What a ride 2024 has been! It's felt like a rollercoaster, and yet, I wouldn't change a thing - and I'll tell you why further down.

We recently faced a health scare with our 14yr old dog Midge, three weeks of worry and two tense days with IV fluids. That was tough after saying goodbye to Duke just five months ago.

But I’m thrilled to share that Midge is doing well—a big weight off my shoulders.

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Amidst these challenges, there have also been incredible highs. This year has ushered in so much growth and clarity.

It's been a season of maintenance, which has given me the mental space to care for my clients and reflect on life and business.

The greatest insight is realising what has kept me stuck for so long.

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I believed the reason why people struggled to grow their business was simply due to a lack of foundational principles - not understanding the problem they were solving or whom they were solving it for, or unable to articulate that clearly, left them unable to generate the sales and growth they needed.

This still holds true. It's an essential part of creating and growing a successful business. But there are two other vital pieces to the puzzle.

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The next piece, something which I've been helping clients with for quite a few years now is understanding how you want your business to support you in creating your optimal life.

Too many people only know this on a generic and superficial level, such as "I want to be a full-time professional photographer" without knowing what that means to THEM. That's why so many photographers end up creating business that suck the life out of them and leave them with no time for their family and loved ones.

This is still an essential building block for creating a business that serves you and the lifestyle that you want to create.

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However, an even greater barrier exists—mindset. Every piece, from principles to plans, hinges on having the right mindset. It’s the cornerstone of crafting a life and business that truly serves us.

I couldn't understand how I could help my clients so successfully, help them transition from full time jobs to flourishing as a full time professional photographer for example.

Or how I could have the retention rates that I do, yet I have so many frustrations and blind spots in my own business.

I could never fathom what was holding me back.

Then it hit me like a brick.

At this stage, I don't need to know every detail of where I'm headed, my big purpose. Instead, I'm focused on building momentum. By addressing problems I excel at solving for people I care about, I unlock the freedom to adapt and evolve seamlessly.

If your business is under a million a year, don't stress over a perfect final destination. Many of us get caught up thinking everything needs to be flawless before taking any action. Yet, that's not the case. Until you've reached that milestone, there's the freedom to evolve and iterate.

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Feeling stuck?

Set aside the urge to craft the perfect business model.

To make everything just perfect.

Solve the problems you can already solve for people. Sell what you have now.

This approach not only builds momentum but also opens opportunities.

• Marketing and sales generate income.

• Income fuels momentum.

• Momentum enables the flexibility to shift direction and gives you the time to uncover your ultimate path.

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Momentum is more than just achieving results; it’s about seizing the opportunities to adapt and thrive.

Understanding this has been like the lifting of a thick pea super fog, that's been hanging around for far too long.

It's not rocket science, but sometimes we are too close to our own businesses to see what we need to see.

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Wishing you the clarity and momentum to follow your path with confidence and joy,

Louise "I can see clearly now" Beattie 🤣

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Louise Beattie

​Forge & Flourish​