This week we turned down two book proposals from two major American publishers. Last week we turned down the offer of a lucrative new e-course partnership. Are we crazy? Maybe. But we don’t think so.
Last year Do What You Love saw explosive growth, which was brilliant, but exhausting. We had offers flying in left, right and centre, and it was hugely tempting to keep expanding, adding more courses all the time and getting involved in all sorts of exciting projects. But right at the start of 2013, when we took stock and looked ahead to what kind of a year we wanted it to be, we decided that this year we would focus on quality not quantity.
We have had incredible feedback for all our courses and I cannot tell you how much that means, when so much energy and effort has gone into the creation of each of them. But we also know we aren’t perfect, and we listen really hard to feedback every step of the way. At the end of each course we ask participants to complete a survey, and we take all comments on board. Of course we cannot make every suggested change because we have to consider what is best for the vast majority of our participants, but regularly these surveys, and individual emails people send in, prompt really useful changes and improvements.
We promised to make 2013 the year we consolidated, reviewed and improved. Here are some of the things we have been up to:
- We have finally launched this new version of the DWYL website (and we will be unveiling TWO more connected websites in the next couple of weeks!)
- Together with Rachael Taylor we have just finished a complete overhaul of every part of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, with bang up-to-date trend information, additional content and some other lovely extras
- We are revamping Do What You Love the e-course in time for the October class, keeping the fundamental elements there but making it more interactive, more exciting, and even more powerful
- Kelly Rae Roberts and I have been spending hours on Skype working on the new version of Hello Soul Hello Business: The Business Soul Sessions, which will open for registration in October. The new version will blow your socks off! We are making it into exactly the kind of business course we wish had been around years ago
- Another retreat is in the planning for 2014 after a two year hiatus since our inaugural sell-out event. This one is going to be so worth the wait!
- We do have a couple of new very special courses in the pipeline, but we have been taking it slowly with the planning and preparation to make sure we delight you with the experience when they are ready
When you are a young and growing business, the temptation is to grow, grow, grow.
It can also be tempting to chase the promise of more money in the short term, rather than carefully plan to generate even more in the long term. We have had to make some really tough decisions this year, but we have stuck to our guns and gone for quality every time.
It is important to us that our courses to consistently deliver real results and deep impact for everyone who takes part, and it takes time to make that happen.
This year of hunkering down and investing time and energy in what we already have, will open up 2014 to new horizons, building on much stronger foundations.
We are sure that closing some doors this year will allow others to open next year.
We would love to hear where you are in your business growth, and whether you ever find yourself faced with such dilemmas.
- When do you decide to fly forward, and when do you choose to hold back and consolidate?
- When do you revise the old and when do you launch the new?
- When do you sacrifice immediate profits for longer term returns?
