What do you do when you feel there is more to it?

"I never worry about action, but only inaction." 

 Winston Churchill

Deep down, you know you are ready for a new step in your life AND your business. YOU feel there is more to it. Do you feel that right now you are stuck between - I've got the best thing going for me (right?), longing for a new challenge and freedom, secretly wanting to start in entrepreneurship (but you're not leaving that good career behind, are you?) and not knowing where to start (now I know what I'll get and then what will I earn later, how much will I have to sacrifice)?

Research shows that ±40% of highly educated women aged 40 and older are dissatisfied with their current position, advancement opportunities and (if they could choose now) would like to do something else. 

  • They had made a different choice of study, but now continue to do what they have accumulated years of status, expertise and experience.
  • They now lack challenge and personal and professional growth.
  • They also remain in positions, despite lack of advancement opportunities, inequality in working conditions (read earn less than their male colleagues)
  • Experience stress and lack of time for themselves due to the combination of motherhood, their careers and all other obligations.
  • Are good at their job, have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge and expertise (value) to offer. They know they have more in them. But despite chronic dissatisfaction, they settle for what's there. Out of fear of having to sacrifice salary and other fringe benefits.
  • Dreaming of a different life and different interpretation of their professional life. 

Starting a new top position, and/or own business brings uncertainty, is exciting and often feels overwhelming. Along with the fear of losing what is there now and not knowing what will come in return. As a result, it keeps putting it off and can think of countless reasons why now is not the right time. But the truth is that it's not about perfection. It's about action.

Perfection does not exist:

  • There is no perfect starting moment
  • You don't have to be able to do everything that is asked.
  • You don't need a perfect offer to get started.
  • You are not immediately clear about who you want to work with/for.
  • You don't have immediate queues of customers who know what you have to offer.

The key is to stop waiting for the perfect moment and just take the first step. Believe me, once you do, momentum grows, confidence grows and opportunities begin to unfold. Just when you close a door, new doors open. And by experimenting and doing, you start to feel and experience better and better who your top clients are with that big problem where you can help them PERFECT with your offer.

If you are ready to go from "stuck" to "leading," take action. Dare, act and make it happen.

How do you start a business from a good career in business? 

Step 1: Define your expertise

The foundation of your business that is yourself, with all your knowledge, your expertise and skills. This is your superpower - the unique value you bring. And only you can do what you do best in your own way and with your own energy.

Ask yourself:

  • What am I really good at?
  • What problems have I consistently solved in my life and career?
  • What do people always ask me advice about? Both business and personal.

Write down 3-5 specific skills or problems that you can help others solve. These become part of the value proposition of your business.

Tip: Your expertise doesn't have to be flashy or revolutionary - it just has to solve a problem that people are willing to pay for. Ask some acquaintances (preferably not family members) and ask them what they think you excel at and what you really do well for them. LISTEN to what these people are saying to you. Because mostly what you think is so "ordinary" is very valuable to the other person.

Step 2: Identify your ideal customer

The narrower your focus, the easier it is to succeed. And that doesn't mean a niche of 3 decimal places has to work out. But be honest with yourself and others, because you're not there for everyone. Instead of trying to serve everyone, focus on who your ideal client is. 

  • Who are those people/businesses you have a natural affinity and attraction to? 
  • Who benefits most from my skills?
  • What industries or functions do I like to work with?
  • What pain points do these people have that I can solve?

Example: Instead of saying, "I'm a consultant," say, "I help startups develop customer acquisition strategies to achieve their first million sales."

The clearer your niche, the easier it is to market yourself and attract the right customers.

And this is where your rock-solid positioning falls or stands. After all, positioning is getting noticed by your top customers, as well as repelling non-top customers. After all, you're not there for everyone...thankfully.

Step 3: Talk to your network

Your first clients are closer than you think, they are already in your network.

Approach former colleagues, friends and former bosses. Let them know you are starting a business and be specific about what you offer. Provided, of course, that you will be starting your business in the same market.

I myself made a very conscious decision in the beginning to completely break away from my "old" sector. Precisely because I wanted to explore what is possible and that off the beaten path. I know that the 100% is promising and where I have successfully established and grown my own business. And the interesting thing is that precisely many former acquaintances, former colleagues/ex-corporate and experts (consultants, policy makers, specialists/doctors) from my old network come to me to help them start and grow their companies and start-ups in Data/Tech (AI), Healthcare, Lifescience, MedTech and Health Economics. Which for 2025 is going to give a huge boost to my business and future. 

If you or someone you know could benefit from this, I would love to get in touch with you!

My question to you and that you can also ask your network

Tip: Don't underestimate the power of LinkedIn. Posting about your new offering, your new business and connecting with your network can lead to unexpected referrals and opportunities.

Want to strengthen your position on LinkedIn in 2025 and strategically grow your network? Get more reach(s) on LinkedIn? Monday, January 6, 2025 I offer the LinkedIn Sprint to: Strengthen your position and strategy for LinkedIn.  

Start 2025 with a clear strategy and increase your impact on LinkedIn. With my exclusive 6-week sprint program, you'll learn not only how to get noticed, but how to strategically make valuable connections, share your value, and attract your ideal clients. 

This program is not a standard LinkedIn training, but a customized sprint based on my personal approach and proven results.

Claim your Expert Status on LinkedIn

Step 4: Package your value and expertise into an attractive offer

This is where many entrepreneurs (startup and also established) get stuck: don't overcomplicate things.

Instead of selling vague "coaching" or "consulting," make specific offers that solve obvious problems. And my preference is to solve big problems.

Examples:

"Live Business Day for your strategic growth plan": Develop a roadmap to increase sales by 25% by 2025.

"Leadership coaching for women leaders": Help visionary leaders empower, build greater value and confidence and grow successfully.

"Do the Free Growth Scan: Test your Future Growth Potential": Identify what stage your business is in, and where the growth potential lies for you personally and on a business and financial level. Take the free Growth Scan and get a personal assessment report.

Each offer must include the following:

Deliverables: what does the customer get?

Benefits: How will this affect their business or career?

Tip: You don't need a fancy website to sell your offering. A clear email or a simple LinkedIn post can work wonders. I started my business without a website and focused entirely on organic marketing. After 12 months, I "only" had my website built. Partly because by then I had already been able to adjust so much to my offer and target audience and therefore was able to write better texts for my website.

Because realize, just as you grow and develop, your offerings/target group and therefore your content (including profiles/website) grow with you. So you always have to keep working on that as well, so that the whole is and stays in sync with where you stand, your position, proposition and your strategic future-oriented growth.

Step 5: Take imperfect action

Here's the truth: you will never feel 100% ready.

The key is to get started. Whether it's sending that first email, posting about your services on LinkedIn or scheduling a meeting with a potential client. Action creates momentum.

Remember, trust does not come first. Action creates trust.

No website? No problem. No logo? Who cares! Concentrate on the essentials: solving problems and connecting with potential customers. Everything else can come later. Know what you have to do for the right people at the right time. A strategy is important, execution all the more so.

Bonus step: building your personal brand

A successful business is not just about what you know - it's about who knows you. If you know me, you know how much I support standing up for your value, on your stage sharing your value to be seen, heard and appreciated for who you are, what you do and what you can help the other person grow with. Being noticed and of sharing your value.

Start sharing your expertise publicly. Post valuable tips, share lessons learned or offer solutions to common problems faced by your top clients. Platforms like LinkedIn are gold mines for connecting with your target audience and building authority in your field. 

LinkedIn is really my top platform, my gold mine. By now, I have built a rich network and am meeting with new clients as well as freelancer/collaboration partners for my own business. Every week questions and requests arrive in my inbox, including about my LinkedIn strategy. This is partly why, after my previous successful Masterclasses: More Reach(ing) on LinkedIn, I am now offering my LinkedIn Sprint launched. In 2025 instant - 6 weeks of strategic networking with like-minded people and strengthening your position and leadership on LinkedIn. We start January 6, 2025 direct, will you sprint with us?

Make 2025 your year of transformation:

  • Consciously invest in your health
  • Boost your career - opportunities and growth
  • Improve your financial well-being 
  • Delve into your interests.

From your essence, lead your life and business on your terms.

Start today. Starting a new career/business does not require perfection, it requires action. Imagine where you could be a year from now if you start today. Take the leap. Allow yourself time to experiment ne learn and enjoy along the way. Every successful leader and entrepreneur started somewhere.

Success doesn't always come from big steps. It's in the moments when you push through doubt. It's in the moment when you surround yourself with people who inspire you to tackle it bigger. 

I wish you a very happy New Year. On to a new year full of new opportunities, growth and successes personally, professionally and financially.

Enjoy, live, have fun.

 One Life. Lead it. Live it.

Kind regards,

Gerdi

Strategic growth and success on a personal, business and financial level.

When you want to achieve more in 2025:

How will you strengthen your position and growth on LinkedIn in 2025?

My exclusive 6-week LinkedIn Sprint program is specifically designed to help you strengthen your online leadership position and grow profitably. 

Click here for the entire Program of the LinkedIn Sprint:

LinkedIn Sprint as VIP: Exclusive VIP package for only 5 participants

Do you want to strengthen your online leadership and position on LinkedIn by 2025? Sign up for my 6-week sprint program "More Reach and Growth on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn sprint when you feel there is more in it

Don't make intentions but make the decision

Being assured of your position, growth and future

  • From unseen to noticed
  • From blanks to a working system
  • From loss to profit in time, energy and revenue.

PS: This is not the standard LinkedIn training. I share my full personal, authentic approach that differs from the generic methods of great LinkedIn experts. This sprint is focused on strengthening your position, strategies and network, which will bring you immediate results and growth in 2025. 

LinkedIn has changed and continues to change. It's up to you to seize the opportunities and possibilities for growth and success. 

Live Business Meeting for your Profitable Growth Strategy 2025

Want to take this one step further and work with a group of like-minded people on your own growth in 2025? On January 24, I am organizing a Live Business Meeting in which we will have your profitable strategies in focus and you will know what to do to achieve your growth.

Register now for the Live Business Meeting

Because you know what you have to do and what you want to leave in the world

PS. Would you like to collaborate 1:1 with me in 2025? Schedule a exploratory strategy meeting with me and we will discuss what opportunities and possibilities I foresee for you. I only have a limited number of spots available in 2025. It is up to you when you are ready to take your spot.

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