critical to your success

Last week, a business owner told me that she owed much of her success to Google Ads. After explaining to me that having a Google Business Profile was critical, she asked, “Do you have one?”

It’s me. In the tub. On a Facebook Live.

Just a few days later, another founder told me that creating podcast episodes for his clients was critical to his success. “Have you thought about launching a podcast?” he asked.

Have I? HAVE I?

There’s the nutritionist who insisted that if only I woke at dawn, getting sunlight into my eyeballs would be critical to my success. There’s the digital guru who assured me that an improved LinkedIn profile would be critical to my success. There’s the marketer who strongly advised me to create a funnel because it would be critical to my success.

It’s exhausting, isn’t it?

I’ve got a very long resume of “things I implemented because someone said it would be critical to my success.” Did I launch a daily newsletter because someone said I should? Did I launch two podcasts because someone told me it was the best way to attract clients? Did I create 50+ video courses, host monthly webinars for ten years, self-publish two books, and do Facebook Lives from my own bathtub because someone said I should? Yes. Yes I did.

The advice we receive on the daily is…unsolicited at best. The tips come with equal conviction and urgency. We believe it’s where our focus should lie. The message is always the same: without implementing the suggestion, we will fail. Since we don’t know what we don’t know, the suggestions are that much more alluring.

Here’s what’s actually critical to your success:

1. Curiosity. The way you relate to people matters. Talking about yourself, your services, and what you can do for other people is…nice. But maybe take a break from that? Try out genuinely wanting to know what makes someone else tick. Listen to their stories. Ask questions that show you care. When you’re curious about other people, you build deeper connections that can lead to great opportunities.

2. Consistency. Show up and do the thing again and again and again. It can feel repetitive. Progress can seem nonexistent. Yet it’s what keeps your business moving forward. There are a billion stats online about it: brand consistency can boost revenue by 20%, and delivering quality consistently makes customers 62% more likely to come back. But ignore the stats. Steady, repeatable actions are the name of the game.

3. Connection. In the age of digital everything, this has become a lost art. Handing out your business card? Following someone on social? Those don’t count. Real connection is about paying attention to people. It’s taking the time to really listen and build real relationships. Strong connections open doors and make building a business a lot more enjoyable.

These 3 things are the only things that ever saw me through five successful businesses. But don’t take it from me. Test them out on your own and let me know how it goes.

See you soon,

jill