200 pounds plus a day out of the office, does it actually bring inany clients or does it just make you feel busy?
(10:00):
That social media manager that you're thinking of hiring, you need to calculate exactlyhow much revenue they need to generate to make it worthwhile.
And this is where I have to give a quick shout out to our sponsor, Zero, because theiraccounting software can help you do all of this with such ease.
(10:21):
It shows you all of your expenses in real time.
And that visibility is critical to be able to start reducing unnecessary overspend, seewhat profit you actually make in your business, and then start to build a picture of your
actual profit margins, which is the real golden egg figure.
that can tell you everything about your business.
(10:44):
So check out the link in the show notes below to find out more and take advantage of theiramazing offer.
Once you have this, can make decisions based on profit per hour, not just overall profit.
You can stop saying yes to low margin work just because it's easy money.
And you can stop taking on clients who pay well, but require three times the effort.
(11:09):
We've all got clients like that, right?
You have to be ruthless about this.
If something isn't profitable, it goes.
Even if it's easy, even if you've always done it, even if clients expect it.
Let it go and step towards a simpler, more profitable business.
Okay, and three, strategic visibility.
(11:31):
Now this is where I made my biggest mistakes early on.
I thought visibility meant being everywhere.
I was on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, was at all the networking events, I was on podcasts,I was guest posting, I was speaking at events.
I was exhausted just thinking about my content calendar.
Well, six figure entrepreneurs do visibility differently.
(11:53):
They're not everywhere, but they're exactly where their ideal clients are and they'reimpossible to ignore when they're there.
I realized I was trying to please everybody and ending up invisible to the people whoactually mattered.
So I made a decision that felt really scary at the time, but was absolutely the rightcall.
(12:15):
I picked one platform.
which was LinkedIn at the time, and I got known for solving one specific problem really,really well.
Not five problems, just one.
You can't be the marketing consultant who always does websites and then sometimes helpswith strategy and also offers VA services on the side.
Instead, you need to be the business consultant who also does marketing and sometimeshelps with strategy and offers training on the side.
(12:44):
You need to become
the person who helps service-based businesses turn their expertise into scalable onlineprograms.
Full stop.
That's it.
And when I figured this out, it made everything easier.
My content wrote itself because I was always talking about the same problem from differentangles.
My ideal clients found me easily because they knew exactly what to search for.
(13:08):
And my referrals got better because people knew exactly what to refer to me.
And...
I've got consistent, not posting every day consistent, but strategically consistent.
You need to show up where your people are when your people are there with the message yourpeople need to hear.
(13:29):
And finally, the fourth one is evidence-based decision-making.
Now, this is the big one, the one thing that separates entrepreneurs still guessing fromthe CEOs who know.
This was the ultimate game changer.
For years, I was making decisions based on what I thought might work or what worked forsomeone else or what the latest business guru was promising.
(13:53):
I was guessing my way through business and wondering why I kept getting inconsistentresults.
So I started tracking everything that actually impacted my profit.
Not everything.
I'm not drowning in spreadsheets, just the things that actually mattered.
So I tracked which marketing activities brought in clients and which ones just made mefeel productive.
(14:18):
I tracked which clients were actually profitable and which ones just paid the bills.
I tracked which services were in demand and which ones I offered because I thought Ishould.
And here's what's brilliant.
I then used this information to do more of what worked and stop doing what didn't.
(14:39):
Revolutionary, I know, but seriously, I was shocked at how much I was doing that simplywasn't working.
Six figure business owners don't make decisions based on what they think might work orwhat worked for somebody else or what, you know, the latest guru is telling them and
promising them.
They make decisions based on evidence, their evidence.
(15:02):
You have to be ruthless about this.
If something isn't working, stop.
If something is working, double down on it.
I discovered that my most expensive service wasn't my most profitable.
And I found out that the membership that I had been paying into and thought was essentialfor networking had actually brought in exactly zero clients in 18 months.
(15:27):
And I realised 80 % of my best clients came from just two sources.
So I stopped doing the things that weren't working.
I got that time back into my business and I doubled down on what was.
And I got what I call the CEO confidence.
I started making decisions quickly because I had the data to back them up.
There was no more second guessing, no more wondering if I was doing the right thing, nomore lying in bed, going over all of the obstacles because the numbers don't lie.
(15:57):
Now, here's what I want you to understand.
These four things,
cash flow, profit, the strategic visibility and the evidence-based decisions.
They're not just business activities.
They're a completely different way of thinking about your business.
Most five-figure entrepreneurs are still thinking like freelancers.
(16:17):
You're just trading time for money, taking whatever work comes your way and hoping it allworks out.
Six-figure entrepreneurs think like CEOs.
They make strategic decisions.
They invest in their business, not just work in it.
They see the patterns, not just individual transactions.
(16:40):
I stopped asking, how can I work harder?
And started asking, how can I work smarter?
I stopped asking, how can I do more?
And started asking, what should I stop doing?
And I stopped asking, what if this doesn't work?
And started asking, what does the evidence?
tell me.
(17:00):
This shift changed everything.
When I started thinking like a CEO, I started making CEO decisions.
And when I made CEO decisions, I started getting CEO results.
Within 12 months of making these changes, I had doubled my revenue.
I stopped checking my emails at weekends.
I stopped saying yes to projects that just drained my energy.
(17:23):
I stopped feeling guilty about charging what I was actually worth.
And I had the first ever holiday without my work phone.
It completely changed everything.
And more importantly, I started enjoying my business again.
For the first time in years, I remembered why I started it in the first place.
(17:46):
Now I know you're like, this all sounds amazing, Claire, but where do I start?
Well, if you're listening to this thinking, you know, I don't know what to start with.
I could do with all of this.
Here's my advice.
Just pick one.
Don't try to fix your cash flow, increase your profit margins, revamp your marketingstrategy, and implement tracking systems all at once.
(18:06):
That's exactly the kind of thing that is keeping you at five figures.
So pick the one that's causing you the most stress right now.
Is it the Sunday night panic about money?
Well, focus on cash flow first.
Is it feeling like you're working harder but you're not earning more?
Then you need to look at your profit margins.
(18:27):
Are you constantly trying to find new clients?
Then it's your visibility strategy.
Or are you making decisions based on gut feeling and you're hoping for the best, then youneed to start tracking.
And then give it three months, three months of focused attention on just that one area.
Master it, make it simple, make it second nature, then move on to the next one.
(18:50):
Because here's what I know, you don't need to be perfect at all four things.
You just need to be better at them than you are right now.
And you definitely don't need to figure it all out before you start.
You just need to start.
Right.
Before we wrap up, let me leave you with this.
Building a six figure business isn't about working more hours or having more ideas orbeing more talented.
(19:16):
It's about focus.
It's about making CEO decisions instead of entrepreneur decisions.
It's about building systems that work without you instead of processes that require you.
You've already proved that you can build a successful business.
You're at five figures.
That's amazing.
But now it's time to prove that you can scale it without losing yourself in the process.
(19:40):
You just need to focus on the things that actually move that needle.
I've built a six figure business by focusing on just those four things, not 40, four.
entrepreneurs still doing everything are the ones still stuck at five figures wonderingwhy success feels so hard.
The CEOs focusing on those four things, they're the ones scaling to six figures and beyondwhilst actually enjoying their business.
(20:09):
You get to choose which one you want to be.
Thank you so much for spending these 20 minutes with me today.
If this episode resonated with you,
I'd love to know which one of these four areas you are going to focus on first.
And if you know someone else, another entrepreneur who is ready to stop doing everythingand start focusing on what actually matters, then please share this episode with them.
(20:34):
But until next time, keep simplifying and keep building that business that you actuallywant to run.
Have a great week.
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to the Simplified CEO.
I am your host, Claire Bartlett.
Now, I'm guessing that you have carved out 20 minutes of your day.
Maybe it's between client calls or when your laptop is updating for the third time thisweek.
Maybe you finally managed to sit down with an actual cup of tea after putting out firesall morning.
(00:46):
Or maybe that you're listening to this while you're doing the school run and you'rewondering how on earth you're to fit everything in again today.
Either way, you are here because you've built something brilliant.
You've got a five figure business that actually works.
But let me guess, you're also wondering why it still feels like you're constantly spinningplates, checking emails at 10 o'clock.
(01:12):
and secretly Googling how to scale without losing my mind at 2am.
Well, here's what I know about you.
You didn't build your business to become a prisoner to it.
You built it for freedom and for flexibility, for that CEO life that you keep seeing onInstagram.
But right now, you're probably doing everything.
(01:33):
You're the marketing manager, you're the finance director, you're the customer serviceteam, and somehow you're still trying to be the visionary.
And you're brilliant at it all.
But that's exactly the problem.
See, what I've discovered after working with hundreds of entrepreneurs is that if you'retrying to make that leap from five to six figures, the strategies that got you here won't
(01:58):
get you there.
And more importantly, the mindset that got you here definitely won't get you there.
And I know because I've been exactly where you are right now.
Six years ago, I was that entrepreneur.
I was doing absolutely everything.
I was the marketing manager, the finance director, the customer service team, and somehowstill trying to be the visionary.
(02:20):
And I was brilliant at it all, but I was also exhausted and overwhelmed.
And despite working 60 hour weeks, I couldn't seem to break through that five figureceiling.
I thought scaling meant doing more.
Like I thought six figures meant working harder, being on every platform.
(02:41):
saying yes to every opportunity.
And I had a to-do list that never ended and a content calendar that made me want to cry.
But here's what I discovered when I finally made that leap from five to six figures.
I hadn't been failing because I wasn't working hard enough.
I was failing because I was focusing on everything instead of the things that actuallymatter.
(03:06):
Today, I want to share with you exactly what six-figure business owners
actually focus on.
Not the fluffy stuff you see on Instagram, not the hustle harder nonsense.
I'm talking about the real, the unglamorous, the profit driving activities that separatethe entrepreneurs still doing everything from the CEOs who've built businesses that
(03:30):
actually work without them.
Because here's the truth, there are only four things that six figure business ownersobsess over.
Four things, that's it.
And when I stopped trying to do everything and started focusing on just those four things,everything changed.
My revenue doubled, my stress halved.
(03:52):
And for the first time since starting my business, actually enjoyed running it again.
So if you're currently juggling 47 different strategies, trying to be on every platform,saying yes to every opportunity,
and wondering why you're working harder than ever, but not seeing the results.
This episode is your permission to stop, to simplify, to focus on what actually moves theneedle.
(04:20):
So let's dive in.
Now, before I share these four things with you, I need to be honest about where I started,because if you're currently feeling like you're drowning in your own success, I want you
to know that I get it.
Roll back to 2018, I was making decent money.
It was around 8,000 a month on average, but I was working every weekend.
(04:44):
I was answering emails during dinner and constantly worried about where the next clientwas coming from.
I had convinced myself that this was just what entrepreneurship looked like, thatsuccessful business owners were supposed to be busy all of the time.
But if I wasn't stressed, I wasn't working hard enough.
(05:06):
I mean, it's just now it just feels ridiculous.
And then but then I had my what I call my car park moment.
I was sat in my car after a networking event crying because I was just so tired.
And I realized that something had to change.
I couldn't scale my business by just doing more of the same.
(05:26):
I needed to do something completely different.
I'd set this business up to give me the flexibility to be a present mum.
And in that moment,
I felt like I was failing at that, was failing at business, and I genuinely just felt likea failure.
It was a tough moment, but that's when I made the decision that changed everything.
I stopped trying to figure out how to do more and started asking what I should focus oninstead.
(05:52):
And that led me to these four things.
Now, when I look at every successful six-figure entrepreneur I know, and I mean the oneswho aren't posting about their success at midnight because...
they're actually living it.
They all have one thing in common.
They've mastered the art of ruthless focus.
(06:12):
They don't do more.
They do less, but they do it better.
So what are these four things?
Well, let me break them down for you.
First, cashflow management.
Now I know before you roll your eyes and think, obviously hear me out, because I'm nottalking about just knowing how much money is coming in.
(06:32):
Most of you already do that.
I'm talking about managing your cash flow like the CEO you are, not like the freelanceryou used to be.
To become a six-figure business owner, you need to know exactly when money is coming in,how much, and from where.
And more importantly, you need to know when it's going out and plan for it.
(06:56):
You need to stop living payment to payment.
You need to build a system that stops that horrible Sunday night panic of do I have enoughin the account for next month's expenses?
Then you can stop making business decisions based on whether a client payment has alreadycleared.
You see, six figure business owners have got what I call the CEO vision.
(07:22):
They can see three months ahead, sometimes six months.
And they know that big expenses is coming in in February.
They know their quiet period is in April.
So they prepare for it in January.
Here's what this looks like practically.
They've got separate bank accounts for different purposes.
(07:42):
So tax money goes somewhere safe the moment it comes in.
There's none of this, oh, I'll sort it out later.
They've got an emergency fund that actually has money in it, not just good intentions.
And here's the key, they treat themselves like a proper employee.
They pay themselves a regular salary, not whatever is left over after everything else.
(08:07):
Because you can't scale a business when you don't even know if you can pay yourself.
You need to have the respect and you don't want any of that resentment building in.
And if you're listening to this and thinking, yeah, that sounds great, but I've no ideahow to track this and don't worry.
because I've got your back.
I have created a super simple cash flow forecast template, which will guide you throughhow to start understanding the ebbs and flow of money within your business.
(08:34):
And I'm giving it away completely for free.
Just follow the link in the show notes.
You can download your copy and you can start building the six figure CEO habit today.
Right.
Number two is profit, not just revenue.
Right.
And this is where it gets interesting because most five on
Five figure entrepreneurs are obsessed with revenue.
(08:56):
They want to hit that next milestone, that 10K month, that 15K month.
But six figure entrepreneurs, they're obsessed with profit.
And I have seen this again and again through the past decade with my clients, alwaysworking towards a 10K month because that is the sales call everyone uses on Instagram or
(09:16):
in the latest course title.
But six figure business owners realize that a 10K month
where you spend 9k isn't success.
It's actually exhaustion just with better numbers.
You have to know your numbers, not just your revenue, i.e.
the money that's coming in, but your real numbers.
(09:37):
You have to know exactly what it costs to deliver your services.
So you get to know your true hourly rate, not the fantasy one that you're putting on yourwebsite.
And you have to do the maths on everything.
That event that costs 200 pounds plus a day out of the office, does it actually bring inany clients or does it just make you feel busy?
(10:00):
That social media manager that you're thinking of hiring, you need to calculate exactlyhow much revenue they need to generate to make it worthwhile.
And this is where I have to give a quick shout out to our sponsor, Zero, because theiraccounting software can help you do all of this with such ease.
(10:21):
It shows you all of your expenses in real time.
And that visibility is critical to be able to start reducing unnecessary overspend, seewhat profit you actually make in your business, and then start to build a picture of your
actual profit margins, which is the real golden egg figure.
that can tell you everything about your business.
(10:44):
So check out the link in the show notes below to find out more and take advantage of theiramazing offer.
Once you have this, can make decisions based on profit per hour, not just overall profit.
You can stop saying yes to low margin work just because it's easy money.
And you can stop taking on clients who pay well, but require three times the effort.
(11:09):
We've all got clients like that, right?
You have to be ruthless about this.
If something isn't profitable, it goes.
Even if it's easy, even if you've always done it, even if clients expect it.
Let it go and step towards a simpler, more profitable business.
Okay, and three, strategic visibility.
(11:31):
Now this is where I made my biggest mistakes early on.
I thought visibility meant being everywhere.
I was on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, was at all the networking events, I was on podcasts,I was guest posting, I was speaking at events.
I was exhausted just thinking about my content calendar.
Well, six figure entrepreneurs do visibility differently.
(11:53):
They're not everywhere, but they're exactly where their ideal clients are and they'reimpossible to ignore when they're there.
I realized I was trying to please everybody and ending up invisible to the people whoactually mattered.
So I made a decision that felt really scary at the time, but was absolutely the rightcall.
(12:15):
I picked one platform.
which was LinkedIn at the time, and I got known for solving one specific problem really,really well.
Not five problems, just one.
You can't be the marketing consultant who always does websites and then sometimes helpswith strategy and also offers VA services on the side.
Instead, you need to be the business consultant who also does marketing and sometimeshelps with strategy and offers training on the side.
(12:44):
You need to become
the person who helps service-based businesses turn their expertise into scalable onlineprograms.
Full stop.
That's it.
And when I figured this out, it made everything easier.
My content wrote itself because I was always talking about the same problem from differentangles.
My ideal clients found me easily because they knew exactly what to search for.
(13:08):
And my referrals got better because people knew exactly what to refer to me.
And...
I've got consistent, not posting every day consistent, but strategically consistent.
You need to show up where your people are when your people are there with the message yourpeople need to hear.
(13:29):
And finally, the fourth one is evidence-based decision-making.
Now, this is the big one, the one thing that separates entrepreneurs still guessing fromthe CEOs who know.
This was the ultimate game changer.
For years, I was making decisions based on what I thought might work or what worked forsomeone else or what the latest business guru was promising.
(13:53):
I was guessing my way through business and wondering why I kept getting inconsistentresults.
So I started tracking everything that actually impacted my profit.
Not everything.
I'm not drowning in spreadsheets, just the things that actually mattered.
So I tracked which marketing activities brought in clients and which ones just made mefeel productive.
(14:18):
I tracked which clients were actually profitable and which ones just paid the bills.
I tracked which services were in demand and which ones I offered because I thought Ishould.
And here's what's brilliant.
I then used this information to do more of what worked and stop doing what didn't.
(14:39):
Revolutionary, I know, but seriously, I was shocked at how much I was doing that simplywasn't working.
Six figure business owners don't make decisions based on what they think might work orwhat worked for somebody else or what, you know, the latest guru is telling them and
promising them.
They make decisions based on evidence, their evidence.
(15:02):
You have to be ruthless about this.
If something isn't working, stop.
If something is working, double down on it.
I discovered that my most expensive service wasn't my most profitable.
And I found out that the membership that I had been paying into and thought was essentialfor networking had actually brought in exactly zero clients in 18 months.
(15:27):
And I realised 80 % of my best clients came from just two sources.
So I stopped doing the things that weren't working.
I got that time back into my business and I doubled down on what was.
And I got what I call the CEO confidence.
I started making decisions quickly because I had the data to back them up.
There was no more second guessing, no more wondering if I was doing the right thing, nomore lying in bed, going over all of the obstacles because the numbers don't lie.
(15:57):
Now, here's what I want you to understand.
These four things,
cash flow, profit, the strategic visibility and the evidence-based decisions.
They're not just business activities.
They're a completely different way of thinking about your business.
Most five-figure entrepreneurs are still thinking like freelancers.
(16:17):
You're just trading time for money, taking whatever work comes your way and hoping it allworks out.
Six-figure entrepreneurs think like CEOs.
They make strategic decisions.
They invest in their business, not just work in it.
They see the patterns, not just individual transactions.
(16:40):
I stopped asking, how can I work harder?
And started asking, how can I work smarter?
I stopped asking, how can I do more?
And started asking, what should I stop doing?
And I stopped asking, what if this doesn't work?
And started asking, what does the evidence?
tell me.
(17:00):
This shift changed everything.
When I started thinking like a CEO, I started making CEO decisions.
And when I made CEO decisions, I started getting CEO results.
Within 12 months of making these changes, I had doubled my revenue.
I stopped checking my emails at weekends.
I stopped saying yes to projects that just drained my energy.
(17:23):
I stopped feeling guilty about charging what I was actually worth.
And I had the first ever holiday without my work phone.
It completely changed everything.
And more importantly, I started enjoying my business again.
For the first time in years, I remembered why I started it in the first place.
(17:46):
Now I know you're like, this all sounds amazing, Claire, but where do I start?
Well, if you're listening to this thinking, you know, I don't know what to start with.
I could do with all of this.
Here's my advice.
Just pick one.
Don't try to fix your cash flow, increase your profit margins, revamp your marketingstrategy, and implement tracking systems all at once.
(18:06):
That's exactly the kind of thing that is keeping you at five figures.
So pick the one that's causing you the most stress right now.
Is it the Sunday night panic about money?
Well, focus on cash flow first.
Is it feeling like you're working harder but you're not earning more?
Then you need to look at your profit margins.
(18:27):
Are you constantly trying to find new clients?
Then it's your visibility strategy.
Or are you making decisions based on gut feeling and you're hoping for the best, then youneed to start tracking.
And then give it three months, three months of focused attention on just that one area.
Master it, make it simple, make it second nature, then move on to the next one.
(18:50):
Because here's what I know, you don't need to be perfect at all four things.
You just need to be better at them than you are right now.
And you definitely don't need to figure it all out before you start.
You just need to start.
Right.
Before we wrap up, let me leave you with this.
Building a six figure business isn't about working more hours or having more ideas orbeing more talented.
(19:16):
It's about focus.
It's about making CEO decisions instead of entrepreneur decisions.
It's about building systems that work without you instead of processes that require you.
You've already proved that you can build a successful business.
You're at five figures.
That's amazing.
But now it's time to prove that you can scale it without losing yourself in the process.
(19:40):
You just need to focus on the things that actually move that needle.
I've built a six figure business by focusing on just those four things, not 40, four.
entrepreneurs still doing everything are the ones still stuck at five figures wonderingwhy success feels so hard.
The CEOs focusing on those four things, they're the ones scaling to six figures and beyondwhilst actually enjoying their business.
(20:09):
You get to choose which one you want to be.
Thank you so much for spending these 20 minutes with me today.
If this episode resonated with you,
I'd love to know which one of these four areas you are going to focus on first.
And if you know someone else, another entrepreneur who is ready to stop doing everythingand start focusing on what actually matters, then please share this episode with them.
(20:34):
But until next time, keep simplifying and keep building that business that you actuallywant to run.
Have a great week.
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