Too many business owners treat staffing like a transaction: post job ad → hire → manage.
But what if you flipped that script?
What if you built a culture so magnetic, so values-driven, that the “right people” came to you and stayed?
I’ve seen how powerful this can be. Over the years, both in my own studios and in observing other small businesses and franchises, investing in community and values has proven itself to be one of the most reliable ways to build a loyal, committed team.
Let’s talk about strength. Not the kind you show off in the gym (though good on you if that’s your thing).
I’m talking about the strength it takes to lead a team, run a business, and still have enough energy left to be a half-decent human being at the end of the day.
Because here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: you can have the plan, the strategy, the colour-coded calendar… But if you don’t have the energy to deliver any of it, it all falls flat.
You know that feeling when you look up and realise… there are only 10 productive weeks left in the year?
And somehow, every week between now and Christmas already feels spoken for?
Right. Let’s do something about it so you finish the year strong.
Here’s a quick Quarter Four Reflection you can do in 10 minutes (yes, even on a Monday).
If you’ve been feeling a little hot and bothered lately — physically, emotionally, or just from trying to hold it all together — join the club!
In my coaching conversations this year, I’ve spoken to so many incredible women who are quietly navigating perimenopause and menopause… while still leading teams, running businesses, managing households, and trying to keep everyone (and everything) afloat.
For years, my “ideal week” looked brilliant on paper.
Colour-coded calendar blocks. Back-to-back productivity. Every hour accounted for.
If you’d looked at it, you’d think, wow, she’s got it all together. 😉
But in reality that version of my ideal week wasn’t actually ideal at all. It was a badge of honour for how much I could cram in. It martyred how hard I was working and was built to impress (god knows who 🤷♀️), not to serve me.
When people talk about your business, what do you hope they say?
Not just about your product or service… but about you? What kind of leader do you want to be remembered as?
These aren’t easy questions, but they’re powerful ones. Because whether you realise it or not, you’re building a personal brand every single day through your actions, your presence, your values.
And that brand? It’s not just about looking polished online.
It’s about what people feel when they interact with you.
How you make them feel seen.
What you choose to stand for.
How you show up when it matters.
Earlier this year, I shaved my head for the World’s Greatest Shave.
It had nothing to do with the dance classes I teach or the business coaching I offer. But it had everything to do with what I want to be known for: connection, community, generosity, giving back.
We raised an incredible $25,000 and the thing that moved me most? It wasn’t just the donations. It was the people who came out of the woodwork to support. Old clients. Dance families from a decade ago. Podcast listeners from overseas.
They weren’t showing up for my services. They were showing up because of what I stand for.
So let me ask you again…
What do you want to be known for?
Whatever the answer, don’t keep it to yourself. Let your community see it. Feel it. Rally around it.
Because people don’t just remember what you do. They remember how you do it and why it matters.
When I first stepped into leadership in my business, I thought I had it covered.
I had vision. I had goals. I was passionate and driven and ready to bring people along for the ride.
What I didn’t have? A clue about management.
I honestly thought leadership and management were the same thing. That setting the strategy was enough and that once I’d mapped out the big, bold vision, my team would just… get it.
