How to flow through the ebbs

As an experienced coach, I know that my business is going to ebb and flow. But knowing that doesn't save me from the feelings that come up during the ebb. 

When my business ebbs like it did this summer, I usually freak out a little. (Or a lot.) I mean, this is my livelihood! And ebbs in my finances also touch on some of my most core security issues. So it’s natural for me to be a little 😱.

I can see the reasons why it happened, both personal and global.

On the personal front, I had a hectic spring with lots of travel (fun!) and then a surprise house move plonked in there (not fun).

I just didn’t have the capacity to do all the business stuff I’d envisioned, with everything else going on.

On the global level, people checked out and hit the road big time for the first post-pandemic summer. I’ve been talking with other coaches, lawyers, and other professionals who all report the same dip.

What I know to be true is I needed this space. If my biz had been going gangbusters, I wouldn’t have done the transformative work I’ve done this year. When I’m comfortable, I don’t dig in.

I’ve been healing old wounds around shame and scarcity which drove deep-seated fears of financial insecurity and perfectionism. I couldn’t ever talk about my financial fears because of the shame I felt for being less than perfect. I’ve been trying to get free of this pattern for some years now, and this was the time for a big chunk of that work to come to fruition.

We need to normalize that there are ebbs and flows in business and that they can feel scary.

It’s hard enough running a business and we don’t need the added pressure of pretending like it’s all going perfectly all the time.

Once we can be real about what we’re experiencing, we open the channel for the love, insight, and support we need to move forward.

Read on for the companion to this piece, 5 things to do when you hit a business dip -->