Hi {{first name | Y’all}},
It's officially Spring Break, and for the first time since college, I can genuinely say I desperately need the slowdown.
I'm still working (partially out of the office), but I'm using this time to breathe, reassess, and yes, maybe throw myself a small pity party. No apologies.
Truthfully? I'm nowhere near on track with the goals I set for my business this year. And the questions are loud: Do I push everything back? Do I cut things from my plate entirely? Do I do the thing I've been dreading, start looking for a job to get some stable ground under my feet?
I don't have all the answers yet. But I'm using this time to actually sit with the questions instead of running from them.
If you're in a season of questioning or pivoting too, I'm inviting you to do a small reassessment alongside me. You can see how I'm approaching it below, but first, here are my notes from last week's Fem-Led News newsletter.
Fem-Led News
Women's sports are seeing record growth in viewership and revenue, yet a major pay gap persists. Meanwhile, more women are leading major construction projects, narrowing industry wage gaps. And research suggests boosting birth rates may be as simple as men sharing more domestic work.
My reassessment: a short self-audit for when things feel off in my business… and life, really.
What comes with ease?
These are your clues. Ease doesn't always mean effortless, but it does mean energizing, the work that pulls you forward instead of draining you dry.
What part of your work do you find yourself doing without being asked, reminded, or motivated?
What do clients, followers, or peers compliment you on most naturally, the thing you almost brush off because it feels too easy to be valuable?
When you look at your offers, content, or services, which one feels the most you? Which one would you do even if it paid less?
What did you start this business to do, and are you actually doing that?
Sit with this. The answers here are often your most underutilized assets.
What's being forced?
Forced energy has a texture. It's the task you keep rescheduling, the offer you can't bring yourself to pitch, the goal that looked great on paper in January but makes you tired just thinking about it now.
What on your current to-do list or goal sheet makes you procrastinate, avoid, or feel vaguely resentful?
Is there an offer, service, or content format you're pushing because you think you should, not because it actually excites you?
What would you quietly drop if you gave yourself permission?
Are you chasing a version of success that actually belongs to someone else, a peer, a mentor, an aesthetic you admire but doesn't fit your life?
Forced doesn't always mean wrong, sometimes it's just timing. But it's worth naming it either way.
What might be blocking the money?
This is the part most people skip. Be honest with yourself here.
On your offers:
Can someone land on your page, your profile, or your newsletter and understand within 60 seconds what you sell and who it's for?
Do you have a clear, active offer right now, or are you in "building/creating/planning" mode with nothing actually available to buy?
When did you last make a direct ask? Not a hint, not a soft mention, an actual "here's what I offer, here's how to get it" ask?
On your beliefs:
Do you believe your offer is worth what you're charging? Not theoretically, in your gut, right now?
Are you afraid of being seen as too salesy, too pushy, or too much? How often does that fear cause you to pull back right when you should be leaning in?
Is there a part of you that isn't fully sold on your own offer? Because buyers feel that.
On your audience:
Are you consistently visible to the right people, or are you creating great content for an audience that was never going to buy?
Are you spending most of your energy on content and not enough on actual conversations, relationships, or direct outreach?
Is your pricing aligned with what your current audience can afford and values, or are there mismatches you've been ignoring?
After sitting with all of the above, ask yourself:
What needs to stop, what needs to shift, and what just needs more time?
Write three columns. Be ruthless with the first, honest with the second, and patient with the third.
You don't have to blow everything up. Sometimes the pivot is small, a reframe, a dropped offer, a quieter season. Trust what comes up. This is what I’m going to sit with myself this week.
With grace and gratitude,
Raven
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