The long nights? Worth it. 

The endless grind? A badge of honor. 

It wasn’t just about building a business. It was about proving that she could, that she was capable, unstoppable. 

Hustling wasn’t a choice; it was her identity. 

But five years in, with her revenue approaching seven figures and a small but high-performing team, Jenna found herself in an unrelenting loop. 

The hustle didn’t fade as her business grew. If anything, it got louder, pulling her back into the trenches, demanding more. 

She wasn’t hustling to survive anymore, but the habit was so ingrained, she didn’t know who she was without it. 

“If I’m not pushing hard, I feel… disoriented,” she admitted during our coaching session. “Hustling gives me purpose. And when everything slows, I feel lost.” 

The tipping point 

One Friday afternoon, Jenna found herself in the office long after everyone else had left. The light outside was fading, her laptop hummed softly, and her inbox stared back, full of non-urgent tasks she refused to delegate. 

Her husband texted a photo. Their two kids, sprawled on the couch, laughing about something she’d never know.

“We miss you,” his message said. 

Jenna sighed. She missed them too. And she missed herself – laughing, creating, imagining just for the joy of it. Instead, her days were a blur of pushing, chasing, and checking endless boxes. 

And yet, she couldn’t stop.

Rest felt risky.

Stillness, unsafe.

She feared that if she stepped back, everything she’d built would fall apart.

When we spoke a few days later, all Jenna needed to hear from me was this:

“Hustling isn’t your purpose. It’s just how you’ve been running from the discomfort of slowing down.” 

She sat quietly, letting it sink in. If hustle wasn’t her purpose, what was? 

The mindset shifts 

Over the next month, we began to untangle Jenna’s fears about what might happen if she allowed herself to slow down:

• Would she get bored or lose her drive entirely?
• Would the revenue take a hit?
• Would people start valuing her less?
• Would she lose her sense of identity without the constant push?

These were real fears. The quiet rules Jenna had been living by for years.

As Jenna let go of those beliefs, she saw that her purpose ran deeper than output.

It lived in her creativity, vision, and intentional leadership. 

I also encouraged Jenna to reconnect with the parts of her work that genuinely fulfilled her. What projects lit her up? What roles could only Jenna play in the business? 

Lastly, Jenna realized that pausing wasn’t lazy. It was strategic. It created space to think deeply, to dream boldly, to uncover ideas she’d missed entirely in the blur of motion. 

The turning point 

One morning, Jenna stood in her kitchen, feeling the warmth of the mug in her hands as sunlight stretched across the counter.

For once, she wasn’t refreshing her inbox. She wasn’t mentally scanning her to-do list.

She just… stood there. 

Breathing.

Feeling present.

The business wasn’t collapsing in her absence. Her team was thriving, stepping into responsibilities she’d long avoided letting go of. And the peace she felt wasn’t something hustle had ever given her.

For the first time in years, she felt clear-headed and free from the relentless pull of hustle. Her mind drifted to an idea – a bold, new offer she’d been too busy to develop. 

The results 

Three months later, Jenna launched that new offer. It infused fresh energy into her business, attracted incredible clients, and boosted revenue to levels she hadn’t thought possible without pushing hard. 

Even more, she was truly thriving for the first time – spending time with her family, taking vacations where she actually unplugged, and waking up feeling excitement rather than dread. 

“My purpose didn’t disappear when I slowed down. It was waiting there all along, right under the noise,” Jenna reflected. “I had to stop hustling to hear it.” 

What Jenna’s story means for you 

If hustle still feels like your only anchor, ask yourself: What am I afraid I’ll lose if I slow down?

Because your real purpose isn’t behind the hustle. It’s beyond it.

I’d love you to connect with me on Instagram to continue this conversation.

The post Redefining Purpose Beyond Hustle: Jenna’s Story appeared first on Systemsrock.

Freedom to chart your course, to create your vision, to live on your terms. 

And for many of us, financial and career milestones feel like profound affirmations of what’s possible.

Every increase in revenue, every milestone achieved, reinforces not just what you can do, but who you are.

You begin to see yourself not just as capable, but as unstoppable.

But freedom, for all its gifts, has a way of asking difficult questions. Questions we sometimes push aside in the feverish pursuit of business growth. 

• Who am I becoming?
• Am I truly fulfilled?
• Where in my life am I compromising to avoid discomfort?

And, perhaps most gut-wrenching, is my success sparking growth in every part of my life or highlighting the places I’ve outgrown?

Sometimes, this looks like hitting a new financial goal while quietly wondering why celebration at home feels muted, or noticing how sharing your latest success feels like walking a tightrope between pride and guilt. 

It shows up in those late-night moments, scrolling through your inbox, weighing the decision to delegate more or invest in yourself even as you sense the tension building in your partnership. 

Maybe it’s the inner negotiation: Should I tone it down so my partner feels comfortable? 

Or the silent questions: Is their support shrinking as my business grows, or am I just asking for too much?

Several months ago, Bianca found herself exactly in that spot. She’d just hit a revenue milestone that once felt impossible, with new freedom to invest and lead. Yet, beneath the surface, she felt pangs of loneliness. 

Wins were shared in smaller doses at home, and tension quietly grew. She remembers taking a client call in the car instead of facing another silent dinner. Outwardly, her success looked bright, but inside, she wondered if she was shrinking herself to fit a life that no longer fit.

That was when Bianca reached out to me. On our first call, we explored a few pivotal questions: Was her vision big enough to include her relationships, too? Could she be both ambitious and deeply connected? 

The shift began with one honest conversation and a willingness to be seen. Messy edges and all.

True alignment demands honesty. Success isn’t defined only by the number in your bank account. It’s also about ensuring your relationships, those that matter most, honor and sustain who you’re becoming, not who you once were.

The mirror of money and relationships

If success amplifies clarity, relationships act as the mirror reflecting back the beliefs, fears, and patterns we still carry. 

While business challenges pull us into problem-solving mode, relationship challenges often surface something deeper, more instinctive. 

Sometimes, we catch ourselves assigning blame or feeling triggered, suddenly convinced the person closest to us is the obstacle.

It’s subtle, showing up in the way you hesitate to share a big win because you’re unsure how it’ll land.

Or in the rush of defensiveness when your partner casually questions a choice you’ve labored over for weeks. 

Maybe you notice the tension in your body during conversations about money, or realize you’re filling silences at dinner to keep the peace. 

Sometimes, celebrating a new achievement brings a quiet guilt and a fear that it might disrupt the fragile balance in your closest relationship.

The truth is, those things that irritate us most in our partners often highlight insecurities or patterns we haven’t fully accepted in ourselves. 

I see how my impatience with my partner’s indecision mirrors my own moments of self-doubt before stepping into leadership or making big moves. 

When his excitement doesn’t match mine, it subtly points to my desire for outside validation instead of trusting my own certainty.

Real growth – for both our businesses and our relationships – begins when we turn inward. 

Which recurring tensions at home reflect unfinished work inside you? 

Where are your blind spots, your fears, your quiet needs shaping how you show up? 

The more honest you can be about these shadows, the more freedom you’ll have to rewrite what no longer serves you.

Unlocking growth through radical self-acceptance

Transformation isn’t about fixing your relationships – it’s about integrating the lessons they hold, allowing yourself to grow from the patterns that surface instead of fighting or fleeing from them. 

These recurring dynamics aren’t evidence of failure or dysfunction. Rather, they’re invitations – sometimes loud, sometimes whispered – to expand into a more honest, fully expressed version of yourself.

The truth? Breaking entrenched cycles takes courage. 

It’s uncomfortable to revisit old hurts or stare at the parts of ourselves we’ve tried to hide. Yet, this very discomfort is often the door to true, lasting freedom. 

When you acknowledge the narratives you carry, those rooted in fear, inadequacy, or the relentless drive to prove your worth, you begin to loosen their grip.

Radical self-acceptance is the profound shift that changes everything. It’s not just about accepting your partner for who they are, but about turning inward and embracing your own shadows – impatience, bossiness, self-doubt.

You might notice the tightness in your chest when your partner questions your business choices, and pause to ask: “What part of me feels unseen or threatened right now?” 

Or perhaps you catch yourself getting annoyed when they forget an important date, only to realize it’s touching an old wound around feeling unappreciated or overlooked.

Sometimes, it’s a wave of defensiveness when they offer feedback, revealing not just a clash of opinions, but a nudge to fully accept your super power to make fast decisions.

Other times, their withdrawal during conflict might stir frustration, prompting you to ask whether you’re seeking reassurance that truly needs to come from within.

With Bianca, we looked at what really triggered her in those tense moments with her husband. We went beyond surface solutions, unpacking the deeper fears beneath her reactions.

Together, we explored what she was truly afraid might happen if she really went after her desires, if she showed up unapologetically herself, not only in her business but in her relationship too. 

As Bianca rewired her beliefs, her internal patterns shifted. And mirroring that change, her husband’s responses changed too. She was shocked that it “just happened” without her having to say a word, often instantaneously. 

Bianca no longer needed to shrink herself, letting both her relationship and her ambitions grow. Her work became more sustainable because her personal life supported her growth, rather than competing with it: 

“If I hadn’t chosen honesty in that moment, I’m not sure I would have allowed myself to imagine, let alone build, a life that truly fits.” Bianca shared.

Through self-acceptance, judgment softens and understanding grows. You stop needing your partner to validate your path, and instead, you honor your own journey, creating space for real connection and honest dialogue in the relationship.

And here’s the ripple effect.

When you meet yourself with this kind of compassion and clarity, it doesn’t just transform your relationships; it spills over into your work.

You set clearer boundaries, say no to what drains you, and celebrate progress instead of hustling for perfection. 

Your business becomes an extension of your true self, not a mask you wear to feel worthy.

If this feels like a big leap, start with a small practice: 

Tonight, as you wind down, take five quiet minutes to reflect on a challenging interaction from your day. Instead of replaying what you “should” have said or done, ask yourself: “What part of me needed love or understanding in that moment?” 

Note one thing you can offer yourself right now – patience, grace, permission to not have all the answers. 

Choosing your path with courage

Ultimately, integrating the dynamics of money and relationships is about reclaiming your power, not surrendering it. 

The hardest and most freeing truth is that you hold the key to alignment. 

Whether that looks like deepening your connection with a partner, carving out space to rediscover yourself, or honoring boundaries you’ve previously blurred, your next steps don’t have to be perfect; they just need to feel like yours.

What lies on the other side of this work? 

• Clarity that allows you to make decisions with ease. 
• Relationships that anchor your vision. 
• Success with harmony, not at its expense. 

And, maybe most importantly, the experience of living fully expressed – bold, intentional, and unapologetically aligned with what matters most.

So, I invite you to consider one small step you can take today toward greater alignment in your life.

It could be a conversation you’ve been avoiding, a boundary you need to honor, or simply admitting the truth to yourself.

And if you feel called to explore these patterns and possibilities on a deeper level, know that the methodology I practice offers tools designed for this work. You’re never alone on the journey – sometimes, reaching out is the bravest step of all.

You’re already building something remarkable. Now, let yourself build it with your whole heart. Walk boldly.

I’d love you to connect with me on Instagram to continue this conversation.

The post Success and Relationships: When Growth Creates Distance appeared first on Systemsrock.

For the past three years, she’s been going after one ambitious goal: $1 million in annual revenue. And yet, she keeps hitting the same frustrating plateau again and again. 

At a recent workshop, I asked her a simple question: “What revenue number feels normal to you? One that just feels… right?” After a pause, she shrugged and said, “About $400K a year.” Then, almost hesitantly, she admitted that imagining anything higher made her chest tighten. 

This is something I see all the time: how our internal beliefs set invisible limits on what we think we can achieve. When I asked others in the room to think about their own “normal” revenue numbers, similar patterns emerged.

Funny how that works, isn’t it? A number slips out, and suddenly a wave of “what ifs” and “I can’t possibly” rises to the surface.

That edge of the comfort zone, where your mind hammers on the brakes not because you can’t do more, but because some quiet, persistent part of you whispers it’s not safe, not normal, not allowed. Everyone nodded along; everyone felt it.

…Let’s leave Eba and the rest of the workshop participants there for a moment in the workshop room, with their revenue numbers and the resistance. Because this story is not just theirs. It’s ours. Could it be yours too?

Have you ever found yourself right up against your own “almost,” but something invisible keeps pulling you back?

That invisible force isn’t a lack of skill or ambition. It’s your brain’s way of keeping you safe. It happens with every high-achieving business owner who is ready for more but feels stuck.

Why our brains resist financial growth

There’s this strange tension I see, time and again, in rooms full of ambitious, seasoned entrepreneurs. On the surface, we’re strategizing, systematizing, and pushing harder, hoping for a breakthrough.

But underneath, our minds guard that last stretch, protecting us from what’s new, uncertain, or untested.

It’s biology, really. Our brains crave the familiar and label anything outside it as risky, even if it’s a bigger, better dream.

Have you ever noticed how we often share our revenue goals? “I’m currently at [insert your number here]. Doubling that would be amazing, but…” And then, quietly, almost guiltily, we confess what lives under that ‘but.’ 

During the workshop, one of the participants said, “I actually worry my family will see me differently if I outgrow them. There’s fear there I haven’t wanted to look at.” 

Another admitted, “More money sounds great… until I think of taxes, hiring, my time, the pressure to keep delivering. What if I can’t hold it all?”

And then the third participant shared – she’s been at nearly a million before. She could recite the mechanics of scaling in her sleep. What stalled her wasn’t desire for more, but a belief she’d long ignored: “I don’t feel safe with more money in the bank. If anything, it makes me anxious. I’m most comfortable when I’m hustling to escape debt, not when I’m ahead.”

Isn’t that wild? For so many high achievers, “having enough” feels abnormal, even threatening.

The beliefs and fears that keep us stuck

But let’s come back to Eba. As our workshop pressed on, she voiced what so many of us carry: “Every time I get close to breaking through, I start to worry – what if more money means more work, and I lose my freedom? What if I become disconnected from the people I care about, or get judged for ‘having too much’?”

She’s not alone. Other participants shared:

• If I scale, I’ll end up working myself into burnout, and what’s the point of success then?
• I don’t want to be making more than my partner… I already worry how my earning more than him will affect his self-esteem.
• More money means more eyes on me. What if people think I’m greedy, or worse, what if I lose myself?
• What if I finally get to that next level and won’t like that life because it will be empty and dull?  

There’s vulnerability in admitting these things out loud, but there’s also relief. These are just stories. Powerful, yes. But stories.

Here’s the good news, though: these fears don’t have to hold you back. With the right tools, you can teach your brain to see growth as safe and achievable.

How to rewire your brain for financial growth

One of the first things I teach ambitious women is this: growth doesn’t come from pushing harder or piling more tasks onto an already overflowing to-do list. It comes from gently uncovering the fears and beliefs that hold you back, and showing your brain that growth is not only possible, it’s safe.

Here’s how you can start rewiring your brain for financial growth:

Step 1: Normalize your next revenue level

Your brain resists what feels unfamiliar, so the first step is to make your next financial milestone feel normal.

For many, their ‘normal’ revenue – the number that feels comfortable, automatic even – is far below their goals. Why? Because their brains haven’t yet accepted that higher numbers could be part of their reality.

To shift this, surround yourself with stories and people for whom the level you’re aiming for is already normal.

One participant started reading books and listening to podcasts by women who had already achieved what she wanted. At first, it made her uncomfortable, jealous, even. But over time, those stories planted a seed: “If they can do it, maybe I can too.”

Another participant began saying “when” instead of “if” when talking about her seven-figure goal. “It still feels like I’m wearing someone else’s jacket,” she admitted, “but each time, it fits a little better.” That’s the power of repetition. It chips away at the distance until your goal feels right-sized.

To take it a step further, try this: buy something small that aligns with your next financial level. 

It could be a high-quality pen, a piece of clothing, an accessory, or an upgraded workspace item. Owning something from your next chapter can help anchor you in the mindset of “I belong here.”

Step 2: Get pulled into your future by your desire for it

We already talked about our brain craving familiarity. That’s why it’s easier to keep putting out fires and reacting to immediate needs than to work on our visions for our lives. 

That’s why our vision for the future often feels blurry and a little scary to our brains.

The only way to calm this fear of the unknown is by crafting a clear vision of what that future looks like. The more detailed your vision, the easier it becomes to see opportunities to get there. It’s also easier for your brain to accept this new reality as safe, which makes taking bold steps forward feel less daunting. 

Growth, first and foremost, is about your internal capacity. 

Your mind needs to believe you can handle more – whether it’s money, happiness, or fulfillment. Without that belief, no amount of external work will get you there.

Here are some prompts to help you craft your vision:

• What does a typical day look like at this new level?
• How do I spend my time, and who am I spending it with?
• What impact am I creating with this growth?

During the workshop, I asked participants to write out what achieving their financial goal would allow them to do. Some women imagined guilt-free summers off. Others pictured spending long, unhurried dinners with family. Yet, for someone else it was about mentoring the next generation.

When one participant journaled her answer, her shoulders dropped. Oftentimes, our bodies shift as our beliefs do. That’s the first sign you’re on the right track.

Step 3: Rewrite the stories holding you back

The most profound shifts often start with a single question: “What’s the real story my fear is telling me?”

In the workshop, we said those fears out loud:

• If I grow, I’ll be alone at the top
• More money means more pressure
• Out-earning my partner will cause distance

Then, we questioned them:

• If I grow, I’ll be alone at the top →

Is that really true? Is that the only scenario? What if it became: “As I grow, I can seek out peers who truly get me, maybe for the first time.”

• More money means more pressure →

OK… What if that’s true? How could I handle it? I’ve reached new financial milestones in the past… How did I handle them? Well, actually, with more money coming in, I could finally give myself permission to rest, to delegate, to breathe.

• Out-earning my partner will cause distance → 

Does it really have to be that way? Do I know any other power couples that grow financially together? What if my rising actually models possibility for both of us?

Reframing our fears isn’t about fooling our brain. It’s about helping it see new possibilities and explore different scenarios. While this doesn’t erase discomfort overnight, it opens a door. 

And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is step through that door and write a new ending to an old belief.

The ripple effect

There’s something magical about sharing these truths in a group. I watch it happen again and again: one person shares her fears, and suddenly the room breathes a little easier.

It’s as if everyone is silently saying, “Oh, it’s not just me.” 

This shared vulnerability creates a ripple of courage and connection, reminding us that we’re never truly alone in our fears – or our growth. And it’s in these shared moments that transformation begins.

And wouldn’t you know it? Eba reached her $1mln revenue goal just a few months later. With new beliefs in place and the safety net of support, she broke through her glass ceiling. None of her fears came true. Sure, she had more decisions to make, but she also gained more freedom, more choice, and yes, a little more ease.

At the end of the day, it’s not about slaying every fear. It’s about sitting with them, understanding them as protective instincts, and teaching your mind that more – more money, more possibility, more impact – can be a blessing, not a threat.

So here’s my invitation to you: What if the story you’re telling yourself about your next level is just that – a story? 

What’s one small step you can take today to start rewriting your story?

Connect with me on Instagram and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The post Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling appeared first on Systemsrock.

The post Overcoming the Fear of Being Seen appeared first on Systemsrock.

But how does one achieve that?

Again, so many ways to answer that question. But the common thread—by paying attention. 

For example, if a salesperson watches me shop at a boutique store, they can easily tell what styles I find most appealing by how I move around the store, what pieces catch my attention, what items I try on… If that salesperson came up to me and showed me a few similar pieces I missed, I’d be delighted and, most likely, happily paid for an item or two. 

That’s the power of paying attention—observing and responding to the customers’ behavior. 

That’s the way to our customers’ hearts regardless of whether we do it for one person or at scale.

That’s also the principle we oftentimes take for granted, especially when selling online. 

I guess it’s because when we are not able to see or talk to someone, establishing a connection feels somewhat unattainable. 

But is it?

After all, we can observe the online buying behavior just as well. It’s just instead of watching someone physically move around the store, we collect our customers’ digital footprints.

Digital footprints like our viewers liking or sharing our posts; registering for our webinar; checking out our sales page…  

This observing means getting the relevant numbers—number of people who registered for the webinar vs those who attended live; number of people who saw the sales page vs those who actually bought the program—and then translating those numbers into customers’ behaviors. 

When we are thinking of the numbers as behaviors, we are able to read all those page views, click-through rates, conversion rates, and the rest of that jargon into how our customers move through the sales page, what arguments catch their attention, and the motivation that guides them to say yes to our online program…

Yes, there are numbers that are dull and useless. And then there are numbers that show us how to help our audience fall in love with our brand and buy from us over and over again. 

Which is why I’m curious… What are the numbers/behaviors you are paying attention to?

The post How to make your audience fall in love with your brand appeared first on Systemsrock.

1. Becoming aware of you, then 
2. Building trust in you that you can solve their problem, and then
3. Giving you their money to solve their problem 

Depending on the level of familiarity with you, what you offer, and the level of certainty that what you offer solves their problem, the customer journey can be longer or shorter.  

Either way, as long as we can guide someone through that customer journey, purchases will happen.

This means that we should focus on the numbers that show us how many people hit each step of the customer journey. For example, the number of people who went from webinar registration page to webinar registration confirmation page, to program sales page, to cart/payment processor page, to thank you page.

Where do you begin?

1. Pick an offer
2. Map out the customer journey—the step by step process of educating your audience about what you sell and guiding the right people to make a purchase decision
3. Start tracking numbers for each individual stage of the customer journey + conversion rates between the steps 

If you are just starting to bring things into focus, start with your core numbers. 

Once you have a clear picture of how our customers move through the main steps of the journey you feel free to add more layers of numbers that will give you a more nuanced picture. 

The post What numbers should you pay attention to? appeared first on Systemsrock.

You forget that you are an introvert, who is rarely comfortable in a new social setting. 

You are not hearing the voice in your head bombarding you with questions you could ask next to avoid an awkward pause. 

There is none of that. 

You are at ease enjoying getting to know the other person and answering their questions about you. 

Effortless back and forth. 

That’s the power of listening and thoughtful responding. 

This is what perfect marketing is to me—you say something in the form of a content piece or copy and then watch for the reaction of your audience. You then follow up with another piece that moves the conversation forward or allows your (ideal) audience to take the next step towards their decision to work with you. Yes, there is an intention behind your content, there is a strategy. However, the process is just as natural and genuine as having a personal conversation. 

Sadly, more often than not I see business owners fall into the trap of having a one-sided conversation in hopes the volume of their messages and the variety of channels they are using to share those messages will allow them to find the people they are looking for.

The answer is not necessarily to cut down on the number of messages or marketing channels. The answer is listening. Listening at scale is totally possible if you know what you are listening for.

Isn’t it time we get curious about how our marketing actually works?

The post Marketing is a conversation appeared first on Systemsrock.

For example, if they come to your sales page, most likely, they are interested in solving a problem that you discussed in a message that led them to that sales page. 

If they stay for a while on the sales page but leave without buying, it might mean that they are not convinced that your solution would work for them or perhaps they are unsure if they are capable of creating the outcome you promise. 

If they go to the cart page but didn’t complete the purchase, it might mean that they were curious about the price or they weren’t ready to make the commitment… 

Selling online can be challenging because you can’t have an interaction with the person to figure out what prevented them from buying.

What makes selling online easy, though, is that you have digital footprints that will tell you what’s going on. 

Once you begin looking at your numbers as behaviors, you will know exactly where people stumble or drop off altogether. You will have clear indicators for what questions they need to have answers to make their decision and how to help them complete the purchase.

If you are great at reading your customers, you’ll be amazing at reading your numbers.

The post You are already great at numbers. Here’s why. appeared first on Systemsrock.

Gemma Bonham-Carter

My program is called Course Creator School. It is geared towards service-based business owners, content creators, and online entrepreneurs who are ready to turn what they know into a successful online course or group program. 

I track a lot of metrics when it comes to my evergreen funnel. I like to be a “Data Detective” to ensure that I optimize each step in the process. But if I had to choose, my top 3 metrics are:

#1 Overall Funnel Conversion Rate: If I can continue to optimize and get this number to move up, even by a percentage point here and there, it can have a huge impact to the overall success of our funnel and number of students enrolling in the program.

#2: Top of funnel landing page conversion rate. I need to know that the very first page I’m sending leads to converts really well. I don’t want to send traffic to a page where they don’t take action. Especially if I’m utilizing paid traffic, that feels like a giant waste of money! My masterclass landing page and other lead magnet landing pages have an average opt-in rate of about 65-75%, which I’m really pleased with (it took lots of testing and optimizing to get there!).

#3: Number of eyeballs on my sales page (and overall sales page conversion rate). I know that if I can get someone to my sales page, I have a much higher chance of them purchasing the program. So I make sure to have lots of opportunities to get there throughout the funnel – from my webinar, the replay page, inside all of my emails, etc. Don’t be shy about that link! 

Jordan Gill

Done In a Day™ is a six month group coaching program for online service providers, coaches, and consultants who are wanting to replace their monthly retainers with virtual VIP days.

Here are the top metrics we are paying attention to.

At the very top, we look at how many pre-application leads we are collecting. A pre-application lead is somebody who has either taken our quiz, bought our $37 bootcamp, or downloaded our free roadmap. 

Then, we look at the number of qualified applicants who are then invited to watch the advanced training. Of course, we also keep an eye on how many applications we’re getting in general to make sure that we aren’t attracting a bunch of unqualified people. But the number we are paying close attention to is the number of qualified applicants.

Lastly, we look at how many of those qualified applicants turn into buyers of our group coaching program.

For each of the steps—pre-application lead→qualified applicant→buyer—we have our benchmarks that we aim to hit. Tracking those three numbers allows us to see if our percentages are off for any of the steps.

If that happens, we are able to immediately spot where the problem lies. Based on that we take the necessary action. 

For example, if the number of pre-application leads is on a low end, we know that we need to create more content to bring in more applicants. 

If our rate of converting qualified leads into buyers is lower than usual, we can test adding more touch points when following up with prospects via DMs; tweak our email sequence; or examine the objections we are getting to better explain those points in the advanced training. 

As you can see, watching these numbers helps us stay on track and allows us to take focused action when we notice our percentages drop below our benchmarks. It’s like having a set of dials that we adjust to bring in more sales.

Paige Brunton

We currently offer Square Secrets™ and Square Secrets Business™ on evergreen to help designers build their Squarespace skills & book out their web design businesses.

 

Our main focuses for funnel metrics are the number of opt-ins coming into each funnel vs the number of sales (conversion rates) and also factoring in digital advertising spend.

We base our ad spend on the amount of new cash we have coming into the business each week (spending around 10-12% of new cash flow on advertising). If we see that conversion rates are lower or higher than usual, we first think about if anything changed in our messaging that week. What types of content did we put out via email, on social media, or Youtube? We take note of this because if we have a great response to certain content, we want to make sure we do more of that. And if we had a negative response, we take note of that too.

If there’s been a significant drop in purchase results, we also audit the sales funnel to find out if there’s something broken, if copy needs to be clarified, or perhaps the ad creative needs a refresh. Over time when we’ve seen fluctuations in our site traffic that are unusual we check what the latest updates Google has made to SEO ranking factors and make tweaks to our site and content accordingly.

Paying attention to these metrics on a weekly and monthly basis keeps us on track and helps us spot any potential roadblocks and gives us clear insights into what we can expect from our funnels on a regular basis. 

Louise Henry

I currently sell three online programs on evergreen.

Uplevel with Asana is a course designed to help online business owners increase their productivity and streamline their systems with the task management tool Asana.

Website that Wows is a step-by-step course that helps entrepreneurs DIY a stunning, professional, and client-winning Squarespace website.

Scale with Kartra is a course I created to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by leveraging the power of an online course. I break down exactly how you can create and market a highly profitable online course with the powerful, all-in-one tool Kartra.

All of these programs follow the same structure. The doors are publicly closed, but I offer people a one-time opportunity to join our program in between the public launches we host.

We are always looking for ways to optimize our funnels. This is an ongoing priority for our team, and there’s always room for improvement!

There are 3 main metrics we pay close attention to – our conversion rate, our cost per lead, and our cost per sale.

For us, we spend the majority of our time and energy trying to improve our conversion rate. We experiment with different copy in the emails, A/B test our subject lines – basically, we’re constantly trying to tweak, test, and optimize!

To improve our cost per lead and cost per sale, we’ll evaluate our ad performance and try to make improvements here too, by optimizing our audience targeting and ad creative.

Jessica Abel

I work with serious mid-career creatives to help them get their most important personal work off the back burner, finished, and out into the world. My flagship program is called the Creative Focus Workshop. 

To track what’s working to bring in new students I need to know how many are getting to my landing page, how many sign up for the free training I offer, and then how many of those end up on the sales page, then the cart. 

Each of those numbers alone is helpful, but the big-picture end-to-end conversion is the most important number, and can get lost easily when I’m in the weeds. I’m also tracking which emails are most powerful at bringing people to the sales page, as well as which channels are best at bringing the people who are primed to join to the webinar training landing page. 

Man, even writing this all down feels confusing and exhausting! I totally rely on Natasha’s dashboard to keep it all simple and easy. 

If my overall revenue were dropping, instead of just panicking and launching something new to fill the gap (with all the stress and unknowns that brings) I can look under the hood, so to speak, and see that one individual number—like the conversion rate on my webinar sign-up—might be driving the change in overall conversion.

I can then get in there and test new images or headlines in just that one spot, focus my efforts where they’ll do the most good, and get my number back where I want it to be quickly. 

The post Metrics that Matter, Evergreen Funnels Edition appeared first on Systemsrock.

Let’s step back for a second, though.  

If you were an owner of a boutique store and you were watching someone shopping, you could easily tell from their behavior what styles they found most appealing by how they moved around the store, what pieces they tried on, and what they bought. 

How someone moves from one website page to the next can be observed in a similar way.

It’s just instead of watching someone physically move around the store, you collect their digital footprints:

• People clicking the link you shared on Facebook to check out your site = curiosity 
• People visiting your sales page, staying for a while and scrolling = interest
• People clicking Buy Now button and proceeding to your cart page = engagement
• People filling out their payment details and completing transaction = conversion   

Numbers, then, are nothing else than behaviors people leave behind when they do or don’t do something.

This shows that understanding your marketing numbers is pretty much understanding the behavior of your audience.

But here’s the thing. If you observe all behaviors, you’ll get overwhelmed.

Instead of observing everything, pick a path—a customer journey that leads to buying a specific program or service. Then note how you are taking your people through that customer journey. 

Maybe it looks like: webinar registration page → webinar registration confirmation page → program sales page → cart/payment processor page → thank you page.

In short, when tracking your numbers, focus on the steps of the customer journey plus the conversion rates between the steps, so that you know the proportion of people who move from one step to the next. 

Comparing the numbers you are seeing to the industry standards or your own benchmarks will reveal the behavior patterns that you can then use to figure out what needs to be fixed or amplified.   

If you’d like to get a second opinion on what the numbers you are seeing mean and how you can improve your conversions, you are welcome to get in touch. Click this link to chat. 

The post How not to get overwhelmed by your marketing numbers appeared first on Systemsrock.