In Human Design your environment can be a goldmine of information to help us with our inner peace and regulating our nervous system… being in the right environment and honoring our energy can mean the difference between overwhelm and creating a sense of well being. Below are my top tips for making the most of your environment during the festive season. (Or any big events)
Kitchens Environment
You don’t have to do the cooking… but you will love being in the kitchen especially while all the action is happening. Being right in the centre watching the amazing transformation of a bag of potatoes and some veg transform into a festive feast.
Also watching your favourite spaces transform into the spirit of Christmas will bring you joy.
Being around others and at the centre of the Christmas parties will light you up this Christmas. Let your love of hosting shine through.
Get Creative in the Kitchen: Dive into holiday baking or cooking as a way to connect with others.
Be the Host: Offer your space as a gathering hub, fostering collaboration and togetherness.
Experiment with Recipes: Try new twists on classic holiday dishes to spark inspiration.
Share Knowledge: Teach loved ones a favorite recipe or craft, blending interaction with productivity.
Pace Yourself: Balance hosting duties with breaks to enjoy the holiday magic yourself.
Caves Environment
If you are feeling overwhelmed this Christmas, remember that the environment that supports you the most is one in which you feel safe and secure, and can control who comes in and out of your environment.
The busyness of a Christmas party seem a little bit too much… position yourself in the corner so you have a good view of who is coming your way, also so that you aren’t in the centre of all the action.
Those with a caves environment don’t like being sneaked up on, so position yourself accordingly.
If you need to, take yourself off to a quiet space to recharge your energy. And make sure there is plenty of time for cosy movies or reading your favourite book this season.
Prioritize Your Sanctuary: Spend quality time in your personal space. Keep decorations cozy and minimal to avoid overstimulation.
Set Boundaries: Politely decline invitations that disrupt your need for solitude or a secure setting.
Host Intimately: If celebrating, invite close loved ones to your home to stay within your comfort zone.
Plan Ahead: Shop online to avoid crowded stores, ensuring your energy stays protected.
Stick to Comfort: Opt for familiar holiday traditions that feel safe and grounding.
Shores Environment
Shores love contrast… where two environments meet. The warm cosy fire with a view out to the frosty lawn.
Position yourself on the edge of two worlds for your most nourishing environment. Don’t be afraid to mix up your decorations to create different feels across your home.
Also split time between bustling holiday events and quieter reflective moments
Balance Between Worlds: Split time between bustling holiday events and quieter reflective moments.
Find Harmony: Decorate with a mix of contrasting elements, like natural garlands paired with modern lights.
Connect to the Edge: Visit places that blend serenity and activity, like a waterfront market or a festive park.
Offer Perspective: Be a mediator in family discussions, using your knack for seeing both sides.
Celebrate Transitions: Use the season to honor endings and beginnings, journaling reflections or resolutions.
Markets Environment
Christmas is the perfect time for you, the trading of gifts and energy. Being around others and at the centre of the action will light you up this Christmas. Make sure you are there when people are exchanging gifts and stories.
If you find yourself having to be away from the action, try and time it so you don’t miss out on your favourite parts, or ask others to wait until you return.
Embrace the secret santa… don’t have one, maybe it is time to organise one?
Embrace the Buzz: Visit Christmas markets or festive fairs where you can experience the energy of trading and exchanging.
Gift Strategically: Find gifts that match each person’s unique preferences, showcasing your knack for personalized choices.
Engage Socially: Host or attend events that involve exchange, like a Secret Santa or cookie swap.
Balance Energy: Alternate between lively environments and quieter moments to recharge.
Maximize Utility: Choose functional decorations or multi-use items for holiday prep, aligning with your pragmatic side.
Mountains Environment
Where can you gain a higher perspective this Christmas and gain a birds eye view of the festivities?
Perhaps taking a trip to find the perfect vantage point to view the Christmas lights?
Remember the environment that supports you the most is one where you always have the best view of the action, but can avoid getting caught up in the chaos.
And don’t forget, time alone away from the action will help you recharge your energy. Take some time out for walks in nature to re-find your peace.
Retreat When Needed: Plan quiet, elevated moments to reflect, such as a walk in nature or time spent overlooking a peaceful view.
Stay Above the Fray: Avoid overly chaotic or intense gatherings to preserve your clarity and perspective.
Gift Thoughtfully: Opt for meaningful, high-quality gifts that resonate with others’ growth or aspirations.
Plan Strategic Gatherings: Choose to celebrate in spaces with calm, expansive energy, such as a home with a view.
Create Perspective: Use the holiday season for goal-setting or reflecting on the year ahead.
Valleys Environment
Valleys love to be where the Christmas Chatter is at. Catching up with old friends and finding out all the news. Connection is your happy place this Christmas.
But make sure others in your life know to communicate all of the vital plans to you. Nothing upsets a Valleys profile more than lack of communication. To make sure your needs are met, initiate the communication process on your end too.
Lean into the right sounds for the season… Enjoy holiday music or attend carolling events, as sound and rhythm can uplift your spirit
Seek Conversation: Spend time in cozy, dialogue-rich settings with people who make you feel heard and understood.
Celebrate the Flow: Plan activities that feel like an exchange, such as group storytelling or collaborative gift wrapping.
Immerse in the Sounds: Enjoy holiday music or attend caroling events, as sound and rhythm can uplift your spirit.
Choose Vibrant Spaces: Opt for venues or gatherings with dynamic energy where ideas and stories flow freely.
Create Connection: Focus on meaningful one-on-one interactions to deepen bonds.
Enter your details below to find out your HD type at Christmas. For full details make sure to click on the DOWNLOAD PDF button at the top once your results are on screen. Then check your device to access the report.
My coat protects me from the cold, from the rain… I don’t just have my coat… I have other layers too… sometimes even my wellies.
But what if I’m not cold… what if it’s not raining…
What if I wore them indoors on a summers day. Is that still helping me… or is it doing me more harm than good?
I’m overheating… I keep whacking things with the brolly… my layers of protection are now working against me, not for me.
As we go through life we pick up these layers of protection, layers of conditioning.
They served a purpose at the time and kept us safe.
But what happens if we don’t need them anymore, what happens when they are holding us back?
Do we even realise we still have the coat on?
What if we aren’t even aware when we are in the wrong outfit?
This is a somewhat simplistic analogy… unfortunately the reality when it comes to ideas, beliefs and conditioning isn’t as simple as just taking the coat off.
First you have to understand what’s going on, and then start to work through it.
Awareness is the first stage
And for me Human Design helped give me insights into that first stage.
It helped me understand where I may be failing to put the right things on And where I might need to take them off again.
I still needed to do the work, to implement and make changes. But I at least knew where to start.
How about you… does this analogy make sense to you?
Pricing Pricing Pricing… what should I charge… should I put my prices on my website… the eternal pricing questions…
Yesterday on a session with a client, I came up with an analogy so thought I’d share it with you too.
Now we don’t want people to choose us based on price… but ultimately it does play a part.
Think of a restaurant… and a restaurant menu.
Especially when the menu is on display outside the restaurant. (With prices) How do you decide where you go to eat if you know nothing about the restaurant?
If you are hungry and walking past, most likely from their branding, the building itself, the decor… and the prices on the menu.
Those prices set an expectation of what you’ll get and your experience.
Let’s say you want a cheeseburger… are you going to go to Mcdonalds… Five Guys or Hawksmoor… Cheeseburger is a cheesburger right?… No. (If you are vegetarian, stick with me here)
In Mcdonalds you pretty much have to order it yourself. Touch screen… number.. paperbag. Small burger… on your way. Quick as. You know how it works and you know what you get for your money. You’re not expecting anything else.
Five Guys… it costs a bit more… you get to customise the burger… it’s a bigger burger. You get to speak to a person to order. Takes longer to get your order. It’s still fast food… but it’s not McDonalds. It’s not so much about the experience, but the expectation is a ‘better’ product.
Now Hawsmoor… it’s no longer so much about the burger, it’s also now about the restaurant… their ethos and the overall dinning experience. And the price reflects that.
Your branding and your pricing helps people decide if you are the right ‘restaurant’ for them.
It’s all part of the bigger picture that helps people know what to expect.
And get the right people through the door.
Then the trick is to make sure what they are expecting is what they get… Hawksmoor prices with a Mcdonalds experience isn’t going to last.
Get it right and you can start throwing reputation, and recommendations into the mix.
This can apply to the different services you offerFree Self – guided (Self study) GroupOne to One.
How does it differ across them?
Work out where you sit and craft your message and brand to fit your prices. Then don’t be afraid to show everyone which type of restaurant you are.
Do you need to look at your branding and pricing?Are you getting the right people through the door?
For the sake of avoiding information overload, the purpose of this blog is to help you understand what you need to know about your profile lines, rather than where they come from.
How to find your profile number
First up lets find your profile lines so you have all the details before you dive into this blog. If you have downloaded your chart from my website you will find your profile as part of the summary. It will look like a fraction… mine is 2/4.
Your profile is made up of 2 individual lines… so I have a line 2 and a line 4.
Your profile comes from the ‘line’ associated with your Conscious Sun & Earth, and Unconscious Sun & Earth.
The first number is from your Conscious side… the mind side. Often this is the side we resonate with the most… what we see in ourselves.
The second number is from the Unconscious side… the body side. This can lead to the profile line feeling less familiar. It may be what others see in us.. but we don’t always immediately see it in ourselves.
(When you delve further into your design, you may start to look deeper into the lines of the other planets, so knowing where to find the lines in your chart is a good foundation to know)
What do the ‘lines’ show us
Your profile lines help add a theme to your life… they shape how you experience the world around you. They shape your personality and how you interact with others.
They add an additional layer to your experience, and to your overall design.
Imagine your favourite place… how you experience that place will differ based on if you go during the day vs at night. During the summer vs winter, busy times vs quiet time,
Your profile lines are almost like the conditions of that experience, a fixed lens that shapes how you will experience things. (and how people will see you)
Your experience will always be the same. But those with different profile lines will be having a different experience.
Understanding the individual lines
There are 6 lines, understanding the individual roles of the lines, can help to cement their meaning before going on to look at how the combination of the two plays out.
Over the years different names have been assigned to each profile to help identify their theme. I find different names resonate with me at different times, depending on how I am using the line at the time.
Line 1 – The Investigator – The Knowledge Seeker – Foundations
Line 2 – The Hermit – The Natural Genius – Retreat
Line 3 – The Experimentor – Explorer – Discoverer – The Martyr – Trial and Error
Line 4 – The Networker – The Opportunist – Intimate Friend – Connector
Line 5 – The (Universal) Solution Provider – The Heretic – The Teacher
Line 6 – The Role Model – Wisdom – The Guide – The Old Soul
Note: For line 6’s you have a unique journey of 3 phases of your life,
Phase one: (until around age 30) carries the energy of a line 3. The Experimenter.
Phase two: is a period of reflection and learning from your experimentation, dipping in and out of reflection back to experimentation, back to reflection etc.
Phase three: (from around age 50) is where you step into the role of the Role Model – Embodying the wisdom you have learned from your experimentation and guiding others with your wisdom.
Tangible Applications
Below are a few ideas to get you started, things to think about in the real world.
Things to be mindful of…
Line One: The Knowledge Seeker – Feeling you don’t know enough ‘delaying’ you taking action.
Line Two: The Natural Genius – Not recognising your own gifts because to you it’s just easy, pay attention to where others recognise them for you.
Line Three: The Experimenter – Ensuring you have a learning mindset, there is no fail, only evolution.
Line Four: The Networker – Be mindful of your need for stability and holding on to connections that are no longer right for you.
Line Five: The Teacher – You aren’t here to save everyone. Distance yourself from being projected upon, being mindful of your boundaries.
Line 6: The Role model – Honour your space for perspective so that you can turn your lessons into wisdom.
Where can you harness your natural gifts in your business?
Line One: The Knowledge Seeker – Harness the power of your knowledge
Line Two: The Natural Genius – Harness the power of what comes easily to you
Line Three: The Experimenter – Harness the power of your drive to learn through experimentation and share your results with us.
Line Four: The Networker – Harness the power of your relationships and lead with your heart.
Line Five: The Teacher – Harness the power of your solutions and share them with us.
Line 6: The Role model – Harness the magic of your wisdom, by living authentically you light the way for others.
How does your profile (line combination) play out?
Before you dive in to see the descriptions of how the combinations play out, maybe take a moment to consider your own version. How do you think having these two profile lines play out for you?
Can you recognise where or how they show up?
Can you see any patterns?
Overview of the 12 combinations
Below are the brief descriptions of the 12 combinations from when you download your HD chart. (Source Bodygraph Chart). I find reading the other profile descriptions helps me to see where I ‘fit in’ to the pattern. Human Design is also know as the science of differentiation. As much as it helps us to understand ourselves it also helps us to understand our differences. I love looking at other people’s profiles too.. and thinking… Yes I can so see that in them!
1/3 – You are naturally an explorer, always seeking deeper knowledge and understanding. Through your enthusiasm for experimentation and the ability to learn from mistakes, you discover and validate truths. This constant process of trying and learning makes you a valuable advisor and confidant for others who benefit from your practical insights.
1/4 – You are constantly seeking deeper knowledge and a solid foundation for your beliefs. Once you have found this knowledge, you tend to share it in stable and enduring relationships. Your combination of intense research and the desire to share this with a close circle makes you a reliable source of wisdom and support for those close to you.
2/4 – You possess many talents that often emerge and are refined through periods of retreat and inner reflection. In these quiet moments, you gather and deepen your insights. Once you are ready, you re-emerge and share this knowledge with a close circle of confidants. This mix of diverse talents and the ability to withdraw for self-reflection makes you a valuable advisor and reliable friend.
2/5 – You possess many talents which, when combined, exert a magnetic attraction on others. Your ability to perceive and understand things, coupled with charismatic presence, often makes you the center of attention. While you arouse the curiosity and interest of others, you also seek greater universal truths. Together, these qualities attract people who want to benefit from your knowledge and guidance. Also balancing your desire to share your truths with time to retreat.
3/5 – You possess a unique combination of experimental learning and charismatic attraction. Through constant experimentation and learning from experiences, you gain profound insights, which you share in a way that fascinates and attracts others. Your natural curiosity and drive to explore things firsthand, combined with your ability to excite people around you, make you an inspiring personality who often stands at the center of events.
3/6 – You combine natural curiosity and the ability to learn through trial and error with a vision for the bigger picture. Your experimental approach allows you to gain deep insights, while your role as a leader or visionary compels you to share these insights in a broader context. This mix of practical experience and the ability to inspire others with your vision positions you as someone who acts in the here and now while also thinking future-oriented.
4/1- You combine the ability to build deep and lasting relationships in your immediate surroundings with an insatiable urge for thorough knowledge and understanding. While you create reliable bonds in your close circle, you delve deeply into subjects to gain solid foundations and insights. This mix of trustful closeness to others and the constant search for deeper understanding makes you a stable anchor and a source of wisdom for those close to you.
4/6 – You combine the value of stable, close relationships with a natural sense for the bigger picture and the vision of a better future. While you cultivate deep connections in your close network, you also have the ability to inspire people with a larger vision or higher goal. This balance of personal connection and future-oriented leadership enables you to be effective both in your immediate environment and in the broader community.
5/1 – You exude a natural authority and often attract the attention of others, whether through your insights, charisma, or leadership qualities. At the same time, you pursue a deep urge to explore things and create solid foundations for your beliefs. Combined, this makes you a trustworthy source of knowledge and inspiration for many, while you are always careful to underpin your standpoint with thorough research and verification.
5/2 – You delve deeply into subjects to explore universal truths. Then, as an ambassador, you share these insights in an understandable and applicable way with others. In doing so, you attract and inspire people with your knowledge, always in search of greater understanding and the opportunity to serve others. Balancing your desire to share your knowledge with time to retreat.
6/2 – You possess natural leadership qualities, coupled with an inner certainty that often stems from intuition and internal reflection. As a visionary with an eye for the bigger picture, you spend phases of your life in observation and retreat, only to then act with renewed clarity and authority. Your ability to be both introspective and to look beyond the immediate horizon positions you as someone who provides leadership and possesses special inner wisdom.
6/3 – You unite the role of a visionary leader with a constant urge to learn through experience and experimentation. While you naturally have an eye for the bigger picture and development over time, you also learn and grow through the highs and lows of life, often through trial and error. This mix of visionary leadership and practical experience makes you a wise advisor and a leader who is authentic and grounded.
Taking it further.
Taking the time to learn about my 2/4 profile was one of the most meaningful parts of my design. I discovered that some of the profiles lines are in conflict with each other… which for me explained a lot. I am in a constant push/pull juggle with my need for alone time, and desire to feel connection to others. Learning how and when to balance the two sides, and understand it has made all the difference to my mindset and health. You can read more about that here.
Working with clients
Looking at my client’s profile helps me to tailor my advice and guidance to suit their natural genius.
For example… if I was advising a client on what they need to take the next step in their business…
For a 3/5 we would be discussing the options but then more than likely encouraging them to jump in and get started. Thinking through ALL the details first isn’t going to help them know if they want to do it or not. Instead figuring out the details as they go, the doing is how they will know if they are on the right path. Helping them to balance their mindset along the way, in terms of there is no fail, only evolution.
For a 5/1 profile I am likely to take a more measured approach, helping them to explore where they feel safe in their knowledge and research. Asking them what else they feel they need to research, know before they get started. Being mindful to check in with is there really more research to do, or do they already know enough, and they can rest in their foundations and expertise.
Both then presenting their solutions to the world in their unique way.
Looking at the rest of your chart.
All of the planetary activations in your chart have their own lines associated with them (The numbers after the decimal point down the sides of your chart)
Each planet has it’s own influence and own meaning, the Sun and Earth being the strongest, hence why they become your profile.
Without going into all the details, as a rough guide… what do you notice about the other line numbers on your chart?
For example, I have no line 6’s and only two line 3s. The rest are mainly 5’s and 1’s. So although my main profile is 2/4 I also resonate with the 5 and 1 energy. 3 not so much.
You aren’t going to find me doing much experimenting through trial and error, yes sometimes it is needed, but on the whole it isn’t really an energy I feel connected to. You’re much more likely to find me going down the route of the line 1 to figure things out.
Remember you are looking at the numbers after the decimal point.
What energy do you feel most connected to?
So that is my summary of the profile lines, what did you learn? Has it helped you have a better understanding of yourself and your interactions with others?
If you would like to know more about your design, either your profile, or your design as a whole I would love to help you explore further. If you feel called to do so, the link to book in a one to one introduction to your chart is below.
Imagine this… your traditional sit down Sunday roast of a family of 5.
2 adults and 3 younger children.
All with a different approach to what supports their digestion.
In fact 2 pairs have the complete opposite of each other.
InDirect vs Direct: One designed to eat during the day, preferably in direct light… one designed to eat out of direct light. (Often playing out as nocturnal)
Calm vs Nervous: One designed to eat in a calm and quiet environment, sometimes preferring to eat alone… vs one who needs stimulation, moving around, watching TV… doing while eating.
Imagine it’s the adult who has the Calm digestion.
Cue conversation of… No you can’t stand in front of the TV and eat your dinner… come here, sit down.
Throw in the other adult who has a High digestion… again suggesting a desire for some kind of music or conversation over eating.
How does the traditional sit down Sunday meal play out then?
Answer: it’s not likely to be the relaxed lovely quality family time we’ve been conditioned to strive for. It’s more likely to result in frustration and freyed tempers trying to make everyone fit into the same mould.
This isn’t just a hypothetical, it is a real life example of one of my clients… having this knowledge and understanding means they can make better choices around what real quality family time looks like rather than fighting to control something that doesn’t support all involved.
If you’re finding yourself frustrated, constantly trying to fit into a mould that just isn’t working maybe it’s time to find another way…
Alternating – In order to digest both food and information well and more efficiently, for you, simplicity is key. Ideally, you should alternate between different foods, but without mixing them, one after the other, and keep everything as simple as possible.
Closed – To digest food and information well and more efficiently, for you, being selective is key. No matter how complex or simple the meal, the important thing is that you have meals to choose from so that you can select and not force yourself to eat something you don’t like or to try new meals.
Cold – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, temperature is key for you. You are very sensitive to temperature, so it is important that you drink liquids that are below body temperature and eat meals as unmanipulated as possible.
Nervous – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to external stimulation, so you need to move around while eating or eat in an environment that is visually stimulating or where you are surrounded by people.
Low – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, the volume of your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to sound, so you need to be quiet or find just the right amount of noise so that nothing disturbs you and try not to talk while you eat.
InDirect – To digest food and information well and effectively, the light in your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to the type of light, so you will absorb nutrients better if you eat somewhere out of direct sunlight during the day and in indirect light at night.
Consecutive – In order to digest both food and information well and more efficiently, for you, simplicity is key. Ideally, take one ingredient and then another, or prepare one ingredient and then the other, without alternating or mixing them, and keep everything as simple as possible.
Open – In order to digest food and information well and more efficiently, being selective is key for you. No matter how complex or simple the meal is, the important thing is that you have meals to choose from so that you can select and that you remain open to trying new meals, but without forcing yourself to eat something you don’t like.
Hot – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, temperature is key for you. You are very sensitive to temperature, so it is important that you drink liquids that are above body temperature and eat meals that have already been manipulated.
Calm– In order to digest food and information well and more efficiently, your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to external stimulation, so you need to be calm and/or alone while eating or eat in a calm and soothing or calming environment.
High – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, the volume of your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to sound, so you need noise around you that is pleasant and stimulating, and you need to have conversations while you eat.
Direct – In order to digest food and information well and efficiently, the light in your environment is key for you. You are very sensitive to the type of light, so you will absorb nutrients better if you eat during the day or in direct light at night.
Please note Human Design does not constitute nutritional advice. And should not be taken as such. All suggestions and recommendations are purely informational and educational, intended as a self-help tool only
Each human design type has their own unique strategy for navigating decisions and responding to life.
Often Generators and Mani Gens are lumped together as the same… To Respond.
But that’s not entirely true.
Yes Respond… but also visualise and inform.
And for me I often forget the Visualise part.
Today I’m stuck…. I’m supposed to be opening the doors to my new membership today. But something’s not quite right. There is something missing… and I can’t put my finger on what.
So I’m using all the tools in my toolbox to get to the answer… and the biggest one… the visualise part.
I’m litterally visualising how it’s going to work. Walking myself through each post, every call, each training… mentally taking myself on the same journey as anyone who joins. That’s how i’ll figure out what’s missing.
It works everytime for me… yet it’s still the part I forget the most.
As a mani gen I move fast, I want to get moving, get it done… get it started. But moving fast isn’t always the answer. It can lead to missing things.
And to me that’s why mani gens have the visualise piece… our invitation to slow down and check.
Are you a mani gen, have you learnt how to fully use your strategy to your advantage?
Today I was supposed to be putting together the details of my new offer… I even have people waiting to receive it… who have asked for it. Yet I have procrastinated.
It is all sketched out I know what I want to do… I know what I want to cover and the results it will get… yet I still feel confused.
And the pressure of that confusion has led to procrastination.
Voicenoting my friends is my go to avoidance tactic… so there I was merrily telling everyone I have been avoiding what I am supposed to be doing today and I made a comment along the lines of… I just find it so confusing starting new things…
And a voice at the back of my mind said… hang on a minute… that is one of the gates in the Human Design chart… (My HD chart happened to be right there in front of me at the time)
And there it was a big fat hanging gate 3… The gate of difficulty in the beginning.
I have talked before about most of the people that work with me feeling the pressure from their hanging 9 or 52 gate… so why had I ignored my hanging 3 gate for so long…
Because it is on my unconscious side… the side I don’t recognise in myself.
Yet today it had got my attention (there is another whole story there about transit gates, but this post is long enough as it is!)
Off I set to research my gate 3 and bring it into my awareness. If I know where I might be struggling I can work to overcome it.
And that is what I am doing… with a hanging gate 3 in a defined centre when starting new things I feel the pressure of confusion over what is coming next… Where is this going… why don’t I have all the answers? (Add in my undefined Head and Ajna and we are doubling up on the questions!)
Even though I have my full channel of 9-52… knowing what to do and having the ability to concentrate to do it… the 3 brings along it’s own energy to the mix.
If it’s a new thing and I’m feeling confused about what’s coming next… even though I know what I want to do and supposedly have the discipline to action it… the confusion wins! And nothing happens.
The solution: To let go of the need to control the outcome. To embrace the chaos of the unknown and be playful with what comes next… by allowing the change without trying to control it… you can release the pressure of confusion and can move forward.
Well that’s the theory anyway… how easy it is to put into practise we will see. But awareness is always the first step.
Whether you believe in all things woo… or how Human Design is derived or not… today I was stuck and my HD chart gave me a solution to move through it. And I’ll take that over staying stuck.
Now to get back to what I actually need to start….
————————————
If you have the hanging gate 3 in a defined sacral you are likely to consistently feel this pressure. (If on your conscious sign you are likely to be aware of it, on your unconscious side maybe not)
If you have a hanging gate 3 in an undefined sacral then you may feel this same pressure… but not consistently… it will come and go.
If you have the full channel 3-60 then you are likely to be able consistently go from order to chaos as a repeating pattern… and may experience bursts of rapid change.
If you don’t have any of this in your chart… but it still resonates then take whatever helps you to move forward. The HD chart is a complicated system and there may well be other areas of your chart that combine to give a similar feeling.
Never use your chart as a binary … I have / don’t have… this so it must/must not be true.
Use it to experiment with what is helpful and what is useful to guide you on your journey.
Join me as I talk to the lovely Cynthia Pecking about how you can harness the power of your Human Design in your relationships.
Be that with a partner… or relatives and friends.
Understanding our differences and how we like to communicate can be a powerful tool.
This interview was part of a bonus for Cynthia’s 6 week course… and she kindly let me share it with my audience. If you would like to find out more about how Cynthia helps couples with their relationships head over to her group The Blue Letter Project – Marriage Coaching for the Modern Couple.
Many many years ago I did GCSE and A Level History… I have no idea why I chose them and I’ve never really accredited them with helping me on my journey.
But actually they taught me some very important lessons.
Primary source
Secondary source
Bias
Propaganda.
History is littered with conflicts and misunderstandings. On a universal scale and in our day to day lives.
Each piece of information we consume is just part of the bigger picture, the ‘whole story’.
Key details may have been dropped, abbreviated, approximated… simplified… changing the meaning.
What we consume will also pass through our own filter of bias and pre-formed ideas.
Even if the information going in is from a first hand witness, by the time they share with us it will have gone through their own filter. By the time this propagates through a secondary source…third, fourth hand story… think Chinese whispers with added spin.
It is down to each and every single one of us:
To limit our assumptions based on what we consume. (Think we know)
To understand where our info comes from.
To understand our own bias (and that of others)
To fully consider the impact of not actively seeking the full picture.
To limit adding to the spread of mis-information and confusion.
To take responsibility where we may have inadvertently contributed to a misunderstanding
To go back to source and have the difficult conversations if needed, rather than rely on secondary information. (Clear the air)
This applies to so many different aspects of life… if we want to make the online space better, this is how we start. Both in terms of gossip, rumours, judgements and plain old incorrect facts.
What changes can you make to help be part of the solution?
When it comes to Human Design there tend to be 2 types of people.
Those that want to jump down the rabbit hole and learn how to interpret their chart themselves, learning ALL the things and understanding how it all works.
And those who just want someone to tell them what it all means.
The Video on this page is for the former… and if you don’t know which type you are yet after watching you will!
Human Design isn’t necessarily complicated, but it is involved. There is a lot to learn and many moving parts which can seem overwhelming.
The aim of this video is to help explain the anatomy of the chart, explain some of the terms and where to start if you want to research your chart yourself.
If you start to watch and think woa…. then you would probably prefer booking in a session to have the main points explained to you.
If you liked this video and want to know more, then head over to my free group Your Introduction To Human Design over on Facebook. In it I take you through the basics to get you started on your Human Design Journey.
And if you would like to know more about my Human Design journey including my recommended resources you can read some of my other blogs here.
What even is Human Design? Maybe you’ve heard of it, or you’ve heard me talk about it and you’re curious?
Well it is kind of difficult to explain WHAT it is without getting super technical and so I’m not going to. Instead I am going to tell you a few ways it has helped me.
In summary I would say Human Design gives you permission to be the person you already know you are. It helps you to understand what works for you, what doesn’t, what might trip you up and areas you may need additional support. It helps to stop comparing our behaviour to others wondering why we are different, eliminating the question ‘should I be doing what they are doing?’
For example, my whole life I’ve not really eaten breakfast, most of the time I don’t want to. And when I do it is out of some societal pressure because I’ve been told it’s ‘the most important meal of the day’. I am also a night owl, I prefer working into the evening than getting up early. As entrepreneurs we often hear about the 5am club – it just doesn’t work for me.
One of the things that I discovered by looking at my Human Design was the way in which I am designed to eat – Guess what it came back as nocturnal (Indirect Light). I am not designed to eat breakfast or get up early! Now at the time of writing this I am 45 and I discovered my Human Design at the age of 43. Having someone tell me I don’t need to eat breakfast seems silly, but somehow this external validation telling me I was right all along made me so happy. I could stop trying to eat breakfast and be a morning person and fully embrace how I really felt.
That is just one example, another is all about how I have always felt conflicted about my desire to be around people and then how I can flit to ‘NO MORE PEOPLE’ so easily. I never understood where the balance was and why I would literally hide away after a day out and about. Now I know, it is part of my design… if you want to know why you can read all about my 2/4 profile here.
There are so many ways understanding your design can help you move through life with more ease and less pressure to ‘be like everyone else’ we really are different and somehow understanding my design has let me fully embrace that fact. How deeply you look into it will be up to you, but it can help with your life and business. Once you start exploring what’s out there you will find many HD experts have niched down to look at a particular area of your life. I have been equally interested in how it can help me with my marketing as much as picking the perfect holiday destination.
It has also helped me to have a greater insight into how I can help my clients, we don’t focus on Human Design, but for most of them I now have their charts. I can see how they like to receive information, the pace they like to work at, and areas where they may need additional support.
It can help you better understand your relationships with others. Friends, family, partners and even children.
I am going to give you a warning though, even though it gives you a blue print to work from, it isn’t supposed to be restrictive, it is a guide, something to be experimented with, tried on and played with. If you do decide to take the plunge and explore your own design remember to look at the full picture and don’t fixate on any one aspect. There will be areas of your chart that uncover your weaknesses or areas that can trip you up – but that isn’t an excuse or something you have to accept, the purpose is for you to uncover ways in which you can add in areas of support, not just say… Oh well that’s just how I am, it doesn’t have to be. You always get to choose.
Just so happens I chose not to be a morning person! When looking at what indirect light means there is more than one way to interpret it, and actually the real answer is it does depend. But in general I don’t eat in the mornings. The point is I no longer worry about it.
So what do you think, are you going to go take a look at your design?
What have your clients, or people in your world said to you recently? What can it tell you about how you help others? How can it help you in your business?
I am in the process of re-working my copy for my socials. Trying to pin point WHY people work with me.
Not the why as in, my back ground, skills and experience, or what I can actually teach people, but the how do they feel? What difference does it make to them? The results… and not just the increased revenue or tangible things.
To find out I am going over all of my messages, emails, voice notes, passing comments, comments while on group calls etc from the last month. They can give you so much insight, especially when you start to put it all together.
These are things that have been sent to me, or said to me over the last few weeks, which totally makes my heart sing , but what is it really telling me that I can help use in my marketing? And help me to understand more deeply how I help my clients. This is what I came up with…
“You metaphorically k*cked my b*ckside in the first SYSUFS session.”
I help with motivation, getting things started, taking action.
“Thank you so much Katy. I literally would never think of these things! What you tell me; never occurs to me but you seem to just know. Know where I can get places to look for new contacts, new business, who would be interested in me where, when and how to follow up the lead. I cannot believe the introductions you have made for me – all of which are now manifesting in some way and am now doing some truly exciting things. Thank you. I think you are a human encyclopedia , but so much more than that; you genuinely care about all of us in your group and always finding solutions to our problems. x”
I connect the dots and help put all the pieces together.
It is not just about me, it is also about the connections I make for people.
I provide ah ha moments.
I provide solutions to problems.
My clients love the fact I genuinely care about them.
“All the tech/marketing stuff drives me nuts and I lose the will to live and all the energy drains out of me! All this stuff drives me nuts, I am even more aware now that everyone needs a Katy! What would I do without you.”
I help take away the overwhelm and the stress for the parts of your business you don’t like or understand.
I offer support and guidance.
“Once this next phase is all tied up, I am ready to start working with you again, to give me clarity… to plan out the next phase… I am ecstatic today because you have helped me to achieve all of this, and I want to get back in touch with you. I feel like the next phase won’t be as difficult as I feel like the foundations have been laid with you and I working together over the past 2 years, that whole heap of confusion and creativity I’ve now laid the foundations, so I feel strong, a bit more confident, I feel more focused and I feel like I have direction. So for the rest of my ideas I feel we can start to work through it at a good pace, I am gaining momentum in stuff and seeing the fruits of things coming through, so I don’t feel like I need to drink the ocean so much… because a lot of what I wanted to implement has been implemented, coming together over the next few weeks, months and is on good track.”
Things take time, if you have big plans they aren’t going to happen overnight, one step at a time. But it does all come together… just be patient.
By helping people plan they gain clarity.
By laying the foundations it increases confidence, focus and creates direction.
My clients dip in and out when they need me.
“I have done a lot of courses in the past and there is always ideal client work, but this is the first time it has actually helped me, so praise to you! I dunno maybe something about the way you asked the questions. I couldn’t believe how quickly and easily it all became so clear. It is just really really clear, so I am excited right now.”
I connect the dots and help put all the pieces together.
My perspective and insights help people to understand things easily, where they may have previously struggled.
Sharing my way of doing things helps others, and is valuable.
I create excitement and motivation to move forward in my clients.
“Thank you so much for today, I have just listened to you talk through your strategy board, and oh my goodness me it has helped so much, when I heard you talk through your version… I stopped you went and grabbed some paper and did my own as you talked us through. I know what my priorities are right now, but it has been fantastic having it written down in front of me like that. I also had your sales forecasting page up that you taught us, and was looking at that at the same time, but honestly it is such a good tool, you should definitely include it as part of your course. It has been fantastic.”
I connect the dots and help put all the pieces together.
My perspective and insights help people to understand things easily, where they may have previously struggled.
Sharing my way of doing things helps others, and is valuable.
I create excitement and motivation in my clientsto move forward with their business.
I invite you to go and take a deeper look at all of your recent conversations, what can you learn that will help you in your business and marketing? And if you don’t have anything to look at, then use this as your prompt to go and find out, ask… have the conversation.
And when you do, listen, listen when people tell you how great you are, accept it and own it. There is a reason why you do what you do, don’t be afraid to share your amazingness with the world. As business owners we can sometimes struggle to shout about how much we do help our clients, so if you need it here is permission from me to go own it. You being the worlds best kept secret isn’t going to help anyone. You or your clients.
I now have my insights to add to my list – what does yours look like?
I help with motivation, getting things started, taking action.
I connect the dots and help put all the pieces together.
My perspective and insights help people to understand things easily, where they may have previously struggled.
Sharing my way of doing things helps others, and is valuable.
I provide ah ha moments.
It is not just about me, it is also about the connections I make for people.
I help take away the overwhelm and the stress for the parts of your business you don’t like or understand.
Things take time, if you have big plans they aren’t going to happen overnight, one step at a time. But it does all come together… just be patient.
By helping people plan they gain clarity.
By laying the foundations it increases confidence, focus and creates direction.
I offer support and guidance.
My clients love the fact I genuinely care about them.
I create excitement and motivation in my clientsto move forward with their business.
And a quick p.s: I appreciate this is purely focusing on the positives, so a little reminder it is also just as important to collect feedback from people who may not be as happy so that you can learn and improve. But I will write about that another time.
When I first heard of Human Design I had no idea what it was or what it meant. I downloaded my chart… and that is as far as I got.
Six months later I met the lovely Shari Thompson on a mastermind. As soon as she mentioned human design I jumped in and booked a reading. I wanted to know more. Shari opened the door for me, but I didn’t want to just know, I wanted to understand.
Since then over the last 2 years I have collected a vast array of resources that have helped me learn, understand and embody my chart. When I am learning something I need to hear things more than once, and explained in different ways for me to truly understand it.
Sometimes I need words and explanations, sometimes I need charts and graphics.
Initially I started my journey collating free resources, my starting point. Since then I have bought books, courses, and joined a membership. But if you are curious to know more, these may help get you started.
However – simply looking things up won’t show you the full picture of the magic in your chart. How each of the individual parts of the chart come together and combine is the magic. It is like looking at a recipe, the list of ingredients on its own can’t tell you what the end result will be. It is how they are combined that will determine the outcome. If you like what you see then I highly recommend having a reading with an expert who can help you put the pieces together and show you the bigger picture.
But back to it, so first off there is the chart itself. There are many places you can get your chart, they all give you the info in a different way, different colours even. They all come with their own guides, and explanation, some through a personal lens some for business. Have a look and see which one you resonate with the most. When you start to look things up you will see all of the different colours etc, that isn’t really relevant, it is just the visual interpretation.
You will need: Your date, time and place of birth.
Genetix Matrix is the one that most specialists use to generate charts as their paid version gives you access to more in-depth information. You do have the option to pay for one day if you want to start to look into things more deeply.
Terminology: Graphic of the chart with the names of all the parts.
This site gives a good overview to get started in understanding all of the different parts, but I didn’t always resonate with the language they use. And it doesn’t mention the Manifesting Generators as their own type.
This lady speaks from the point of view of a projector I found her because she did a really great free course on all of the variables, so your environment, digestion etc… which was relevant to all types.
The Hermit/Mayor – Are you a 2/4 profile, or do you have one in your life?
Today I listened to a Podcast from Jamie Palmer all about the 2/4 profile… and there is so much I could say about the info shared in the episode. It explains exactly how I feel interacting with the world.
My whole life I felt conflicted, I constantly switch between wanting to see, and be with all the people…then I don’t want to see any people, I want to stay at home and not speak to anyone. Too many people. Then I get sad, that I’m not out and about seeing all the people again. It confused me… why the dramatic switch… Am I bipolar, why do I feel like two different people?
Turns out that is just how I am, and for me, that is perfectly normal, and what I need. I can not tell you how much difference knowing that has made to my life. And more importantly I now have a way of explaining it to others.
It’s not me ignoring you. It’s not me not wanting to talk to you, I literally can’t talk to any more people until I’ve had time to reset.
If you are intrigued go have a listen… does it sound like me?
Do you see the hermit (2).. or do you see the Mayor (4)? Most of you will see the 4, me online, showing up, attending networking, delivering training, sharing my message… but the 2 is there too. And it is strong! If I don’t take time to myself the 4 can’t show up.
However, listening to the podcast also shows when looking into your Human Design how important it is to look at the whole chart, not just each part in isolation. In the podcast it mentions that a 2/4 doesn’t like to be asked to explain the process… That part isn’t me. I can and I do.
There are several parts in my chart that gives me the ability to look at the details, to break it down into the steps. So when you layer it together, it creates a different picture.
Evidence of this is I spent 4 years at Uni literally explaining how to do things to others, recording every step of the process. A huge part of my science degree involved explaining to others exactly what I had done. The purpose of writing a paper (What you did and how you did it) is so that anyone anywhere can pick it up, read it, conduct the exact same experiment I did, and create the same results, without having to speak to me.
So even though I am a 2/4 I can explain the steps!
How much of that comes from my chart, and how much from the 4 years of learning how to do it… who knows.
For me, Human design doesn’t tell me what I am or what I am not. It helps my understanding of things I always knew to be true. Helps me articulate the things I need to best support me to others, and know which areas I can add in additional support to reach my goals.
If you are even slightly intrigued go have a look into your chart and see what you find.
Spotify is not something I need… It is a nice to have, if I feel I’m not using it I cancel it.
I rarely listen to music, I mainly use it for podcasts, which I don’t need to pay for.
But today they flashed up an offer £9.99 for 3 months… it caught my attention. Today I am cleaning and would like to listen to music without it being on shuffle.
So I clicked to buy… got all the way through to the part were I paid… it crashed… that website doesn’t exsist… I tried twice… then I went back to listening to my podcast.
It isn’t important enough to me to make an effort to buy. They lost a sale.
So the lesson: If your buyer is on the fence… offers work. But make it easy to buy, don’t lose them buy having poor systems.
If you think about it, the way you are reading this post is pretty much beyond comprehension and makes no sense.
There is a piece of plastic on my desk, I hit some keys on it with letters on, it is not attached to anything at all, and the words appear on a screen in front of me. Then I hit enter, and they appear on a device, again not attached to anything, that you are holding in your hand. That you can also pick up and speak to people on anywhere in the world. You can see moving images, and hear people talk. Like how does that even happen…? (And the desk, well did you know there is more empty space in that desk than solid matter?)
Science says so, so you don’t question it. But the reality is science doesn’t understand it either, we’ve just learnt how to use it to our advantage.
There is a quote by Richard Feynman that says “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” And having studied it as part of my degree, I can confirm that to be true! No-one really understands it, it doesn’t make logical sense.
So if science doesn’t even really understand it, why are we so comfortable with it? Because you can see it, feel it, touch it… so you believe it to be true. You don’t need to understand it, you can see the tangible result. So that is good enough. Stick some popcorn in the microwave… boom, magic happens!
Where am I going with this… stay with me.
Over the last 3 years, mainly thanks to going online over covid, my world has expanded to include some lovely people who, I am going to describe as woo. They themselves would say they are all the way woo. Old me would have actively avoided them, not for me thank you. But situations and events conspired for us to cross paths, and a chance for me to learn and see what it is all about.
When we don’t understand something we can often label it ‘weird’ and I fell into that category. I did a Physics Degree, I look at life through a very logical lens, through science. So me? Most definitely not woo.
However, by spending time with people who have a different perspective to me I have come to realise, that actually I kind of am, at least a little bit. I just didn’t know it.
Once I started to understand what being woo meant, what all the terms mean, it’s not really that weird. Most of it is just a different language, a different way of explaining things, different terminology. And a faith in not needing to be able to explain everything logically and tangibly.
The very thing that I thought made me anti woo – my science back ground – is now making me think some of it is no weirder than you reading this post on your phone.
Take crystals for example… healing, energy work through crystals, or reiki.
Most of you will have heard of a quartz watch. Do you know how that works? Quartz is piezoelectric, meaning it can transform energy from one form to another. The watch uses the properties of the crystal to create an electric pulse that keeps time.
We know that the human body generates its own electromagnetic field, virtually every single process which is keeping you alive can be traced back to an electric field that some component of your body is creating. The heart generates the biggest. Bigger than the brain.
If you start thinking about energy, all the different types, Kinetic, potential, chemical…, the laws of thermodynamics – it will probably make your head explode – but everything is energy of some kind or another, and cannot be either created, nor destroyed, merely changed into a different state.
If a crystal can make a watch work, through use of energy and magnetism, is it such a stretch to think that it can interact with the energy and magnetism of the human body? Or that one person’s electromagnetic field and energy can influence another’s?
Why is that any more weird than a caterpillar going into a chrysalis, turning into a pile of goo, literally digesting itself to return to base molecules, rearranging all those molecules and emerging as a butterfly.
Or the moon having an effect on your body any weirder than the fact it makes the tides go in and out every day…
I am not declaring I’m now all the way woo by any means… or that I understand it anymore than I understand all of the science behind technology. (it’s been 23 years since I did science). But what I am starting to realise, is just because I can’t tangibly see it, doesn’t automatically mean it isn’t true.
There will always be con artists and charlatans in all industries, but for some reason it seems to be that in the spiritual world everyone is tared with the same brush, it all must be a con! (Which I find ironic in a world where religion is so widely accepted, religion is the very definition of believing in something you can’t explain)
But why is that…why does a whole industry get labelled a con, by so many?
The internet likes to divide us, to take sides, and stick our stake in the ground and declare our position. I’ve seen so many posts actively slating anything ‘woo’ by people who then go on to talk about using their intuition, believing in the universe, everything happens for a reason etc, (All woo terms).
So my invitation to you is to consider… is it possible woo isn’t so weird after all? It’s just science hasn’t caught up yet. 200 years ago the science we have now would not have been believed, and would be thought of as ‘magic’.
I am still deciding, but I am not going to declare it ISN’T true, and start slating an entire industry, because I have no idea if it is true or not. (No more idea than if Schrodinger’s cat is indeed alive or dead). Instead, I will continue to be curious, and open minded, but with a small side of scepticism, just in case.
My journey with time management, timesheets and time blocking started way back in 1999 when I was on my University placement.
I worked for the Transport Research Laboratory on my year out digging up roads! (If you haven’t heard that story yet, then ask me about it!)
Even though I was there as a Pavement Engineer, yes there is such a thing, they pretty quickly realised I was highly organised and had a good grasp of tech. The company had a new boss and he was implementing a new timesheet system.
They selected me to go and learn the new system and teach everyone else in my department, and then gave me the job of Timesheet Liaison Officer. Exciting Stuff!
From there, I went on to work at a marketing agency in the West End where I then designed and built an entire online system with the company’s developers for all their internal systems. You guessed it, it included a timesheet system.
When I left in 2013 to become self-employed, I thought I had finally escaped timesheets! However, it soon became clear that I still needed a way to make sure I stayed on track and got everything done. Enter time blocking. When you are making wedding cakes, you can’t just shuffle everything along to another day!
My point being it doesn’t really matter where you are, or who you work for, somewhere along the line there will need to be some way of organising when you get stuff done. And that is all time management is.
If you need somewhere to start, then you can find my time blocking training up in the guides section of my Facebook group. Now you may not need to be as regimented as this, but it is a great place to start! The Missing Piece: Actionable small business advice
In order to get results YOU need to decide you’re all in. That you will participate, join in and let me (or who ever you are working with) to support you.
A cliché example, but it’s because it’s true, it is like joining a gym. Signing up in itself isn’t going to make you fitter. It is the work you do once you get there that makes the difference.
Business is the same, the courses you join, the memberships, the coaches you hire.
Experts in their fields have all of the resources, techniques, frameworks, containers, programmes, memberships, courses to help you get where you want to be.
But that on it’s own means nothing.
How you show up How you participate How you engage
That is what will make the difference. That is what will help you get results. Intention will only get you so far.
Where in your business are you not engaging fully in the things designed to support you?
Right now a slow down in sales is not something anyone wants to see, but for some it is a reality. Below are some ideas to help you focus and make some tweaks to keep bringing in those sales.
Review your products and services… what ones would be most helpful to your current audience right now? Focus down on the things they need at the moment.
Adapt your sales copy to be relevant for their situation now. Things might be changing for them – acknowledge that in your copy and your posts.
Follow up on past leads. If someone was thinking about working with you before, could it be the case that they need it even more now? Or there is a slightly different version that would be more suitable?
Engage with the audience you already have. Don’t just put content out there, comment reply, talk to the followers you already have.
Do a mini review of your SM links and website etc, are they all working, is it easy for your client to buy from you? If they were on the fence and hit a road block you’ll loose them.
Social media reach is unpredictable at the best of times, and seems to be even more so at the moment. Review your website and your google presence, is there more you could be doing to be found online by search engines.
Go old school – how are your relationships with other people in your industry and network? Even old clients. Is it time to pick up the phone and check back in to help remind everyone who you are? Referrals and word of mouth recommendations are going to be even more important at the moment.
The main thing is whatever you do don’t panic. Double down on what has worked before, or make some tweaks. Normally the last thing we need to do is chuck everything out the window and start again. Knee jerk reactions made from panic and fear aren’t going to help anyone right now. Take a step back, review and amend. You got this!!
I was supposed to be working ON my business today, and pretty much all week, with some trips out mixed in.
I am going away to Bath for the night on Wednesday and yesterday when I looked I couldn’t find the booking confirmation anywhere. I was starting to think I had failed to properly book the hotel. (Which is totally not like me)
I decided to ring them this morning, and spent half an hour on the phone to a lovely lady at The Bath Spa Hotel to discover, no I do not have a booking! Computer says no.
Once I was off the phone feeling sad I no longer had a trip to go on, unless I paid £300 now instead of the £150 I booked it at, I was looking at the website I had taken the number from and it said Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel…. Hmmm I thought it was The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel…
I swear when I lived there, granted over 20 years ago, there was only one. THE Bath spa hotel.
Now there appear to be two!
In my defence everything in Bath looks the same, all buildings are built of the same bath stone it is what they are famous for. Couple that with the same Regency interior and mention of the spa, they do look pretty similar. And so do the websites!
Anyway, start again with the other hotel and yes I do have a booking! I still don’t have any of the original booking info, (yes I checked my spam) but it is now sorted.
So I wasted half the morning, ringing the wrong hotel, then the right one.
Then my friend phoned who I haven’t spoken to in ages and so obviously I told them the whole story and it’s now 14:30 and I haven’t done any work yet!
I am leaving here at 16:00 to go to the pub with my friends, my pre-planned reward for spending the entire day working on my business.
My first thought was, I have failed.
Well done Katy you haven’t managed to achieve anything!! You’ve wasted the entire day.
But have I?
Working on my business was an arbitrary goal I set myself, I am working on it all week off and on. And turns out on Friday my plans are cancelled so I have all day then to catch up.
So actually no I haven’t failed at all. It is only my own self imposed version of failure.
I also had the perfect example of how my conditioning from 20 years ago (assuming there is only one Bath Spa hotel) led me into making a mistake to share with my membership group, which tied in perfectly to this weeks message about how important it is to always question what you think, is it still helpful? Does it still serve you? So that was a win!
Someone else I told the story to said, ooo lets go to Bath in October, so I am getting another trip away. Another Win
And I have a topic for a newsletter and some social media posts!
But my point is, next time you tell yourself you have failed at something, check in and see if that is really the case.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe everything worked out just fine.
And most importantly – remember if you are visiting Bath, there are two Bath Spa Hotels!
One of the most valuable things I do with my clients is to run My Business MOT on their business. It helps you get unstuck and discover what parts of your business are holding you back. And what you might be missing.
It is super simple, you do a mini review of your business against the 9 sections below and ask yourself a series of questions for each one.
You start with reviewing where you are now, so go and get a piece of paper and give yourself a mark out of ten for each section.
How confident are you for each one? Make notes as you go through for anything that come up for you.
Goals – when was the last time you checked in with your goals?
Personal
Business
Financial
Learning
Review where you are. How far along are you in achieving them? Do they need updating? (Do you even have any?)
Selling – are you clear on what you sell?
Seems like a silly question, but is one of the biggest things that holds back my clients. If I asked you for a list of what I can buy from you right now, would you be able to tell me? One of the main reasons people struggle with what to post on social media is this. If you aren’t clear, how can you tell others what you do? Once you know and are clear exactly what you offer, your marketing becomes much easier.
And I don’t just mean generically, so take cakes for example. A wedding cake. What type of cake, what size, what style, what flavours, at what venues, in what areas, to who? And at what price point? Get down into the specifics of what it is you actually offer. Do your clients buy from you because they need what you sell, or because they desire it?
For services, what packages do you offer, how many are there, do your clients work through them in a certain way?
How do you sell? Is it through direct selling, having a conversation, a consultation perhaps? Or do you sell online and buyers click to purchase? Is it 121, group, bespoke, product based, handmade, imported in?
Knowing all of these factors will help you when it comes to marketing.
Knowing your numbers.
Step 1: Check in with your situation now, how much profit are you actually making? When did you last check in with your accountant? Are you on top of your finances? If not what do you need to do to catch up?
Step 2: Moving forward. Now you know what you are selling, at what price, and you have set your financial goals, do the numbers add up?
If you are selling a 121 service at £40ph, and have 10 hours a week but want to make 100k – you are going to have to rethink.
Can you hit your goals and lead the lifestyle you want with the types of products and services you offer? Or do you need to change something?
Systems and procedures
Not everyone’s favourite part but super important to make sure your business is running smoothly. Do you have the right legal structure in place, terms and conditions, invoices, GDPR etc? Can you automate some of the tasks that drain your productivity? Do you need to outsource? If you scale and grow your business do you have the right structure to cope?
Customer Service
We have sorted out what we are selling, what happens when we make that sale? How good is your customer service and your follow up? Do you let yourself down at the last hurdle?
Is there something you could automate? Do you have systems set up for when you are away?
What can you do to make sure your customers have a great experience of working with you?
Marketing!
This is a big one and writing your marketing plan is a whole other exercise entirely, but working through these steps will mean you are now in a position to do so. Remember to be intentional and know WHY you are doing what you are doing.
But for now, think about your current marketing. What is working, what can you do more of? What isn’t working, what do you need to change?
Remember to think about:
Ideal client (who wants what it is you do?)
Client journey (what happens when they enter your world?)
Decide your strategy (don’t just post and hope!)
Pick the right platforms (you don’t have to be everywhere)
Knowledge/Learning
By carrying out this MOT you have been looking at the different parts of your business. Identifying areas that we need to improve or make changes. Now it is time to update our learning goals to reflect this.
What will you have to go away and learn to be able to implement the things you have uncovered in your business?
We are all constantly learning and improving but making sure we do it strategically to fill in the gaps in our business will have the most impact. And we will be less likely to be distracted by learning for the sake of learning, or attracted to shiny objects we think are ‘the answer’.
You (Your Mindset)
You are your business. You are the most important part. Our mindset and how we take care of ourselves plays a massive part in how successful we will be in business. When planning your week don’t forget you!
Remember to eat
Remember to hydrate
Remember to create movement for your body
Remember to create some quiet for your mind
Also check in to see if you are holding yourself back. Are you subconsciously self sabotaging and not moving forward because of your own blocks? Be honest with yourself. Do you know what you need to do, but for some reason you still aren’t doing it? If the answer is yes, then don’t be afraid to ask someone to help. There are some brilliant mindset coaches out there that can help you move you forward.
Time Management
You can write the best strategy in the world, but if you don’t have time to implement it, you aren’t going to move forward.
How much time do you have in your business, time to work IN your business and time to work ON your business? How much time do you have outside of your business?
How well do you manage your time?
How did that feel?
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you have what seems like a long to do list don’t panic. The beauty of this exercise is you are uncovering what will make the most difference in your business and you can take the right actions. Having a clear picture means you aren’t going to be placing unrealistic expectations on your progress either. You can make adjustments, you can concentrate on what actually matters instead of getting distracted by shiny objects.
Next steps
We have reviewed where we are now. What’s working what isn’t, identified things we might need to change. Take a step back and re-read all of the answers, does looking at the whole picture highlight anything else for you?
If you want to look ahead to new goals, you can run the process again, this time thinking about what new things you would need to add in, and what might stop you from getting where you want to be.
Then you plan, plan in when you are going to do all of the things, you are now perfectly placed to write your strategy! Start working out WHEN you are going to implement all of what you have uncovered. And then you can get started and know you are going to be making the most of your time and actions.
If you love the sound of this but would like to do it together then take a look at my Business MOT session. It is 2.5hrs on Zoom and we work through this together. Or if you are now ready to write your strategy I can help you with that too!
Well it started in 2013 when I left my job at a Marketing Agency in London’s West End to start a cake business, KatyBakey. A few years later that business evolved into Wedding Cake Design ByKB and in 2018 I started Piece of Cake Coaching.
One lead to the other.
The first because I wanted to be my own boss and cake making was something I was good at, so seemed the obvious choice, the second to help all of the other business owners I met while running my cake business.
I actually started my career as a receptionist at a small design/marketing agency in London’s Westend in 2000 after 4 years at Bath University studying Physics (Yes I did say physics) I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I did know I needed to do something so I could move out from my parents, and receptionist seemed like as good a job as any. I stayed there for 12 years, and worked in every area the business had, from office manager, to accounts, HR, project management to doing the marketing for the agency itself.
The time I spent there gave me a full rounded view of what it takes to run a business. Perfect for when I left to set up my cake business. I knew how to run a business not just the thing that ‘is’ the business.
And that is how I transitioned to coaching.
I met so many other entrepreneurs who were passionate about what they did but had no business background. So not surprisingly, found themselves struggling to wear all of the different hats it takes to be business owner. I started helping, answering questions, pointing people in the right direction to help them get unstuck, giving advice, showing them how to post online etc etc etc. I just started coaching… not intentionally it just happened.
My coach at the time became my first client and encouraged me to start charging for what I do rather than helping everyone for free. And Piece of Cake Coaching was born.
My journey to get to this point is why I can help others, I took all of my knowledge working for a company, (often running it when the directors were not there) all of the systems and procedures, most of which I wrote, and applied them to working for myself. Took the parts I needed and adapted them to the entrepreneurial space. Add in all of my marketing knowledge and helping others take a look at how to run their business becomes a no brainer.
Combine that with the fact I am an admin Ninja, super organised, a great listener, I remain calm and people feel safe around me, I am great at explaining things, and that my brain is naturally geared towards problem solving you have a winning combination, how could I not become a coach (Mentor, consultant whatever you want to call it)?
I still run my cake business, but I have scaled it back completely and now mainly take on Weddings at a set number of venues that works for me. Giving me the time and freedom to concentrate on the coaching side of things to help others do what they love, which is what I love! Why did you start your business, I would love to know?
The difficulty at the beginning’ 
