GS #23: What's your business's "North Star Need" right now?

And... we're back!

First off, a huge thank you for sticking with us during our recent WAIM enrollment period! We're having a ton of fun over in the community chatting about calm launching, but now that things have settled, we want to get back to our usual newsletter flow (with a twist, just for fun! 💃🕺)

It’s Caroline here, btw, and lately, I’ve been craving more space for long-form writing again. So, over the next few weeks, I want to try bringing a slightly different format to this Growing Steady newsletter.

Our businesses feel like they're in a bit of a transitional moment right now (for reasons that will become clearer over the next few weeks) and I want to take you deeper into the thoughts, conversations, and decisions that are present when things are shifting in your personal life and your business life.

This newsletter isn't just about the cut and dry tactics of running a calm business; it's also about normalizing the inevitable ups, downs, and even sideways moments that come with evolving your business as you evolve personally. We want to show you what it really looks like to adapt your business as you grow, and keep moving forward through the changes. To...grow steady, if you will. 😉

Don't worry, though—you'll still get your weekly dose of tactical tips for a predictable, profitable, and peaceful business at the bottom of this newsletter. But first, let’s dive into this week’s "Calm Creator Chronicles"...

- Caroline and Jason

calm creator chronicles ✍️

Checking in with your business's "North Star Need"

👩🏻‍🦰👋: You hear us talk all the time about the three P's of a Calm Creator Business—predictable, profitable, and peaceful.

But lately I've been thinking about a fourth "P" that belongs in this mix: purposeful.

Staying connected to your deeper purpose is essential because it fuels you beyond financial goals. Purpose comes from a well that’s deeper than money, ambition, or external validation. When you cultivate that sense of fulfillment, it makes the journey more enjoyable and, therefore, more sustainable.

This is the diagram I keep picturing in my head:

Of course, all of us would love to mold our businesses in such a way that we can pursue projects that are at the intersection of all 4 of these P's, right?

But that's not always possible.

Sometimes you'll find yourself taking on projects and goals that create tension between these various things.

For example, sometimes, the most profitable path doesn't feel the most peaceful. You might have to put in more hours than you'd like to build something greater than anything you've built before.

Sometimes, what's predictable isn’t what's most profitable. That client retainer you need to take on might not be your best paying client, but they are the one you can rely on for the next six months.

And often, what's most purposeful doesn’t align with what's most profitable. Your audience might be asking you for one thing, while your soul is drawing you toward something completely different.

As I think about the tension of all these forces, I've found it beneficial to check in with myself ask:

"Which of these do I need MOST from my business right now?"

I've been calling this my "North Star Need."

Identifying your current North Star allows you to confidently prioritize projects, strategies, and the inevitable trade-offs based on where you are in life and what you're craving at the time.

At the start of this year, Jason and I were optimizing for profit—not because we're wealth-hungry money goblins, but because we're stepping into a new stage of our lives with aging parents and a desire to start a family, and security is what we were craving. The result of that priority was pouring a lot of energy into the longevity of our software product, Teachery.

But then, life threw us some curveballs, and it has shifted our perspective. At this moment in our lives, we are beginning to care less about profit or predictability—and much more about purpose. We want and need to feel deeply connected to the work we’re doing in a way that brings fulfillment.

So now, I’ll turn the question to you:

⚡️ taking action: Checking In On Your "North Star Need"

Here are a few questions to help you identify where you’re at:

1. 👎 Which of the 4 P's feels most out of alignment right now? Are you feeling burned out? Is your business not hitting your financial goals? Or does everything feel predictable but a little soulless? Reflect on what feels off balance in your business or assign a 1-10 rating for each to see what needs more attention.
2. 🌟 Which pillar do you feel drawn to the most? If you had to choose, which would be your North Star Need right now? Ask yourself: Do you need more predictability in your routines? Do you need more peace and space for creativity? Or is it time to reconnect with your purpose? Being honest about what you need helps clarify the way forward.
3. 🧐 How are your decisions serving (or detracting from) that need? Now, consider your recent decisions or the direction you've been steering your business. Are you moving closer to your North Star or not? Sometimes, optimizing for one area means letting another one take a backseat for a while—and that’s okay.
4. 🤏 What small shift can you make today? Even the smallest adjustment in how you work can realign your business with your current need. Whether it’s setting boundaries for more peace, prioritizing purpose-driven projects, or tightening up your routines and habits for more predictability, what’s one thing you can change right now?

Feel free to hit reply and share any of these answers with us.

I hope this framework has given you a valuable check-in exercise for this week that will help you head toward the final stretch of the year feeling most aligned.

​- Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰​

Calm Creator Tips of the Week

predictable 🔁

When what the last time you updated your revenue projections? Take some time to map out your predicted income for the rest of the year so you won't have any surprises going into the holidays this year.

Profitable 🤑

Take a look at your current offers and ask yourself if there are any opportunities for cross-selling. Maybe you have a mini-course or a template you're selling that could use a callout to your coaching program? Look for one or two of these cross-selling promotional messages you can add to your offers this week. Small changes can create big jumps in revenue.

Peaceful 🧘

By this time of year, usually all the helpful habits that were established at the beginning of the year have fallen off or fell by the wayside. What is one small part of your morning or evening routine that you want to re-commit to? For me, it's 15 minutes of journaling in the morning while I listen to music. It always starts my day off in the right headspace.

latest from the pod

221 - Teachery's Lifetime Plan experiment results This week, we're pulling back the curtain on a big Teachery experiment: offering a Lifetime Plan! We break down how this shift came about, what the results look like so far, and the exciting possibilities it opens up for the future of Teachery. LISTEN ON: APPLE | SPOTIFY | WEB​

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