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A New Way to Understand The Business Growth Journey

A New Way to Understand The Business Growth Journey

by | Dec 9, 2025 | Business Growth

A New Way to Understand The Business Growth Journey

I’ve been working quietly behind the scenes on something I’m really excited to share with you. But before I introduce it, I want to give you a bit of context.

Recently, I’ve felt a little stuck in my business. Not broken. Not unhappy. Just a bit flat. My income has been steady. I’ve worked with incredible people. I’ve felt grateful for this work most days. And still, something felt missing. I’d been teaching the same topics in the same way for a long time, and it had been a while since I’d felt truly inspired or creatively stretched.

That’s shifted. I can’t pinpoint one single reason. It’s probably a mix of things. But I haven’t felt this energised or creatively alive in my business for a long time. Being in the mastermind I joined has played a part in that. It’s pushed me to look more closely at my own business, what’s working, what’s not, and what’s actually needed at the stage I’m in. And doing that has helped me look at the whole business journey with fresh eyes.

From that reflection came something new.

I’ve created a Sustainable Growth Framework. It maps the journey from starting out to building a stable, profitable, grounded business in a way that feels clear and workable rather than overwhelming.

As you already know, this journey isn’t straightforward. Every single one of us faces seasons of doubt, confusion, momentum and growth. Even the most established, even the people who look like they have it all together from the outside. My hope is that this framework helps you locate yourself within that journey and understand what’s needed right now rather than trying to do everything at once.

The framework outlines three phases: Root, Rise and Bloom

(Yes, these are the names of my three new programs).

Here’s what they each represent.

Root is the first phase. It’s where you’re becoming a business owner. Not just someone with skills or a qualification, but someone who is beginning to step into the identity of “this is my work and this is my business.” Root is where you start developing clarity, confidence and structure. It’s also a stage where things can feel messy, slow or uncertain. So much of this season is internal. You’re not just defining what you do. You’re learning how to show up for your business, make decisions, talk about your work and connect with people in real ways.

Rise is the second phase. It’s where things start to click, but not consistently. You know your work matters. You’ve had clients. You’ve seen signs of traction. But there’s still a gap between what you know you’re capable of and what’s happening day to day. Rise is about strengthening the right things, simplifying the rest and building the rhythm that finally brings steadiness to your work and income.

Bloom is the third phase. It’s where your work is established, trusted and in demand. You’ve built something real. Clients come because your reputation, message and presence are working. People know what you do and value it. Bloom isn’t the stage where everything feels easy. It’s the stage where your success begins to stretch you. You’re holding a lot. And you may be realising that the way you’re working isn’t sustainable if things continue to grow.

And just to be clear: these phases don’t correlate to how long you’ve been in business. I’ve met people in Bloom who are fairly new in business but experienced rapid growth, and people in Root who’ve been at this for years. There is no hierarchy, no judgement. Just different needs at different moments.

What I’ve seen over and over again is that each phase requires different strategies. What works beautifully in one phase won’t land at all in another. And often the frustration or stuckness people feel comes from focusing on something that isn’t the priority right now.

You might already have a sense of where you land. And if you’re not sure, I’ve made something to help.

The Sustainable Growth Quiz.

When you complete it, you’ll learn which phase you’re in and you’ll get access to a guide created specifically for that phase. It outlines what’s important right now and what isn’t, so you can stop scattering your energy and start focusing on what will actually move your business forward.

I’ve spent weeks creating this and testing it, and I’ll be honest, I’m still a bit nervous to share it. I’ve never made a quiz before and oh my, it’s been a learning curve. But I’m proud of it. And I hope it’s genuinely useful.

You can take the quiz by clicking the button below. 

TAKE THE QUIZ

If you have the time, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. Let me know whether the phase resonated and whether the guide felt supportive. I don’t expect everyone to comment, but even a handful would help me know whether this is landing in the way I intended.

DO YOU WANT TO ROOT & RISE IN 2026?

If you’re interested, I’d love you to check out Root & Rise. My two, year long programs in 2026 designed to help you grow your business with clarity, ease, and integrity.

Head to www.carolineleon.com/mastermind for all the details.

What If You Could Enjoy More Of Your Business Than You Realise?

What If You Could Enjoy More Of Your Business Than You Realise?

by | Dec 2, 2025 | Mindset

What If You Could Enjoy More Of Your Business Than You Realise?

 

On Thursdays my 8 year old eats lunch at school. On other days he eats with me, but because I have a work commitment on some Thursdays (it’s when I attend my mastermind), Thursday is a day he has lunch at school, while his little brother eats with a close relative.

Recently, when I reminded him of this, he started moaning, as he usually does, about how he didn’t want to eat at school. As the mom guilt started to creep in, I remembered that he’d told me last week that he loved lunchtime at school because he got to play with one of his favourite friends.

So I reminded him. I thought you liked eating lunch at school now because you get to play with your friend? He paused, said yes…but…and seemed to be searching for another reason.

Is it because you don’t like the food? I asked, because that’s something he’s told me before. He paused again and then said, actually I do like the food…

So I asked him: If you like the food and you like playing with your friends, do you think you might actually like eating at school sometimes?

He thought about it, grinned and nodded.

We ended up having a lovely conversation about the fact that there had been things in the past that he didn’t like about eating at school, but that now he actually quite liked it. He’d just got into the habit of feeling negative about it, even though it had become something he enjoyed.

We talked about the importance of paying attention to how we really feel, rather than the story we’ve carried from the past. I have to admit, it was one of those mom moments that leaves you feeling like you might be doing something right.

Do you know yet where I’m going with this?

Later that night, as I reflected on the conversation, I thought about how often our stories about things in our business like launching, sales, content, or outreach shape how we feel about doing them.

How often have you sat down at your desk and inwardly groaned at the idea of writing a piece of content, only to find that when you get into it, you actually enjoy the creativity and the personal expression of it?

Or how often you’ve told yourself that outreach is hard for an introvert like you, and then when you have those moments of pure connection with another like-minded soul, you remember that meaningful connection is precisely what makes you feel alive?

This is a big part of the work I do. I help people reframe how they think about marketing and tap into what they love about the things they often dread. In one of my own favourite articles, I write about this more explicitly: Are you willing to think about marketing differently? Have a read if you can relate.

This is really an invitation to revisit some of the decisions you’ve made about your business, about the things you don’t enjoy, and ask yourself: are there aspects of this I do or could enjoy if I found a way to do it that fits me?

Start by noticing where the story is older than the truth.

DO YOU WANT TO ROOT & RISE IN 2026?

If you’re interested, I’d love you to check out Root & Rise. My two, year long programs in 2026 designed to help you grow your business with clarity, ease, and integrity.

Head to www.carolineleon.com/mastermind for all the details.

The Impact of Letting Myself Be Supported This Year

The Impact of Letting Myself Be Supported This Year

by | Nov 25, 2025 | Mindset, Uncategorized

The Impact of Letting Myself Be Supported This Year

 

This year I did something I have never done before.

I joined a small group mastermind for business owners at a similar level to me.

Now, I realise that some people might find that odd, given that small group masterminds are the bread and butter of my business, but a year or so ago I reached a point in my business journey where I felt stuck.

I probably do not need to tell you what a rollercoaster ride being in business can be, and the last thirteen years of entrepreneurship have had their fair share of ups and downs. But what I experienced over the past couple of years felt new to me. Gone were the highs and lows, and in their place was something else.

After a few dramatic increases in income from 2020 onwards, my annual income eventually levelled out. I had settled into a business model that felt easeful to operate and a marketing system that I could rely on, even when I could not rely on my fluctuating energy levels.

In short, things got really stable. Which felt great… until it did not.

Something I have a hard time admitting is that I had started to feel a bit bored.

Offering the same things year after year and doing marketing the same way began to lose its appeal. I started to miss the creativity of trying new things and seeing what happens. But as I mentioned in a previous letter, making any big changes felt scary. I did not want to break something that was working.

That was when I realised that I needed a shift in perspective. I needed to work with someone further along in business than me, who could show me what I could not see for myself.

As is often the case when we reach the point of being ready for change, the universe put in front of me exactly the kind of support I felt I needed: a small, yearlong group mastermind called Quiet Ambition for established business owners. And even though I was tempted, I had my doubts.

What almost stopped me

What if I disappeared in the group? As a raging introvert and HSP, even though I have no problem leading a group, being a participant has always been more challenging for me, so I have tended to favour one-to-one support.

How much progress would I actually make with only two calls a month? Given that my own yearlong programs have always had weekly calls, I worried about paying more than three times what I charged for half the time I gave.

What if the advice given, or my fellow participants, did not believe in ethical marketing the way I do? The last thing I wanted was to be given advice that I could not implement because it felt out of integrity.

And possibly the biggest concern of all: what if the coach running the group or my fellow participants told me that the only way to get to the next level in business was to put my prices up? I have always prided myself on accessible pricing, and yet the only advice I ever seem to find online about growing our income is to raise our prices.

Despite my doubts, I got on a sales call and, after a good conversation with the coach, decided to go for it.

The experience of being a participant rather than the guide

When the first call came around, back in January, I will admit that I was a little nervous before joining. I had to laugh at myself for finding it edgier to be a participant than to lead a group. I am still not exactly sure why.

My initial fears soon gave way to a deep feeling of relief. The kind of release that comes when you let go of control and surrender to the support available to you. It felt wonderful to know that it was not my job to hold space or provide support; my only job was to be open to receiving it.

It was also fascinating to watch how someone else held space and structured the calls inside an offer somewhat similar to mine. It felt different, and that was exciting. There were moments where I wished things were done the way I do them, and others where I thought, perhaps I could try that in my groups. I felt inspired.

But it was not all plain sailing.

I think it was on the second call that my heart sank when one participant shared her struggle with sign-ups for a launch and another said, “Just spam them!” You can imagine my horror. Thank goodness I was muted because I think I gasped out loud.

The mirror I needed

Something that being part of a small group mastermind gave me was the wisdom of a group of fellow business owners and their honest reflections about my work.

It was so interesting to see how they responded to my business. There were several moments when people had noticeable reactions.

There was the time I shared my annual income alongside the number of subscribers on my list. People were shocked that I could make the income I was making with such a small list and asked how I was doing it. Some of the other women had lists five or ten times the size of mine but were struggling to convert them into clients. I remember thinking, perhaps it is because I do not spam them.

Then there were the gasps when I shared the pricing for my yearlong group program, the Conscious Business Mastermind, and the number of calls I offered.

And despite my initial fear that I would be told to raise my prices, simply saying them out loud became a huge turning point for me. (I will share more on that in a future letter.)

What changed for me

So much has changed in my business as a result of being in the mastermind. I have re-thought my entire business model, decided to close a program I have been running for six years and, yes, in the end, I have raised some of my prices and put tighter boundaries around my time.

What I learned is that the biggest shifts and breakthroughs come not through information and advice but through taking action and reflecting on it. A big part of my previous programs focused on teaching and sharing the strategies and tools that helped me reach the level of success that I have.

Being in a group where teaching was not the priority, but reflection and action were, has changed my whole approach to facilitation. It is the reason I have decided to remove live classes from my programs next year. The strategies and tools will still be there, but what I will facilitate more is the reflecting and doing.

The permission and courage this group has given me to let go of what no longer serves me and to lean into my creativity and intuition has been such a gift. The changes you’re seeing unfold in my business are a direct result.

What this experience reminded me

Even after more than a decade in business, there is always more to learn, not just about strategy but about ourselves. Being in a space where I was not the one leading helped me reconnect with the curiosity and humility that got me started in the first place. It reminded me that growth doesn’t always come from knowing more; it comes from having the space to explore, reflect, and uncover what works for us.

More than anything, this year showed me that I do not have to do it all alone. Letting myself be supported does not make me less capable. It makes me more resourced, more creative, and more alive in my work.

I am so grateful I said yes, even with all my doubts. It has changed how I see my work, how I hold space, and how I define success.

DO YOU WANT TO ROOT & RISE IN 2026?

If you’re interested, I’d love you to check out Root & Rise. My two, year long programs in 2026 designed to help you grow your business with clarity, ease, and integrity.

Head to www.carolineleon.com/mastermind for all the details.

Why I’m Closing My Most Profitable Group Program

Why I’m Closing My Most Profitable Group Program

by | Nov 18, 2025 | Conscious business

Why I’m Closing My Most Profitable Group Program

 

After six years of running the Conscious Business Mastermind, I’ve made the decision to close it at the end of this year.

This wasn’t a quick or easy choice. CBM has been my most profitable program and the backbone of my business for years. But profitable doesn’t always mean aligned. I want to share the journey behind this decision with you, because the lessons I’ve learned along the way might also support you in your own business.

When Success Isn’t Enough

CBM grew out of a membership I closed many years ago. Back then, I felt called to create something more intimate, more impactful and better suited to business owners who weren’t complete beginners but also weren’t yet fully established.

And it worked. Over six cohorts, 90 people have been through CBM. It has created incredible connections, supported people through the messy middle of business and given me some of my most rewarding experiences as a coach and group facilitator. Not to mention the incredible testimonials I’ve received!

What I’ve learned, however, is that even something rewarding, impactful and profitable can reach a point where evolution is necessary.

The Turning Point

As I ran CBM, I began to notice that participants often came in at different stages of business. Some were early on in business, needing the basics along with mindset support and others would be further along wanting peer-to-peer exchange from people at a similar level.

This mix wasn’t wrong. In fact, it sometimes created powerful opportunities for cross-learning. But it also showed me that one container can’t always meet everyone’s needs equally.

I also realised that live teaching calls, while valuable, weren’t always landing at the right time for everyone. Some people were ready for a topic months before it came up, while others weren’t there yet. I also began to notice that after years of teaching the same fundamentals, I would skim over things because I felt like I was repeating myself, even if it was new to some people in the group.

I came to see that bringing people together at a similar point in the business journey really matters. As is allowing people to access teachings for whatever they are currently working on in their business, when they need it.

Knowing that things needed to change, I’ve spent nearly a whole year talking to and doing research with former and current CBMers, journalling and visioning, getting ideas and feedback from my mastermind peers (even business coaches benefit from being in mastermind!), my VA, my husband and anyone else who cared to listen, to finally get the clarity around what wants to be born in its place.

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe

I’ve mentioned to many people over the years that one of the hardest things about success is that once you achieve it, you become terrified of losing it.

Meaning once I figured out how to generate a decent income from my offers, I quickly became reticent to change any of them lest I break my business model and lose the income.

Unlike the early (and somewhat torturous) days of business building, when experimentation and figuring out what works can feel creative and exciting, later on in the journey not having clarity on your offers and needing to make changes can just feel really high risk.

What if I make this change and I lose a huge chunk of my income overnight?

Not an easy concern to override when you have a mortgage to pay and young children to provide for.

This is where we have to have some faith and also do our homework. I never launch anything new without talking to people extensively first. I’ve been doing that for months now and I can honestly say I feel excited and inspired by what’s on the horizon.
I’ve realised that clinging to what feels safe can actually block growth. Change always feels uncomfortable, but staying with an offer that no longer feels fully aligned is its own kind of risk.

What Wants to Be Born Next

Out of these reflections, a new framework has taken shape. It builds on everything I have loved about the CBM. The community, conscious business practices, and deep support but with more clarity and structure.

Instead of one mixed group (divided by timezone), there will now be two distinct paths:

Root for those who are building strong foundations and navigating the mindset challenges of the early stages.

Rise for those who already have clients and offers, and are ready to strengthen their business for sustainable growth with the support of peers.

I’ve come to appreciate that evolution is natural. When we listen to both our people’s needs and our own energy, new and better structures can emerge.

For me, Root and Rise is an evolution of CBM, holding the same values and spirit while offering a clearer way to meet business owners where they are and to support them to move forward with focus and momentum.

DO YOU WANT TO ROOT & RISE IN 2026?

If you’re interested, I’d love you to check out Root & Rise. My two, year long programs in 2026 designed to help you grow your business with clarity, ease, and integrity.

Head to www.carolineleon.com/mastermind for all the details.

How to Get Your Business Ready for Summer

How to Get Your Business Ready for Summer

by | Aug 4, 2025 | Business model

How to Get Your Business Ready for Summer

How to Get Your Business Ready for Summer (Without Burning Out or Dropping Balls)

With summer upon is, it’s time to get your business ready for what is likely to be a different pace. Let’s face it, summer has a habit of impacting what’s possible in our day to day working life and as such, it might be time to embrace a different rhythm.

Why Summer Deserves a Different Rhythm

There are several reasons you might operate on a different rhythm during the Summer months.

  • Kids on Summer break.
  • Summer holidays planned.
  • The desire to spend more time outdoors and less time on the computer.
  • More socialising because that’s what sunshine does to people!
  • Friends and family visiting (when you live in Spain, this is a big one!).
  • Less sign ups and clients during the summer months because they too are dealing with much of the above.

The impact all of this can have on our focus, our motivation and our bottom line is undeniable.

Yet so many of us head into Summer with all of the same expectations of ourselves and our businesses, only to be sorely disappointed when we inevitably get derailed by the Summer months.

What do you want and need from Summer?

I don’t know about you but I kinda want it all. Steady income AND lots of time and space to enjoy the sunshine with my family. But if push comes to shove, I know I’d rather take a hit to the bottom line, to allow me to enjoy the Summer with my boys.

How about you? What are your priorities for the coming Summer months? Will you be travelling? Have children home from school? Be out socialising more?

Take a moment now to really tune into what you want and need from Summer and give yourself full permission to define Summer on your own terms.

I’ve built a business model that brings in revenue all year round via group programs and 1:1 subscriptions but I know that often applications for 1:1 coaching drop in the Summer and some clients even put pause on our work until Autumn/Fall.

To some extent, I’m okay with this as it gives me the flexibility to finish my days early and hang with my boys and also to do things I can’t do when work is really busy. I have a couple of big launches coming up later in the year, so the spaces I see in July and August feel super helpful to me to prepare for those launches.

Having said that, I’m all about brainstorming some easeful ways to top up my income so that I can have a fun-filled Summer and not have to pay too dearly for it.

Anticipating and preparing for seasonal shifts

I’ve learnt over the years that certain shifts are to be expected when Summer hits and here is how I’m preparing for them.

1. People don’t want to make big commitments in the Summer

Given a lot of people are on holidays or wanting to spend less time in Zoom calls, it’s inevitable that I get less 1:1 coaching applications during the summer months and a lot of existing clients like to put pause on our work and restart later in the year.

That combined with my own holidays and I do typically see a drop in income in August particularly. This year, I’ve been brainstorming some summer friendly offers to offset the drop in income from my 1:1 coaching subscription with some offers that (hopefully) people will be more inclined to invest in.

2. I feel less inspired and have less time to create content

With a downtick in client sessions, I usually have less in the moment inspiration to guide my content creation during the Summer. Normally I write what feels present to me in the moment, based on what is coming up in client and group program calls. But for the next few months, I’ll take some time now to plan topics ahead of time so that I don’t have to think too much about it over the Summer.

I’ll also identify a few pieces of content that could be easily repurposed into newsletters should I not manage to get my content created each week.

And if I’m feeling really on top of things I might try and batch create a few pieces that can be scheduled for times when I can’t write, like when I’m on my 2-week holiday in August.

3. I have more space in my calendar than usual

Even though I typically work fewer hours in the Summer because I want to make the most of my time with my boys, even within the hours I do work, there’s typically more space in my calendar than during the Spring, Autumn, and Winter seasons.

Rather than waste this opportunity, I’m starting to plan now for the activities I want to work on, that I typically don’t have time to work on when I’m busier. Here are just some of the things I am considering/planning to do:

  • Working on my new website (I don’t have an official launch date yet but I do have a brand new brand and website in the works!)
  • Working on my message and web copy for the new website.
  • Working on implementing better SEO on the more than 200 articles I have written.
  • Working on growing my list with some new generous freebies.

I doubt I’ll have time to do all of these things but in being really intentional about planning my down-time, I am now really clear on what time I have left over for some of these business growth activities.

Managing expectations

With change afoot managing expectations is a must. Not just your expectations of yourself but your clients expectations.

Here’s what I do on that front:

In terms of my expectations, by doing the thinking now about what I want from Summer and what I can reasonably manage in the time available to me, I’m aware that certain things might not get done as quickly as usual or at all and I’m good with that.

In terms of clients, I’m always upfront with clients about when I’m on holiday and my boundaries around that. I’m a firm believer in working when I’m working and being off when I’m off so you won’t ever hear me say that I’ll try and answer emails while I’m away. Before holidays, I send a note to my clients to let them know I’ll be away and unresponsive to email and I put my autoresponder on.

As a business coach, I want to model what it looks like to run a spacious, sustainable business implementing strong boundaries and protecting your down time at all costs!

What’s on your list?

Now that I’ve shared with you how I am preparing for the Summer, I’d like to invite you to take some time to consider the following questions:

  1. What do you want and need from your Summer?
  2. What seasonal shifts do you anticipate in your business this Summer?
  3. Is there anything you need to do to better prepare for those shifts?
  4. Is there anything you want to do less of or more of during Summer?
  5. What can you prep or automate now to take the burden off later?
  6. What boundaries will you put in place with your clients?

I’d love to invite you to take just one simple action to prepare your business for Summer this week. Feel free to let me know what it is in the comments.

 

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