Change is Inevitable. Growth is Intentional.

Within the shelves in my office are notebooks. Pretty notebooks. Scrappy notebooks. Small notebooks. Packs of notebooks. Too good to use notebooks. At a glance you can tell I am very happy with a nice new notebook. Or even several because they all serve a purpose eventually.

Buried within the well worn pages of my notebooks are reminders, important things inside that must not be forgotten. But often are.

I have always loved stationery. Notebooks and coloured pens are fabulous. Yes technology is brilliant and helpful too, I am partial to using Evernote when I feel super productive and efficient. But you cannot beat a lovely hand stitched notebook from Paperchase.

This year I made a decision about the notebooks, let’s call this an intention. I decided to change how I intend to use them. Because I’d have quotes in one, to-do’s in another, random ideas and creative downloads in another and I’d struggle to find all the good stuff I kept for a specific reason.

So whilst I love new notebooks, instead of buying several I decided to invest in one.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to venture too far as sitting on the shelf in my office was a lovely notebook with gorgeous birds and butterflies on the cover that my husband had purchased as a gift for me sometime ago. Waiting to be used. (He is very thoughtful with the gifts he buys, so I’ll mention it here just in case he reads this post!)

“You don’t always need a logical reason for doing everything in your life. Do it because you want to. Because it’s fun. Because it makes you happy.”

Back to the notebook. I’d been keeping this notebook for special purposes. And this seemed the perfect time to put it to good use.

You’ll have heard of vision boards, well this has become my very own vision book.

This beautiful notebook is the perfect size and was ready to be filled with all the quotes I love, little reminders to perk me up, magical moments that occurred during my day, actions I’ve taken, gorgeous images cut out from magazines that deeply resonate and not forgetting my own important intentions, actions and progress. Everything contained in one place where I can add to it quickly and easily as well as review and reflect. Perfect.

Fast forward to now and this magical book is something rather special. It’s no longer just a pretty notebook. This has become my anchor. It manages to remind me precisely what it is I intend to do with my own life and business.

When I drift off course, or the negative committee in my head tells me I haven’t done enough, or someone else would like me to put their intentions and priorities before my own. I pause for a moment. Pick up the notebook, flick through the pages and suddenly I return to a place of positivity. My mindset shifts. I feel inspired and encouraged. I reconnect with myself and focus once more.

And there is always an inner nudge that whispers “This is what YOU intend to do, remember?”

Ah yes. There it is. All of it together in one place so I don’t forget.

Every page has meaning. It helps me remain focused. It perks me up when I feel I am not making the progress I desire. It reminds me of how far I have come this year alone. And when I feel pulled in different directions in life, either of my own doing or by people around me I consciously come back to what I intended and crack on.

But as well as keeping me focused, productive and on track, this magical notebook has enabled miracles. The words and images have taken on a life of their own. To someone else my notebook may look meaningless. However to me it’s precious and full of meaning. Because during the first six months of the year something remarkable happened. One of my biggest transformations occurred. An epiphany of sorts.

I am not one for resolutions. Goals can be a bit tedious. But intentions are transformative. I knew this before, but I hadn’t quite realised just how powerful intentions can be.

When I began filling the pages I knew life would be a little easier. I’d find what I wanted quickly. But what I hadn’t envisaged was that over time, season by season and month by month as the content on the pages grew, something was beginning to bloom. To grow and transform right before my eyes.

The intentions became my reality.

It was quite a moment when I realised what I had “unintentionally” created. Because it was glaringly obvious when I could see everything together staring back at me from the carefully crafted pages.

As I have written about before, I knew that I had undergone another life transformation. I was ever-so ready to let go of past and my living brand itching to evolve into the new. But what and how?

Suddenly as if by magic all of the answers I had been seeking for a long time were right there. Beautifully contained within my magical notebook.

Everything that matters to me. What really lights me up.

This book is me. It’s who I’ve become. It’s who I am now.

My new petite business. My own living brand. My life.

And this is how I intend to show up and live my own magical life. It’s all here.

When I realised what I had created, I stepped outside into our sanctuary also known as our garden. I looked around and something clicked into place. It isn’t just my magical notebook that enabled me to grow, bloom and transform.

Our garden worked it’s magic on me too. Nurturing this neglected place, meant it also nurtured me. Bringing me gently back to life.

Over time I began to notice the beauty all around us. My life has taken a very different path than I’d ever intended. The change was inevitable. Suddenly the blinkers were off and I instinctively knew my work had to incorporate the wisdom of nature. And this was abundantly clear within my notebook.

This realisation meant finally I could connect the dots. I’d found the clarity I’d been seeking to create my new brand identity and website.

I locked myself away, along with my magical notebook and got to work.

The new web copy was written. My logo created and printed into fresh business cards. My new website lovingly designed, created and filled with my own words and images. Images that had been there all along waiting for me within my Instagram feed or sitting in files on my PC.

I deliberately chose to share what I had created with a couple of trusted friends who had walked my transformational path with me. They knew me well. They know who I am now. They also know just how far I have come. And their support and encouragement was invaluable. Because we all need those soul sisters who believe in you, when you are wobbling and wonder can I do this? Can I say that? Can I really show up and just be me?

Within the space of three weeks, the job was complete. I’d created and built everything and launched my new website. My new petite business emerged and bloomed. With me front and centre with a new identity in my own name and the flowers came too.

I’d like to say at this point it was painless. It wasn’t. It was blinkin’ hard work. Navigating change and transformation usually is. But still you dig deep and carry on.

But I knew I was right to trust my instincts. I’ve found my flow once more. I am aligned with my heart and soul. My patience has been rewarded. The transformation occurred.

It was time to go for it and emerge once more.

Everything about me and my work is intentional and often has a sentimental meaning behind it. Or at the very least a story to tell.

I don’t pretend to be something I am not with my brand. Or within my photos on Instagram. What you see is what you get. In reality too. And it may not be for everyone. But that’s the point. It is what it is. And I am what I am.

Someone said to me a few weeks ago “You’re different, I like that”.

Yes me too. I’ll take that as a lovely compliment. Because you can create a “social media show reel”. You can follow the crowd and do what everyone else does. You can bend and fit in to be liked online and off. But doing this means you are not being true to you. You’re replicating what someone else intended.

The flowers in my logo were deliberately chosen with care, the font with my name had to be changed from black to golden, to represent from the darkness into the light. The branches of wisdom blog is inspired by being among the branches of the many trees in our garden. We also have a big tree trunk that is perfect to sit on and tune in to some natural wisdom.

Everything, even right down to the image on my website and my business cards with the pink roses and me walking in the background is used consciously. Yes this is me. My husband took this photo whilst I was wandering around the gardens of a chateau I love in France. This place is special and close to where I used to live and work in my twenties. Only this was taken the summer I started my first petite business, when I felt a sense of freedom that has re-emerged once more with my new chapter.

I’ve come a full circle. Because my very first business also had a brand with flowers, pink and purple colours and a golden logo.

So when I refer to creating and establishing your own living brand, this is precisely what I mean.

And this is mine.

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.”

— Gerard De Nerval

When I received my new logo files I decided to send them to my sister to take a look at.

She emailed me back and said “Well, it’s very pretty Mel, but what do the flowers have to do with your work?”.

I must write down a reminder to show her my magical notebook sometime soon!

Simply One of a Kind

Within the Social Collective we’ve been talking in depth about how to deal with other similar businesses replicating our work. It seems this is a hot topic at the moment.

So hot in fact that just as I thought everything was hunky dory in my world I received an email from a friend saying “Have you seen this, it looks remarkably like yours?” She’d attached a link and was referring to a brand new Collective that had launched. 

Yes I had seen it and I too could see immediately the striking similarities between my Social Collective and this new one.

I am wise enough to know mine isn’t going to be the only one in the world. There are loads of Collectives out there with more popping up all the time. But this one and it's entire concept, features and mechanics are identical to mine. Familiar and too similar for my liking.

Surely not a coincidence?

It appears not as shortly after another two emails popped into my mailbox saying “Have you seen this?”.........

I forwarded the message on to my husband for sound advice. His response was swift. “Plagiarism”. He doesn’t mince his words.

Sadly it’s not the first time someone else has decided they rather like the look of something I’ve created. It is easy to like the look of what someone else does and try to pass it off as your own. But not so easy in the long run. Eventually you get found out.

A LinkedIn e-book I wrote and gave away for free, was sent back to me with the logo switched to another, a few pages jigged around and re-formatted, some removed and words tweaked but ultimately I recognised it immediately as my work. When presented with the same like for like format and your own words staring back at you on the page, it doesn’t take long to it suss out. Hells bells this is mine.

I just so happened to be on this particular pilferers email list so fortunately I too received my new free ever-so slightly tweaked LinkedIn ebook download as a bonus. Along with all the other people on her list. I promptly removed her from mine and all my social pages. That would be the last time she'd be receiving a "gift" from me.

Moving on from e-books to websites. My second website for Scarletta had a cute boy with a flat cap speaking in to a horn. He appeared throughout my branding at the time. Until a similar local business decided to replicate my brand and instead of the boy with the flat cap they’d use a girl. I received more “Have you seen this website” emails from friends and acquaintances......... And realised Hells bells it’s time for a new website and brand.

I swiftly got to work and created Scarletta website number three and made a conscious decision from that point forward never to use stock images again. Everything I used I would  create and the photo images would be taken by my husband. The problem was solved. 

Until the next time. 

Have you had your stuff pilfered too? You’re not alone.

I’ve heard many tales from other petite business owner and creatives who show up and share their best work online only to have someone else decide they’ll have some of that too. It could be an image or an idea shared on a blog post or even an entire sales page, copied and pasted onto another businesses new website. Why get a copy writer to write up your services when it's easy to just take yours? 

Or someone may even go as far as working with you as a client.  Receive all your wonderful nuggets of wisdom and then decide that thanks to you they are now an expert and set up their business just like yours, offering the same service as you. As you made it look so easy, so surely it must be?

This is happening all the time whether we like it or not.

So what do you do, do you challenge them all guns blazing? Fire off a snotty email or make an awkward phone call?  Or do you go even further and trademark your work? This can be expensive and you can’t trademark everything.

Or do you decide enough is enough and seek legal advice.  Hmm now there’s an idea. Because why should you just take this on the chin and pretend it didn't happen? 

Of course the world is a big place,  there are plenty of people and there can be enough work to go round for everyone so why the fuss? Especially if it is your word against theirs. Pun intended.

It’s simple. 

If you are like me, you put your heart and soul into everything you do for your people and clients and it is not there for the taking. 

You put your time and energy into coming up with perfect ideas to support and continue serve your clients and tribe. 

You put your own creativity into creating your services, products and establishing your own living brand so you know and so does your tribe that without a shadow of doubt everything is authentically true to you.

You put hours of work into diligently learning, growing and evolving so that you can share your own insights and expertise and tell your stories in order to help serve the very people who need to hear what you have to say.

You don’t do any of it for someone else to pass off your creations as theirs.

That’s why.

Only we can decide personally what action we choose to take. For me it’s not something I will tolerate. I will pursue them every single time.

In our world of free online content  you have to keep it in the forefront of your mind that once you have published something you have soulfully created,  you have little control over what happens to it from that point forward. But that doesn’t mean you do nothing. 

What you do have absolute control over is to not hit the brakes and let it deter or detract you from your soulful work and mission. You don’t stop doing what you set out to do. It doesn’t mean you stop sharing your wisdom and work with others just in case someone else may copy it. And it definitely doesn’t mean you shrink back or remove or rewrite your original sales page just in case other people may think you are the one who copied them.

No. You allow yourself to be a bit pissy. For a while. 24 hours at the most. And then you pick yourself up, dust yourself down and carry on. As you were. Focused on what you intended. Heading back into your creative cave. To cook up some more ideas and unique creations that you are going to bring into fruition.

You continue to share your wisdom. Speak your own truth. And keep showing up online and off as you really are in the way only you know how.

Why?

Because you are one of a kind.

The fact is no one can be you. No one else has the same ideas, insights, approach, views, beliefs or expertise as you. Someone else simply cannot be you or your petite business. However hard they may try.

If you want to continue to be known, loved and trusted as a the credible expert, the leader in your field and an authentic change maker you owe to it yourself to make your mark and  keep putting your own soulful stamp on everything you do. 

Which enables others to know the real you as it’s your heart and soul written on the page. Your words speak in a way that only you can express them. Your images show precisely who you really are and demonstrate the true experience of what it feels like to work with you over and over again.

This is what true authenticity and transparency means.

Because let’s not forget, other people can detect an imposter without us having to waste any more time and energy on them. We have to trust copy cats will eventually be exposed and will move along onto another venture eventually.

As for our Social Collective, when I launched back in November I deliberately and consciously didn’t put everything on my website or sales material. I took a new and different marketing approach as fortunately for me I couldn’t get everything down onto one sales page. There was too much for me to say. So it was only those people who registered directly with me who received every little detail in its entirety. This approach served me very well. It's not all for the taking and most importantly I could ensure that the genuine people who were considering joining us knew precisely what they needed to know from me and not just via my website.

Somebody once told me.......

Someone I knew who offered a similar service to me once told me at a networking event that she could see how well my business was doing and felt that she was just a couple of steps behind me. She admitted copying my marketing and social approach as it seemed to work. Brave I thought. 

What she didn't know, maybe she has realised now is that however hard she tried her business would never be the same as mine. Because I never keep still. In my life or my business. I am never complacent and find myself constantly buzzing with new ideas and concepts. Nothing is ever static. It's always evolving. Growing, blooming and transforming.

I wished her luck and walked away, chuckling to myself as I moved to talk to someone else. I didn't feel this was a threat or competition. Or anything to be remotely concerned about.

As I know just like you and your petite business we're simply all one of a kind!

It's Not About Who You Know. It's About Who Knows You?

An exciting thing happened my new business cards arrived. Woo Hoo. I promptly gave them out to my family members and put the rest back in the box.

But what use are my new business cards if they are sitting in a pretty flowery holder on my desk? How will people know all about what’s on offer if I don’t tell them or give them my card? 

I realised it’s time to start “networking” again.

But I was undecided and dithering on where to go. I wanted to find groups more local to me instead of travelling in and out of Central London.

Since we moved it’s fair to say I haven’t been out much. Networking that is. After all we’ve got the house to renovate, the garden to maintain, washing to do and endless domestic goddess duties to carry out let alone finding the time or making the effort to go to networking meetings. 

And with me percolating on my new venture I didn’t feel comfortable heading out trying to promote and market my old services which weren’t really in my heart anymore. So I didn’t, I stayed at home and pulled up some more weeds from the garden.

However, I have enough experience under my belt to know that me sitting at home with my new business cards and shiny new website is unlikely to bring an abundance of new connections or clients. Well it might, but I could be waiting a while couldn’t I?

So I took the plunge, did my research and found some local groups near me to try out. I called the organiser of one group to confirm my attendance which meant I could not opt out as I said I’d be there. There is nothing like a commitment to another to ensure you show up.

And true to my word I changed out of my comfy jeans and flip-flops, put my glad rags on, blow dried my hair and headed out-out.

I felt pretty nervous before hand, I kind of knew what to expect but felt ever so rusty. And as for a 45 second elevator pitch, oh man I hadn’t done one of those for a long time. But I stood up said my piece with a smile on my face and sat back down again. Phew. Done.

There was absolutely no need for me to worry, I had a lovely time meeting and talking to some new people, getting to know them and sharing more about me and what I do. Plus I like to talk which really isn’t a surprise as if you have met me in person you’ll know I do like a good natter. 

Over the years I have had a lot of experience of attending all sorts of meetings and even hosting my own. But still, it feels daunting when you go somewhere new, a little bit like starting a new school all over again doesn’t it?

Here’s the thing about “networking” most petite business owners dread it. 

Because we know we have to be on our best behaviour with our sales face on and go in and make an impact and be memorable. With a refined and magical elevator pitch that describes who we are and what we do so everyone else knows precisely what we’re all about so they can tell others about us and all of this has to be said in no more than a minute. That’s a challenge in itself.

But it’s not the words that come out of our mouths that makes the biggest impact. It’s simply who we are as people.

Is there a spark or a connection with someone else?

Do they feel like they want to get to know you better? As you could offer a similar service to someone else but people will naturally be drawn to someone they gel with. 

What about you, who do you resonate with? Is there someone you feel you must talk to?

The belief is you have to go networking because that’s where your clients are waiting for you.

But it doesn’t always work like that does it? 

Because the other attendees are there to find their new clients too.

They are not intentionally going to networking meetings to find you. 

They are more likely to be thinking about whether or not the people will be nice and welcoming?

Their minds may be buzzing with questions on whether or not they have to eat lunch and talk at the same time? What to say? Should they have brought more business cards? Definitely that they should have worn their other shoes. And not forgetting how on earth they are going to tell others all about them and their petite business in less than a minute?

You know the similar mind chatter that you and I may have too.

But what if we all approached "networking" with the mind set of just being present and open to who we may meet. With absolutely no big expectations of finding our next client within the room. Our task is to be focused on giving others the opportunity to get to know us better and we get to know them. 

And it always helps to have an intention of why you're going in the first place? Are you looking for good contacts? Do you need someone to test something out? Do you simply like me want to make friends with people nearby? As I realised that I talk to my neighbours and the people in the shops here always love to chat. But they are not friends. So for me my intention is two fold. To meet some new local people who may become friends as well as meet new people who may be interested in working with me in the future. I know why I am going.

This approach changes everything. It takes the pressure off. We can enjoy ourselves. Be ourselves, natural, relaxed and more engaging. Have fun. Enjoy our lunch even. With no ulterior motive what-so-ever. 

As you never know who is going to be in the room. They may not look like your kind of people but maybe they are? Or maybe someone they know is ideal for you. This is when the magic happens. It may not be instant. It may take some time. A long time even. I once had a new client following an event I did five years previously. Hopefully you won't have to wait that long!

But the point is when you show up, you've already taken a step forward and the seeds have been planted. You have to trust they will grow. Some will flourish. Some will not. That's the reality isn't it? 

Life finds a way of bringing the right people together. 

The saying goes "it’s not what you know it’s who you know" and this is so true when it comes to business and referrals.

But I believe more importantly it’s not just who you know.

It’s who knows you?

When people really know you. And I don't just mean your job title and elevator pitch. If they feel they know the real you, understand what you're all about and whether or not you can help them only then will they decide to be your next client. 

They may not want to make a decision yet. And are happy to become a member of your tribe so you can establish more of a relationship first.

Or they may not want or need what you offer but they know others that do.

And this is what definitely works about "networking" and why we torture......I mean enjoy ourselves in being brave and going along. But I prefer to call it "connecting".

“Let go of yourself. Because I want a conversation that speaks from soul to soul.”

— Sana A Rashid

As for me “connecting” remains very high on my agenda in the weeks ahead and so far I’ve made some lovely new human connections, was also gifted with recommendations of other new groups to try out locally, (which I will!) I've been invited out for a cup of tea and a chat and someone expressed an interest in joining the Social Collective. All great results.

So the thought of going was far worse than the actual doing. It really wasn’t so bad after all, progress was made and I know I’ll be going back again.

Just need to order some more business cards.

Are you looking for a different kind of group to help you grow, bloom and transform?

Take a look at the Social Collective.
 

A Magical Doorway Opens

I’ve been in the “void” for a while, pondering and percolating. Wondering how to bridge the gap between what has come before in my life and work, and the now. As the old felt out-dated and no longer resonated.

The images on the Scarletta website no longer felt like me. Who was that person? As I no longer recognised her because everything in my world has changed since they were taken some four years ago.

My perspective and perceptions altered significantly. My work evolved as I learned to go with my heart and soul and not just my logical head.

Everything around me was different.

My work, how I serve, my beliefs, values and most importantly me.

Life has simply and dramatically changed.

But when you're known for one thing, how do you grow and evolve into another?

I’d been living and working with the new, but under the radar. Quietly doing my own thing without broadcasting it all via social media and my online marketing. Just tentatively allowing the new to gently unfold and bloom without fanfare.

And yet with one foot still in the past and the other firmly in the future, how could I release the old when the new wasn’t fully formed?

Would there be a definitive line between then and now?

Would I know when it would be the right time to shut the Scarletta door and bravely open the new one, enticing me forward?

In answer to all of my questions, yes I would know eventually. But it would all take some time.

Following my instincts I began to understand I needed to be patient. Wait a little longer. Not force things to happen before they were ready to emerge. I am naturally impatient and when I set my mind to do something I crack on and get on with it. Waiting goes against my conditioning. 

But this time it is different. Because I have learned how to be guided and now trust myself that I know what to do.

So I waited some more. Made lots of notes. Continued to add ideas and images to my magical scrap book of the year. Pinned plenty of images and quotes that resonated on Pinterest.

Months and weeks passed by.

And then suddenly I connected the dots. There it was.

The bridge between the old and the new

I understood exactly what I am meant to do now. My magical door opened a little more. Enough for the seeds that had been planted some time ago to grow and emerge.

The concepts and ideas became a reality as I decided to rebuild everything from scratch. With my blank canvas. I created this website and brand myself with the spirit of freedom I felt when I first started Scarletta's Blog back in 2009. Freedom to create, to visualise, to share my own words, talk about things that matter and show up and just be me. Who I am now.  

And my new petite business and I emerged. With a new identity in my own name and in my own style. Here we are.

Along with the flowers. My first Scarletta website and logo had flowers and I knew we'd come a full circle.

This time it's my name in gold, for the light and of course there are the beautiful blooming flowers. Everything you see and read is intentional, symbolic and totally in essence of me and my own soul-led work.

There’s human timing and divine timing. And more often than not everything happens in divine timing. When it’s meant to. 

We can try and force change. But as the saying goes everything will happen when its meant to. Not to our timescales. 

But this does not mean we do nothing.

We have to be vigilant and open to the signs and synchronicities. Listening to the voice of our own inner wisdom that is there for our greater good. Guiding us forward, helping us to be ready to emerge. Encouraging us to move out of the comfort zone and step forward into the unknown.

One day you know you’re as ready as your ever going to be

It's time. You find the courage to take action.

Step by step. Day by day. The momentum builds. Ideas start falling into place. You know it’s time to let go of the old and welcome in the new.

Things begin to flow and shift.

Grow. Bloom and transform.

The magical door opens and you step through onto your next chapter.

If you're ready to open your own magical door here's how we can work together.