102 What is the trade off you're making in business?

Hi, I’m Katie Bell, and welcome to this off-the-cuff episode of Treat Your Business. Today, we’re diving deep into a concept that could transform how you run your clinic or business: essentialism and the art of strategic sacrifice. As you gear up for the end-of-year madness, I’m giving you permission to pause, refocus, and invest your time where it matters most. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, spinning plates at a hundred miles an hour, or like you’re the lowest paid in your own company, this one is for you!

Episode Summary:

In today’s episode, we explore the concept of essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less but better. Inspired by insights from the Expert Empires Conference and conversations with fellow clinic owners, I’m here to share why strategy is the art of sacrifice and how being strategic can lead to more fulfilment, better financial outcomes, and a thriving business.

We’ll discuss how clinic owners often struggle with having a master plan, leading to feelings of spinning plates endlessly. I’ll guide you through practical methods to focus on essential activities that drive results, like filtering out distractions, saying no with confidence, and making wise investments of your time and energy.

We’ll cover real trade-offs, like choosing between taking on one more client versus prioritising your personal well-being, and explore why being reactive is costing you progress. Essentialism is about structured, disciplined approaches, and I’ll share actionable tips, including how to manage your inbox, stop multitasking, and schedule your day like a strategic powerhouse. Plus, I’ve got a special resource for you on how the recent Autumn Budget impacts your clinic.

Key Takeaways:

1. Essentialism Over Multitasking: Focus on fewer, high-impact activities to achieve significant results.
2. Strategic Sacrifice: Saying yes to what truly matters means saying no to distractions.
3. Discipline and Structure: Success comes from having a stru

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Transcript

Treat Your Business EP102

[00:00:00] Katie Bell: Strategy is the art of sacrifice. I've no idea who said that first, but I recently heard this at a big conference. It was actually Nick James's Expert Empires Conference and Ads and Fish, who are our marketing team, were on stage and they, Ads said this sentence. He said, Strategy is the art of sacrifice.

[00:00:23] Katie Bell: And that really resonated with me because as you are stepping in your business to grow it to the next level, perhaps you are wanting to bring more team members on, or you're looking to expand your service offerings, or you're thinking about introducing packages and you're not sure how many options to have, or maybe you've got a, take on a price rise, maybe you've got to get rid of people.

[00:00:48] Katie Bell: There's so many things that need to be happening in your business all the time is what it feels like. And particularly as you go to that next level, it's about what stuff do I need to stop doing and replace with what? And so for many clinic owners that we get to have the privilege of talking to, And many clinic owners that we met at Clinic Growth Live a few weeks ago, one of their biggest challenges was a strategic plan, having a master plan, having a way to move forwards in a strategic, a planned way so that they don't feel like they are spinning so many plates all the time and they're not really sure what plates they should be spinning in what order, so they just feel like they keep having to move at 100 miles an hour and not drop any balls.

[00:01:43] Katie Bell: And so today's episode, I decided to go off what my plan was going to be for this episode and record something about strategy and how we can Have times in our business where we need to do less better. As entrepreneurs, we are wired for for new things. We are wired for ideas. We are wired for what's next.

[00:02:07] Katie Bell: Achieve something, move on, go on to the next thing. But sometimes in our life and in our business, we have to strive for something called essentialism. The disciplined pursuit of less. If you feel like you are driving on your way to the clinic this morning with a million things to do on your to do list and we are approaching the crazy season where everybody seems to go mental, then this episode is for you because I'm going to give you permission leading up to Christmas to do less, better.

[00:02:47] Katie Bell: Essentialism is The relentless pursuit of less but better. What it doesn't mean is, because, hey, I'm recording this in November, we are two months away from New Year and we will all have these New Year's resolutions, which will be, I'm going to manage my time better, I'm going to say no to more things, I'm going to prune my inbox and stop looking at it so often

[00:03:13] Katie Bell: I'm going to not be distracted by my phone 100 times a day. It's about pausing constantly to ask yourself when you are investing time in activities in your business, am I investing in the right activities? We have a saying in Thrive that if it's not making you money, if it's not saving you money, or if it's not giving you time back, then we ain't doing it.

[00:03:39] Katie Bell: And one of the things that we have to do when people Join the program and we've gone through a period of reflection as well in terms of how we serve our clients. And we have renamed the first year, the disruptor. Because what happens when our clients come on program? We disrupt a lot of shit. And that can feel extremely uncomfortable.

[00:04:03] Katie Bell: But those that stick with it, those that have, The faith and the confidence that it will all be okay in the end are the ones that go on to achieve huge success in their life and their business. But we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. So when clients join the program, it's about the pursuit of

[00:04:24] Katie Bell: of less. We give you the permission to just drop some balls and to let things go. Because nobody ever has got any time when they join the program. That's the one biggest thing everybody wants more of. Time and take home money. And they want to feel confident and clear about how they need to run their business and what they should be doing. The way of an essentialist isn't about setting these New Year's resolutions to say no, too things, or, investing in this new time management strategy, which we're all still yet to find which one is the winner. It's about pausing all the time to go, okay, is this idea going to move me towards my goal in the simplest, quickest possible way?

[00:05:05] Katie Bell: Or is this just another distraction? Is this just a great idea, but I need to write it in my notebook called the later base, because it's something that I really like the idea of I need to soothe my ego by writing it down rather than dismissing it because then I'm going to keep thinking about it, especially at 3 o'clock in the morning.

[00:05:25] Katie Bell: Is this an idea that I am going to park because it isn't, right now, the thing that's going to move me towards my goal in the easiest, simplest, possible way? Because there are far more activities and opportunities in the world than we have possible time or resources to invest in.

[00:05:48] Katie Bell: There isn't a lack of ideas when it comes to growing your business, there isn't a lack of clients, there isn't a lack of money in the economy. There is just so many options that we sometimes struggle to sacrifice to be strategic. The way of an essentialist.

[00:06:08] Katie Bell: involves learning to be able to tell the difference, learning to be able to filter through all those options and select only those that are truly essential. Because when we start disrupting in your business, because we want to change how we do things and we want to do different things to create different results, it's going to feel uncomfortable.

[00:06:30] Katie Bell: It's going to feel scary. It's going to feel, You like your ego is going to work really hard to try and keep you doing what you've always done because that's what it Knows that's what it's safe. That's where it feels comfortable, but it's not really where the magic happens It's not really going to move you forwards to achieving that goal or that life of your dreams It's not about how to get more things done in business It's about how to get the right things done So I'm going to talk about But I'll also say it doesn't just mean doing less for the sake of less either.

[00:07:00] Katie Bell: It doesn't mean binging on Netflix all night when there's something pressing that needs to happen in your business. It's about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy so that you can operate at your highest point of contribution. Oh, I don't know where I just plucked that from, but I'm going to say it again.

[00:07:23] Katie Bell: It's about making the wisest possible investment of your time and your energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential. So I want you to imagine that like the difference between someone who is really strategic in their business and someone who is all over the shop They have the same amount of energy and or the same amount of effort is exert exerted, but the person that is non-strategic doesn't have a master plan, doesn't really know what their end goal is or their next goal is.

[00:08:07] Katie Bell: Feel like they, the energy is being divided into all the different activities.

[00:08:13] Katie Bell: So then we just feel like unfulfilled, we feel like we're making zero progress or maybe like a tiny little bit of progress in a million different directions. Whereas the person that's strategic gives the energy to fewer activities. So by investing in fewer things we've got a much more satisfying, fulfilling experience.

[00:08:39] Katie Bell: We feel like we're going to make significant progress in the things that matter the most. And what then happens is you get the win. Who here feels like in their business they're doing a lot of shit, they're working really hard, but they're not really seeing the bang for the buck right now? Who here feels like they're the lowest paid person?

[00:09:02] Katie Bell: In their company, when you look at how many hours you work, and what you actually pay yourself. Pro rata, guys, you're probably on about 2. 62. I say that with love, because this is why we are here, this is what we need to change. But to do that, we have to become so much more strategic. Now some people are wired for this shit.

[00:09:25] Katie Bell: Some people They are so strategic in their way, and that is the PE that tho those are the ones that tend to move forwards quicker. They're the ones that we look at and go, oh my God, look how much they're doing in the business. What they could, they seem to be able to do everything. They can keep fit, they can keep on top of their house.

[00:09:45] Katie Bell: The freaking kids are well behaved. They eat well, like they seem to have time for everything. And this is the result of being able to say no. Saying no to the things that don't truly serve you right now or in the future.

[00:10:04] Katie Bell: The person that's strategic rejects the idea that they can possibly fit it all in. Now I'm gonna, I'm gonna definitely be slightly judgmental here, but you guys know me well enough now to know that it comes from a place of love. , but girls, listen to this. Let's fucking get over this thought that we can do it all, that we can fit it all in all of the time.

[00:10:29] Katie Bell: Anybody who thinks that they can multitask, you have had the bull pulled over your eyes. Is that right? The right saying, it's a complete and utter farce. You can physically not multitask. It is impossible. But the way of this strategic person is that they reject the idea that they can fit it all in.

[00:10:49] Katie Bell: So instead, we then have to grapple with okay, real trade offs and tough decisions. Strategy is the art of sacrifice. What do I, to say yes to this, I have to say no to something else. If I say yes to this one extra client today that doesn't actually fit into my working hours, I'm saying no to, perhaps, respecting your own time.

[00:11:16] Katie Bell: I'm saying no to, perhaps, going to the gym, because the way I show up in my business dictates how my business runs. So you have to make real trade offs, you have to make really tough decisions.

[00:11:31] Katie Bell: In a lot of cases, as the leader of the business, you have to make these one time decisions that then make a thousand future decisions. So you don't have to keep making more and more decisions in the future, or asking the same questions over and over again. A strategic person, an essentialist, as I call them, is somebody who lives their life to the fullest.

[00:11:57] Katie Bell: By design, not by default. The way I manage my diary, my husband thinks it is like being in the army. There are 30 minute segments for everything I need to do. I even have in when I'm, like, when I'm going boxing. Because, I train two or three times a week in a boxing gym, and then I run with my friend.

[00:12:21] Katie Bell: I even have in my diary when I have lunch slash dog walk time. I have in my diary when I've got my personal development and my reading time because I need to be at the top of my game to teach you the stuff that's going to really move your business forwards and change your life. I have in my diary times that I'm going to be checking my emails on our Slack communication channel.

[00:12:42] Katie Bell: Your emails should not be open all day long on your computer. What the fuck is that about? Because all you are doing is dealing with O. P. S. Other People's Shit.

[00:12:53] Katie Bell: I will not, if I am CC'd into emails, I pretty much 95 will not read them. Because I'm figuring that if you see seeing me into it and not it's actually to me, it's not really that important. Or you're probably just wanting me to have it on my radar because you're passing the monkey. And now I've got all that shit in my head to store.

[00:13:17] Katie Bell: When I am in my podcast mode, when I'm in my teaching, my coaching mode, my phone is on do not disturb. I just say, Siri, please put all everything on do not disturb. Because then I can be really focused on the task in hand and that gives you, you get to the end of the day and rather than feeling like you've done a lot but achieved nothing, you feel like you've done a lot and achieved loads.

[00:13:43] Katie Bell: Or maybe you've done a lot less, but you've achieved what you need to achieve.

[00:13:47] Katie Bell: Being a business owner requires discipline and I gave this formula at Clinic Growth Live. I said that success is a result of structure plus discipline. The reason that most people, 96 percent of that room, and God, it was fucking great! But 96 percent of that room, on average, will do nothing with the stuff that I've taught them.

[00:14:16] Katie Bell: Because they lack the structure and they lack the discipline. And that, there's no judgement there, we all need it in our lives. This is why Weight Watchers exist, this is why Slimming World exists, this is why Personal Trainers exist, because we need structure and we need discipline. Left to our own devices, it is really difficult to implement and to be strategic and to know what to do and how to move forwards.

[00:14:39] Katie Bell: We've got to remove obstacles. We've got to have a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies.

[00:14:51] Katie Bell: Because when you spend time serving, not selling, but serving at your highest point of contribution, that's when you're going to see big changes in your business.

[00:15:03] Katie Bell: So if we look at the difference between somebody who I want you to imagine, that you've just got a pen on a piece of paper and you've just literally squiggled all over it, like your best two year old you're in. Just squiggle squiggle everywhere. Okay, that's most of you listening to this.

[00:15:17] Katie Bell: All things to all people, I say this with so much love, because I need you to be more structured and more focused and more disciplined, because that's going to create different results in your business. So that the squiggly person that's all over the shop is, you think, I have to, it's all important, how can I fit it all in?

[00:15:37] Katie Bell: The essentialist, the person that is strategic, is less but better. Is, I choose to rather than I have to. Only a few things really matter, rather than it's all important. And, okay, what's the trade off? Rather than, how can I fit it all in?

[00:15:58] Katie Bell: The person that's got the squiggly lines all over the shop, You react to what's most pressing. So for many of you, and I have been in this position, and sometimes I go back to this position and I have to pull myself back out, and get my time, and get my structure, and get my discipline back in place. But, who here feels like you're just fighting fires?

[00:16:19] Katie Bell: And that's when we are reacting to what's most pressing. We're saying yes to people without really thinking. And you try and force it at the last moment. Whereas the disciplined pursuit of less is pausing to discern what really matters. Saying no to everything except the essential

[00:16:45] Katie Bell: and removes obstacles to make this execution easy.

[00:16:51] Katie Bell: So when you think, I choose to, only a few things really matter, what are the trade offs? When you do, say no to everything, except the essential, when you remove obstacles, when you pause more before you answer and decide what really matters, then you feel in control. You get the right things done. And you actually experience joy.

[00:17:14] Katie Bell: Who would have thought we could have joy when we are running our business? I know for so many of you sometimes it does not feel like joy. But when we think I have to, it's all important, how can I fit it all in, I've got to do it all, I've got to say yes to everybody and I say yes to things and I've not really thought that through and then I look back at my diary and think what the fuck have I said yes to that for?

[00:17:35] Katie Bell: Because I don't really want to do it, I don't want to see that person, but I've said yes because I'm a people pleaser. Then you take on too much, work suffers, you feel out of control. Who here feels out of control? You're unsure of whether the right things get done, so you just can't try and do everything, and you feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

[00:17:53] Katie Bell: And one of the biggest things that we hear, that I heard at Clear Growth Live, is I feel overwhelmed. I feel overwhelmed and exhausted, and I don't need, I don't know how to move forwards. So the essentialist is a, and the strategic person.

[00:18:10] Katie Bell: Is the one that can feel in control. Is the one that can get the right things done. It's the path to new levels of success and meaning.

[00:18:22] Katie Bell: It's the path which we actually fucking enjoy running this business. Not just waiting for the destination or the end goal.

[00:18:32] Katie Bell: So my challenge To you, my gorgeous, overwhelmed, exhausted, burnt out, think you can do it all people, said with love, is that I want you to just pause more this week. Before you say yes to running the kids football team, before you say yes to going to help out at the church pantomime, before you say yes to Giving up more and more of your time, or yes to more and more things in the business, or yes to people in your business, or whatever it is, before you have to make a decision, I want you to pause.

[00:19:12] Katie Bell: And I want you to ask yourself, is this moving me towards or away from what I truly want? And Most of you listening to this want more time, and you want more take home money, and you want more freedom to do the things that you really want to do, help out at the church pantomime, or take your kids to Lapland, or whatever it is.

[00:19:36] Katie Bell: That's what we're doing this for. We have to create a business that is, that offers high value, that serves people, that is profitable, but serves our life, not our life serving our business.

[00:19:51] Katie Bell: So I hope you've enjoyed this little off the cuff episode.

[00:19:56] Katie Bell: And I give you the permission to say no. And I give you the permission to pause this week. Have a fabulous rest of your week. And I look forward to being back here next week. And I'll get back on plan, hopefully.

[00:20:16] Katie Bell: I am choosing to interject this podcast today with something that you are going to I'm guessing, be very grateful for. So what happened last week, depending on when you're listening to this podcast episode it is the first week of November. And last week we had the Autumn Budget, what I like to call the bollocks of a budget, that was released by Rachel Reeves and yadda, all fantastic news, apparently, according to the government And we got inklings of what was going to happen.

[00:20:46] Katie Bell: We knew they released this information for months before, so when they actually give us the budget we go, oh yeah, we knew that anyway and it doesn't feel so bad. But what impact has the budget got on your clinic? As a leader, the book stops with you. We are responsible for taking what the government have given us and working it into our business.

[00:21:07] Katie Bell: Where there is change, there is always opportunity. Here is what I have done for you. I have spent the weekend, God, I hope you love me for this, reading lots of articles, reading all about what the government have said, looking at all the minutiae detail, and I have created a press release for you. If you go to the link in the show notes, there is going to be something that you can just go click onto, pop your name and email, and I am going to send you a kind of press release summary of what was said in the autumn budget and what you need to do about it.

[00:21:46] Katie Bell: How it is going to impact your clinic, your business, the positives and the lowlights, and the opportunities. Can all head there now and get your press release sent to you. It will be delivered to you in a PDF document, I think, on email. If you are a Thrive member listening to this, Remember this is going to be in your your members area and I've also given you an additional training video which talks about how you can implement this and the changes in your clinic and what you need to do about it and how to do it.

[00:22:18] Katie Bell: So there is something there for everybody. Let's get back to being strategic.