Last week this happened. An intimate group of business owners stopped what they would normally do on a Wednesday to pause, reflect and plan. We call it the PEPP®pause and PEPP® stands for Purpose + Energy + Pleasure + Profit. It’s how we all “do” business and life because we all want more vitality.

I have been bringing business owners together like this every 90 days for more than 14 years. This year has been different of course: normally I’d be in the room with them. At the final session of the year, as an example of how valuable our time is I often ask them what they were doing 10 years before to trigger a chain reaction of memories to help put time in perspective. They often need prompters so I’d researched Top Ten Movies (Toy Story 3), and a few significant Australian and world events.

What was so special and humbling was when someone said “We were already working with you” and most agreed! So in this particular group of 6 businesses, 4 of them have been in my close client tribe for more than 10 years. One is in fact nearly 13 years. I’m pretty proud of that… that I continue to be trusted, help, serve, coach, stand alongside, nurture, offer ideas… and have been of value for that amount of time.

We have all changed of course. One of them doesn’t even have the main business she joined me for support with. But we’re on the journey together and I am genuine about that. In fact, unfortunately, I’ve needed to have two separate surgical procedures recently and I said to the second surgeon when we were planning the date “But I need to be able to stand all day on Wednesday 25th” so that was my motivation for recovery. I take this role very seriously!

What would you commit to for 10 years?

These people didn’t “sign up” for a decade, of course. Who would? For this PEPP® Small Business Coaching Program I ask for a one year commitment. Others programs are 90 or 30 days. Or 1 day or half a day. What happens at the end of that first year though for some is that they realise there’s still more to do, still more to learn and, if they are small business owners, that it’s lonely out there on your own. They relish the comfort and confidentiality of people like themselves to bounce ideas off, download difficult stories and have a place celebrate wins that can’t be shared elsewhere.

I’ve been contemplating a couple of things today –

What would anyone commit to for 10 years or more?

  • A plan
  • Mortgage or loan
  • Business franchise or lease
  • Marriage or parenthood

How would you behave or behave differently if you had to do something for 10 years?

There has been evolution. A couple of things have been a constant: we always review and look for lessons and we always plan for the next 90 days. 90 days or a quarter is a helpful period of time – long enough to complete a significant project and short enough that if “life happens” and you find yourself off-course, you can re-route and begin again the next quarter at the next PEPP®pause rather, for example, rather than waiting for a new year or other significant date.

But you don’t even have to wait that long. In his book “When”, Daniel Pink actually suggests 86 days when you could easily make a fresh start! I won’t list them all here but examples are:

  • First day of new month (12)
  • First day of week (52)
  • Your birthday (1)

Strength in 2020

In this year of the COVID-19 coronovirus pandemic we wrote about what has made us stronger. Winnie the Pooh said “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” Some people in my tribe have, financially, had their best year ever. And some have had some events that they’d prefer not to repeat but even from those there are lessons and silver linings. And with that extra strength and resilience for the future.

I’d love to know what has made you stronger this year? For me, I wasn’t expecting to watch my mother die in the UK through a camera lens and then to immediately have not one but four significant health challenges. I think The Universe was trying to distract me from grief and make me stop so I could recover and replenish fully before talking about the importance of vitality again!

Flamingo Connections

I’m well known for my love of all things PiNK, starting with my clothes. My rooms have PiNK theming too and that includes a flamboyance of flamingos in some form. Why should this year be any different? So at 3 locations from one side of Australia to the other, we all had a flamingo festive decoration or two. Cute or tacky… the point was made… to connect us over something fun.

Something to laugh about and remember the day with, sent in a box or delivered by hand ahead of time. And in my case, joined together to complement the ones I was wearing on my ears!

Zoom Cheers

2020 has been the year that Zoom Drinks took off. During lockdown many groups – not just families and friends – got together over the internet and shared meals and cheers. This group was no different… bubbles all around for congratulations, connection and togetherness.

We have another month of 2020 to go, and some work still to do. But we need to stop and celebrate the wins along the way. What have you celebrated recently?

Join Us!

If you’d like to know more about being part of a group like this, please reach out via the Contact page.

I can absolutely promise you that we take things one step at a time. None of these people committed to a decade! If you feel like you’d like to join us then you are invited to do so… My motivation is improving the vitality of people and organisations so we enjoy life more whilst looking after our mental health. I’ll help however I can.