Ep 79 Simplify to Stand Out, Refining Your Message and Owning Your Value With Helen Thacker

In this insightful and grounding episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui is joined by business strategist Helen Thacker to explore what it really takes to stand out in a saturated market.

Together, they unpack the power of simplicity in business, and why refining your messaging is often the missing piece for entrepreneurs who feel stuck, overlooked, or unsure how to attract higher-paying clients. Helen shares her perspective on cutting through the noise by focusing on your zone of genius, and clearly communicating the value of what you do.

The conversation moves beyond surface-level strategy and into the internal work that supports sustainable growth. Lisa-Marie and Helen discuss the role of confidence, identity, and conviction in business, and how these elements directly influence the way you position yourself and your brand.

You can dive Helen’s World HERE 

They also touch on the importance of making strategic decisions following launches or busy periods, allowing space to reflect, refine, and move forward with clarity rather than rushing into the next thing.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need to do more to grow your business. You need to simplify, focus, and stand confidently in what you already do best.

This episode is an invitation to step away from overcomplicating your business and instead return to what truly matters.

When you are clear on your strengths, confident in your value, and intentional with your messaging, you naturally begin to stand out. Not by doing more, but by doing what you do best with clarity and conviction.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you. 

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Welcome back to another episode. And today I am going to be joined by a powerhouse of a woman. Helen is a business strategist and genius elevator with 22 years of experience as a solo entrepreneur, having built multiple six-figure class businesses. She is known for her expertise in extracting the cherry on top to what makes you so uniquely genius in your industry, knowing exactly how to position this to sell and feeding your brilliance into a simple zero launches and no ads business strategy, scaling to half a million in just one core offer. And today we are going to be diving into positioning and refining premium messaging as well as your zone of genius. Hi, Helen. It's lovely to have you on today's podcast. Welcome. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Right, let's get into this conversation because I am so excited to have you in this space today and for all of our gorgeous listeners to be in your presence and listen to all of your genius because I got to experience you in action at your beautiful event several weeks ago. How are you doing from the event?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Oh my gosh. I was just actually doing something on my stories today about this. Lisa, thank you so much for saying how two and a half weeks later I had someone sharing on their stories yesterday. People are talking about it all the time. And I came off that event just the biggest thing that I felt was absolutely just so proud of the fact I delivered what I promised I would. Um, an intimate space. People are blown away that they had that transformation in just one day. They were like, How can my business feel so different? How can I found so much clarity in how I talk about what I do? And yeah, I'm just so happy. I'm so happy it came out as I intended it to. Obviously, you always hope it will, and I planned it that way. But yeah, I'm I'm really excited. I've made some decisions about where I go from next. We can talk about that if you want, but yeah, it's um some surprising decisions from a strategic point of view, but I'm really happy, really happy over the moon.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

It's like being on cloud night when you deliver an event and you come out the back end of it and all the energy that you feel, and then the decisions that come afterwards and the opportunities, they're just they almost amplify, and then you get these aha moments. So, for you, what's in the pipeline from that? Because that's really exciting. Before we dive into lots of juicy things, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

So basically, I came off that event and everyone was walked out of the room. Okay, you've got to send me the link for the next one. First thing I did on the Monday, this was on the Friday. First thing I did on the Monday, I rang the same venue, it was incredible. And I said, Can I book it again? Put the deposit down for November, create the link on card shop. Everyone was like, Yep, great. And then I basically had a think and I decided to pull the plug. I decided to pull the plug on something that was going so well that on paper everyone was like, I want to be part of again. I knew that I would fill it next time, like, no problem. But I decided to pull the plug because one thing I promised myself and one thing I actually like embody as a business coach, one of the things that I'm known for is building a simple business and having a focus on one core offer that's scaling me to half a million this year. And having that event took away that focus for a minute. It takes an incredible amount of not just obviously organizational, but launching emotional, as you know, like a build up to that is huge, much huger than I anticipated. And whilst I knew all of that, and I know next time it will be a lot easier. I just have to really stay focused on what I said I would do, what I'm embodying as a coach and what I'm, you know, showing and demonstrating my clients and helping, you know, matching what I'm supporting my clients to do, which is one core offer, no constant launching. Like, let's not take the focus off one literally through your content, one core channel. And that's what I decided. So it's not in alignment with that. And I'm sure there will be another event in 2027. But for now, I'm dialed in on that, and that's what's going to get me to where I want to go. And so, slight kind of pullback for the short term, but really focusing on yeah, where that's going to take me in the long run, which is ultimately how we all need to approach businesses, as I'm sure you and all your listeners already know. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

And I love the fact that you, as a business owner, had that strength to sit in that space, evaluate, and be like, hold on a second, this doesn't align with the journey, the financial journey, the financial forecasting, the the alignment for strategy and structure. We need to pull the plug on this, and and it will be at another time. So, what an amazing thing to be able to be able to do. Because a lot of people would have naturally been like, no, I'm gonna push through, I'm gonna do it again. Exactly. Yeah, another quick that don't mean like hit. Yeah, exactly. So when I was at the event, amazing speakers, so much knowledge shared, absolutely loved it. But what I wanted to really dive into today is premium positioning and refined messaging. Yes. I feel like we're in an era, more so now than ever. It's so crucial to be honed in on your messaging for your ideal buyer, for you, your positioning. How true is that? And what are you seeing from your end of the industry?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Okay, fantastic question. So, one thing I want to say is it's not just about the refinement of your positioning, it's not just about the strategic messaging. Yes, you are so right, Lisa, you are so, so right. But here's why. It is more about communicating the depth of your work, being able to actually show people just how incredible you are. Because it's okay to say, you know, position it correctly. It's okay to know who you're speaking to, how like what they are going through. Like we all do that whole exercise. What is the day-to-day moments of your ideal client? You know, let's speak to those things. Like, what are they experiencing? What do they really want? Where are they coming stuck? Where are they feeling like they can't, I don't know, get the right look and feel for their space, whatever it is, if you're an interior designer. You know, we all know those moments. We all think we do that deep dive work, and that's great, but everyone's doing that. Everyone's done that work. What they are not doing is the thing that is absolutely, at you are so right, more important than ever right now and will be forevermore in the online space. It's only growing. The industry online, coaching industry online, business industry, it's only getting bigger and bigger. There's more and more competition. You have to know how to actually talk about what you do. So there's a couple of things in this. Number one is so that people can understand what it is like to be in your world, so that two people can see exactly why you're worth paying, it's why both myself and my clients like we convert straight into five, 10, 20k offers from our content. We don't have to go through this whole launching constant low-ticket ads or anything like that. Because if we can communicate exactly what our value is and show our audience why what we do is worth absolutely, like they can't afford to not join, yeah, they can't afford to not invest with you. Like, if we can do that, then we've done our job. And it's also really important to showcase why what you do is different from everyone else. Like, what's your unique take? Why do you do things differently? Like, obviously, most of you listening, or a lot of you listening, are very creative. You're gonna have those creative brains wearing and thinking, well, yeah, I just do these things. And like I hear this so many times. Like, my clients are like, I just do it, it just happens. I just get these results, like the magic just happens. And like, no, we need to really understand, you need to be so clear on what it is that you do and why it's different and how it gets results. And a lot of people can't see that. We can't because we're so freaking good at it that it just happens. We've been doing it for for so long that it feels like as natural as breathing, that we don't start to pick apart and look at the things that actually oh, hang on a second. Is that difficult for somebody else? It's so easy for me, and we st we we can't see that anymore because we're past that, we're so far past it, and often it's very difficult. We overcomplicate like how do we make ourselves different? Like, we try and reinvent the wheel, we try and come up with something completely new in our industry, we overcomplicate it. What I do is simplify, it goes back to everything I was talking about a few minutes ago with my business. Simplify, we find the thing that makes you so different, so unique. It's not necessarily about your processes, your methodology, how you take clients from A to B. Often it's about just your beliefs behind it. Why do you do things that way? And the approach that you take, the way you interact with your clients, can sometimes be the magic. It often is in the creative world. I work a lot with personal stylists, the way they approach and fitness instructors as well, actually, like people in the fitness world, the way they approach their work with a client is often the thing that's their uniqueness. And so, yeah, more than ever before, there's the competition piece, but also there is a lack of trust. There is absolutely a lack of trust at the moment. In is this personal line really gonna help us? Like, am I gonna get my ROI and my investment? And so we have to be able to give our clients that certainty. That certainty starts from within. That certainty starts from you knowing, you completely knowing to your core what it is that you do and why you're different. And so, yeah, more than ever before, I I couldn't agree, I couldn't agree more. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

I think it's I've seen so much in the creative space when I when I talk to my clients and I talk to other clients or other contacts that you know they're like, well, we all do the same thing. We all do interior design. And it's like, well, yes, you all do, and it's getting even more saturated, like you say, with all industries. But it's also about, like you say, the zone of genius within. Why are people going to want to have you within the project rather than someone else or another person that maybe someone's tendering three people for? And I think people try and create different, like you say, methodologies, different flows, different approaches to their work, but it comes down to them internally, like you say. Now, when you approach a client, because in hindsight, simplifying that sounds really easy. But when you're so far past it, because it's like, well, you know, for argument's sake, I'll take me for example. When I go into a space, all I need to do is stand in a concrete box, look at it, close my eyes, see the end product, and then get a piece of paper out and start to write the roadmap to A to Z. And then they're like, Well, how did you do that? And I'm like, Well, I don't know, I just did it. So, but then articulating that sometimes can be really hard because you're so far past it. So, for our listeners today, if we talk about simplifying to get to their zone of genius, what is maybe the one tip that you would give them so that they could deep dive and do an activity to get there?

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Okay, so good. I love this question because I see it so much, and I have been absolutely guilty of this in the past. And that is adding more in. Thinking that, okay, so I'm an interior designer, and along with, you know, being able to, I know I'm making this up, so forgive me, listeners, because it's all right, we're gonna rock and roll this. But I, you know, I am an expert in like mood and colours, like that is something I'm really, really good at analysing. Like, what mood does this colour bring? Like, I know this is so basic, but but I'm also really good at the layout of a room. Like, I can design a room so that it feels oh, maybe let's bring in some feng shui. Like, maybe that that's the thing, right? But also alongside that, what you're also gonna get is my ability to go and source the most incredible pieces. I'm a specialist in modern art deco or something, like, and I'm gonna do that. So we start tagging on all these things that we think, okay, I'm gonna give more, people are gonna want me more. And that's the belief that I see people coming to me with. When actually, what we do is people don't actually care about all these different skills and things you can do. They want the end result, they want to know what are you gonna give me? They want to know how. They don't really care how, actually. They just want you to be able to articulate like what they're going to get at the end. And are you solving the problem that they are so desperately searching for and are willing to pay multiple four figures or whatever for, you know, what is as long as you know that, you don't need to add on more. And so what happens is in adding on more, can you see with that example, as bad as it might be in the interior world, I am suddenly becoming a very general. I'm doing everything. When actually, what your audience wants is they're looking for a specialist, they're looking for somebody who can just get them, like I said, that one thing. And so, yeah, you might be able to do those things. But in terms of what you want to become known for, in terms of you becoming the big fish in the small pond, it's about actually simplifying, give it getting rid of the things that might sometimes we have to admit we're not the best at. Sometimes they're the things we don't really want to work on, like they're not the things that float our boat, and sometimes they're just unnecessary. Like we just don't need those things, and we're putting them all in there, thinking, okay, well, that's gonna, we give more, we're gonna get more back, right? We're gonna be in more demand. You have to know what your thing is. Now, that's not to say, can I just make this very, very, very clear? Because I know everyone's gonna be screaming at the at me right now, whether they're watching or listening to this, going, but I'm so creative and I'm multi-passionate and I'm multi-faceted. Of course you are. You're incredible, you've got so much depth, and there is so much to you. But this is not about getting rid of things for getting rid of things' sake, it's about knowing what you are best at. And that can incorporate a few different things, but it's like, how do we actually package this up? How do we actually make this the thing that your ideal clients want? And that's the positioning. So, for me, just to give you an example, I was a messaging coach. I was very known for being a messaging coach until I don't know, six, seven, eight months ago. That was my thing. And actually, what I really realized that I actually have I have more genius. I have there's more to it. There's there's a nuance within that that is the thing I'm really good at good at. And that is whatever you've got, I can sell it. AKA I can see it and I can position it. I know how to sell it. And so I, yeah, of course, I do bits of messaging. Of course, there are other things, and I'm really strategic, as I've said, simple business. I'm really good at helping my clients to build and strategize. I'm gonna do those things, but the core of it is the positioning, the core of is the unique genius positioning. That is the core of what I do, and so it's about knowing like that's the thing that I am just best at. The rest, yeah, it's there. But when it comes to talking about and selling our work, we have to have that focus because your ideal clients who are willing to pay high ticket are looking for that one thing, they're not looking for all the things, and that's really the whole point.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Yeah, I think certainly in our industry, designers get really hung up on, you know, well, what shall I add in and what are they gonna get for the value? Because I feel like if I'm charging it out at this amount, they should get this, this, this, this, this. And I'm like, well, it's almost like you're adding the kitchen sink to it, like you say. You know, you're just throwing the kitchen sink in just to justify that number on that piece of paper. And actually, it's about the transformation, it's about the end result that the client gets and how you can take them through that really, really quickly as pain-free as possible. Exactly. To bring them to that end result. And I think, do you also believe within part of this that there is an internal energetic shift that needs to happen?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

1000%. I've been through this myself as well. I was just actually having a conversation with a client this morning about this sitting in the in the quiet period of your business as you are just letting go of things, um, letting go of things that you perhaps should not have been holding on to, and actually finding your new lane, your new more specific lane that you're meant to be on, it requires radical amounts of honesty, and it requires a lot of internal strength and resilience to know and trust that you will find it, you'll come out the other end. And I'm gonna be completely transparent with you. The last three months has been like a period of time for that for me. Not being the easiest time, I will admit, but oh my goodness, I I am so freaking on fire right now. I'm just like, I feel so much. You are because I've like like even just doing things like ditching my event, like I'm just I know what I need to do. I know exactly what I need to do to get to where I want to go. I know what I need to focus on, what I do not. And I think it comes back to my values, and I think a lot of the time it always does. It comes back to what's and I know that's such a kind of over-cliched, overused phrase, but it's it's true. Like, I came, I stepped out of spaces and and environments that were just not aligned with my values, and that's where I really found who I was. Like, hang on a second, I don't have to do this or be like that, or and it takes you, it's very lonely. It can be very, very lonely, but you've got to do that work, and this is the identity work that actually I don't talk about. This is the stuff that I could quite easily tag on and say, Oh, I can help you with this as well. But I don't. It comes as a byproduct of what happens. I was talking about this on uh at the event you were at Lisa where I was saying, like, we've got all this stuff we can sell, we've got all this stuff which is the chocolate that your clients really want, which is the thing we really need to focus on in our marketing. But we've also got all this broccoli, this broccoli that we all need and love, and it's absolutely incredible. But no one wants to buy a bowl of broccoli. We all want the chocolate, right? Well, some people might not. And so we have to know what that chocolate is. And like, yes, the identity piece is the broccoli, the identity that you get, like that solidity when you come to me, you tell me about your ideal clients, you tell me what you do, and I say, This is the thing we need to focus on. This is the thing that's gonna sell, this is the thing that's gonna blow up your business, and we need to just get rid of all the other stuff. And from that, we create a very solid methodology of how that happens. Like, yeah, how does that happen? How do I get my clients their results? I just do it. We create that very solid methodology. Now, how confident you feel when you can now go onto social media or wherever it is that you are promoting your services, and it's like, you know, you just know I'm freaking best at what I do, and I do it this way. And that that conviction, we all buy from people who have give us that rock solid conviction in their skills. No one buys from anyone that's like, Oh, I'm not really sure if we can help you.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

You could maybe have this, or you can maybe have that.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

That's the thing, and so yeah, it is absolutely an internal job. It always is like everything you do, Lisa. Everything I do as a business coach, everything like my fitness coach clients, everything my mindset coach clients do. It all starts with identity. We're just coming at it from a different lens, we're just coming at it from a different approach. My job is to document it, let's kind of make sure we've got it set because from there we're gonna build a very, very simple business where you're gonna get some of your genius. And so, yeah, absolutely everything comes back to confidence. We're all trying to, we're all trying to discover ourselves all the time, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

I think it's it's it's lovely and refreshing to hear someone say it's about going back to that zone of genius and that unique thread and to simplify and keep it simple because there is so much noise out there in the world, in the different arenas, in the different spaces. I know certainly in interior design, that type of world property, there's a hell of an amount of noise. There's lots of noise in the coaching industry as well. And I think there is a great power when you have complete clarity and confidence and conviction in what you do, how you do it, what you deliver, and what they're going to get. And I see so many examples of this on a daily basis. And I'll give you an example. So I've got many different clients, um, obviously interior designers, property stages, stylists, etc. And when we look at creating businesses to set each other apart, it's always starting with, well, what's your unique selling point? What's the transformation you give? What do you love? What are your strengths? And one particular designer that I've been working with over a long period of time does this very well. She just focuses on floor plans. Wow. We built a business. I supported her in the makeup of that. And it was just purely taking floor plans, supporting people through the floor plan, the layout, and the dream layout. And she literally went viral practically overnight. Within less than a year, it's like 100,000 followers, and she's now gone from naught to 200k very, very quickly. But she's zoned in on that simplified messaging, that zone of genius, that positioning. And she's created such a business for herself. So, in terms of like moving forward with creating that simple offer, a lot of people struggle with messaging. Yes. Where should people start with messaging? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Wow, that's a big question. I love this. I know. It's the perfect example of simplicity. And so messaging for me is I have very I have a trademark method called prismatic messaging. It's five very simple core frameworks. And You can I did not invent this. There's only a certain number of ways to market to do marketing. You know, I cover the sales psychology principles through those messages. The three key sales psychology principles of authority, certainty, and connection. And if you can just put those on rotation over the course of a week or 10 days, however, depending on how frequent you post, you're gonna kick them all. And what you're gonna do is you're gonna take people through that buyer journey. So the first frameworks are designed to really highlight a problem, to make people aware and start questioning, oh, hang on a second, is there something that I could perhaps improve on? The next lot of frameworks is designed to really activate and get them to like nurture fast and then get them to start searching for the answer, which is you know, we're we're showing them, hang on a second, there's a different way and approach of doing things. And the third one is to show them the proof. We also have a framework on top of that, which is about really what I call my core brand value frameworks, which is about you, your process, your methods, your values, you, your personality, Lisa, Helen, whoever's watching, listening, really important to create that connection. But they all have a job, it's very simple. But for me, the the key to messaging is not necessarily in a framework, it's not necessarily in like plug and play. Like we've all got the messaging void and the frameworks. It's not like you know, step one, step two, step three, then here's a post created. It's not about that. It really does stem from that energy behind it. And I know you're uh completely agree with this. It's like the energy behind it, like we can all feel a post that's just been put together and feels like a jigsaw puzzle. It's not, you know, it's not a piece of art that anyone's really created. Oh, that's a good analogy. But it is that, you know, you've not got the paintbrushes out yourself, you know, you've literally just put the jigsaw together. We can all feel that, we can all feel that lack of conviction that, oh, she's just showing up and saying the words, but she didn't really mean it. And that does come from the identity work we're talking about before. So I can give you all the frameworks in the world, but the one thing I'm known for is being able to help people to really create a luxury premium brand online by being able to really communicate what it is that they do in a way that people say, Yeah, I want to pay you five, five figures for that, like high ticket. And that does come partly from the strategy, but it also comes from everything else we've just talked about. That's where it starts. That's step one. And this is why I talk about like this knowing your genius, having it laid down, simplifying the heck out of it. It's like this is this is where we have to start because then that goes into your messaging. If you think about like the most incredible luxurious brands that we we all know, I don't know, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and think about fashion houses, but any big brands, like any big design houses, they're very simple. They're very, very simple in the way they present themselves, the way they look, their message is simple. Even like big household brands that are known for one thing, like Coca-Cola, for example, we all think of red. As soon as I said Coca-Cola, you all thought of red, like the red and white logo. They have this, like they know what they're doing. But luxury brands particularly are extremely good in simplicity, quality, absolute like yeah, conviction in what it is that they are selling. Like you are going to, you know, when you walk into that store, like um Prada or wherever, and there's the doorman on the door, and they hand you the glass of champagne. There's only five other shoppers in there. Time makes a you know, they're creating that very luxury experience because they know what they are so good at. They like have this not chip on their shoulder, I'm sure somehow a chip on their shoulder attitude, but they have this just confidence in who's who that what they're doing and who they are. And this is what we can create in the feel of our messaging once we know exactly what it is that we do. And so many people have a hard time describing that, even though you've been doing it forever. And then, like I said, how we really communicate how that is is uh has absolute value to your ideal clients. So that's where it starts. So I know that was a very vague answer, but uh, you know, short of me walking through your frameworks, it really does not start there. And of course, there's strategy, but this is what I see so many business owners doing, they go straight to the strategies. I need this fix, I need that skill. Whoa, hang on a second. Yeah, you need to just get this step one solidified first. Once you've got that, you are off and running on the path that's right for you. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

I love that because I think it also there's a connection between the purpose and the deep why as well. And I think when you don't do that work, and there's a great saying, interior designers chase projects, and interior design business owners look at the overall arching business. And I think when you look at the overall arching business of actually going back in and understanding the foundations, the purpose, the why, what you can do really, really well. It sets the tone and the scene for the rest of the business rather than just jumping straight over and going, right, I'll just get a project and I'll start there. And I think so many business owners, this isn't just in the interior design industry, this is across coaching and mentoring and VA services and marketing and where else. I think so many people just dive in and look for the clients and they try and create these products, four or five products, and go, yeah, well, that that that's what we're doing. And then they wonder why they don't have clients. Right. Because they actually haven't addressed the deep foundational work that you're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah, I agree. I work with a lot of personal brand stylists, so people who approach styling and design and wardrobe from very different angles. And I'm thinking of a particular client who has a very specific angle on the way she does that, and it is based around her absolute drive to allow women to thrive in the business world, like to allow women to have their voice. And she dresses with that. That's the that's the whole purpose behind the way she even approaches the work. And you're so right, Lisa. It's like embedding that into the method that you take, yeah, that's that's often, like I said, the approach, as I was saying earlier, is often the the whole thing that makes you unique. And that's what people are wanting. That's the thing you should be highlighting.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Do you feel people that miss this work that don't do it? Do you feel that they come to you when they've hit a ceiling or that they're just like, I've got no idea where we go from here?

SPEAKER_00 29:36

Yeah, usually. So usually they're like, they're doing okay. Like they're not not having clients, they're not having success. It's just they are starting, so they've done all the things, like they started their business, they've ticked all the boxes, they've done their sales courses, they know how to convert, you know, on a sales call, they've done the messaging courses, they've niche down, they've done all those foundational things, they've got their systems in place, you know, everything's good and they're doing okay. But they either feel empty, they feel invisible, so they feel empty because they're like, I don't really actually know who I am. The number of people I've had who have like, I've been doing this for years, but I still don't actually know what the hell it is that I do. I don't know who I am. How do I ever want to? I'm lost. Yeah, we just want to put it into words. We want to know, like, we want to have that definition about who we are, even if we have got multiple talents. We want to know who who are we? It's a human desire, right? It's a human need um for that self-recognition. Or they feel like like they can't describe it, so they're stuck and they're seeing, like, they just feel like I'm not being seen. I'm really, really good at what I do, like I'm so good. I've got X amount of years experience, I've got X certificates, I've got this diploma, I've got these client results. Why is no one seeing? Like, why is no one hiring me when it's so bloody obvious? I'm so good at what I do. I had someone like message me last week and she literally said that. She's like, I want to work with celebrities. I've got Lady Gorgo following me, and like I've got people like that, but no one's hiring me. And I was like, okay, don't worry, we'll sort this out. But it is like they just are not being seen. They are not being seen and they don't understand why. It's because they haven't got clear or their message, their communication is not clear. And so that's what normally happens. So it's they get to a point, yeah, to answer your question, they get to a point where it's like, well, okay, so I'm doing 5, 10, 15, 20k, whatever months, maybe even a little bit more. It's usually up to about there. And then they're like, No, what's next level? And they're trying all the things, they're working so hard, like networking, communicating, and you know, trying to like make connections and and get on another play. They try or like TikTok or LinkedIn as well, you know, and they're trying all these other things, but it's just like pushing a boulder up a hill because they haven't got clear on what it is that that boulder is, you know, it's like, oh and it feels heavy and it feels disjointed. Yeah, and it's also sometimes they say I can't quite put my finger on what it is that I do in terms of their messaging and marketing positioning, they can't say it. And so that's my job to translate. I'm literally like translate that. Love that.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

So before we wrap up the podcast, what would the one tip or piece of advice that you would like to give our listeners for 2026 in their businesses?

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Okay, this is a big question. I'm gonna say be brave. Going back to what you said earlier. This is the year to really be very brave and radically honest about what it is that you do and what it is that you want to do. Because so often, as is often the case, and I've definitely done this, we follow the clues of success and it takes us down the wrong path. And actually, it ends up, we just come up end up circling back. And so it takes a brave person to sit there and go, hang on a second. I'm just willing to just wipe the slate clean for a couple of weeks, a couple of months, whatever it takes, and just pause and like let's really look at what I want to do and how I want to build. And that's the thing that gives me the most satisfaction when we do that with a client, and it's like this sense of relief is like, oh, their shoulders drop, and they're suddenly like, Helen, you've you've helped me see who I am, and it's it's amazing, it's amazing, and that's when they really start to fly. And so that would be the one piece of advice just to go for it, and you'll get where you want to go faster if you're willing to just take a minute, be bolder, and it's the year for the fire horse. It is, yeah. So much momentum and boldness and fierceness. I know it's exciting.

SPEAKER_01 33:41

So I'm going to ask you a question then. What are you doing this year to be bolder than ever?

SPEAKER_00 33:46

So I am simplifying everything, and that for me is a big bold move because from August 24 through till November 25, I was not simplifying my business. And so it's taken a lot of self-adjustment to sit there and yeah, to just trust that what I'm doing now, I know now, is the way that I am like that's why I'm exploding right now, is because I was able to really understand why and how I'm getting the results of my clients. I'm growing my business, and it was about doing less. And for somebody that is, yeah, talk about like all the fire signs, Aries, fire dragon, whatever it is, all the things they're all like, I'm a go, but yeah, I'm my human design generator. I'm like go, go, go all the time. Like that's in my nature. For me to sit back, for me, that was a bold move. And I'm loving it. I'm I'm loving it. I don't work Mondays or Fridays. I know exactly what I need to do. There's a few core tasks, and I do it. And it's simplifying my business and it's growing faster than ever because of that. So yeah, that's my bold move for 2026.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

Love it. Helen, thank you so much for coming on to today's podcast. It's been so lovely to talk to you.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Oh, I've loved it. Thank you, Lisa. Thanks everyone for for listening as well. Great.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

And I will be back with another podcast next week. Take care.