Pattern Shift

#66 - Level Up Your Business: Insights from Program Alumni

July 21, 2023 Saskia de Feijter Season 3 Episode 66
#66 - Level Up Your Business: Insights from Program Alumni
Pattern Shift
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Pattern Shift
#66 - Level Up Your Business: Insights from Program Alumni
Jul 21, 2023 Season 3 Episode 66
Saskia de Feijter

Send me a Text Message.

Hey there, welcome to this awesome episode of our podcast! Today, we've got a burning question to tackle: "Is the Ja, Wol Business Circle program the right fit for you?" If you're thinking of joining the next cohort in September, we've got something super cool for you – two fantastic businesses that have been through the program will spill the beans on their experiences!

So, let's meet our rockstar guests – Grace Whowell and Mariken Koning, both program alumni with totally different stories to share. Grace is a seasoned pro in the needle craft industry, and Mariken is just getting her entrepreneurial journey started. Though the program isn't tailored for startups, it lays a solid foundation for newcomers.

If you're serious about leveling up your business, you can't miss this episode! Seats are limited for the September cohort, and we've got some sweet early bird price discounts waiting for you. So, if you're ready to rock your entrepreneurial journey, let's dive in and unlock those secrets of success together! Let's go! 🚀


FULL SHOW-NOTES WITH TAKEAWAYS

https://www.patternshift.com 

BEST QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE

  • "The Ja, Wol program helped me to stay grounded and helped me to avoid becoming paralysed by the pursuit of perfection." - Grace
  • "The program helped me to gain clarity on my goals and stay motivated." - Mariken
  • "The Ja, Wol program is a great investment for anyone in the textile fiber industry who is looking to take their business to the next level." - Grace

LINKS

Use my Flodesk 50% off DISCOUNT CODE (affiliate link)

DOWNLOAD the Core

If you want to build or grow your business in textile crafts, why don't you join our online community for a small, monthly contribution of only 10 euros, which is $10 ish. You get to hang out, learn from and share your business. And your craft journey with all the lovely people there, support the podcast at the same time and you get everything wrapped into one loving package. I would love to welcome you there.

Go to Patternshift.fm and click

Support the Show.

☆☆☆

☆ SUPPORT THE SHOW ☆

If you appreciate the free content and the work we put into this podcast, consider showing your support in a way that feels right to you. This could be by sharing episodes with friends, signing up for our newsletter, or making a small monthly contribution through clicking the Support the show link, or -when you are listening via Apple podcast- click the subscription button and get monthly bonus episodes. Your support keeps the podcast going and aligns with the values we share. Thank you for being a part of this movement!

Apple Podcast subscription

  • super easy with two clicks and anonymous for those that use the apple app. Monthly or yearly. One amount. 4,-

Buzzsprout (my podcast platform) subscription

  • one click, fill out your bank details. Monthly. Choose your amount from 3,- and up. Leave your name and get a shoutout (if you want).


☆ JOIN THE WAITING LIST ☆

for the March cohort of the Ja, Wol Business Program!

☞ GET BI-WEEKLY ACTIONABLE BUSINESS TIPS AND INSIGHTS & EPISODE UPDATES ☜...

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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Send me a Text Message.

Hey there, welcome to this awesome episode of our podcast! Today, we've got a burning question to tackle: "Is the Ja, Wol Business Circle program the right fit for you?" If you're thinking of joining the next cohort in September, we've got something super cool for you – two fantastic businesses that have been through the program will spill the beans on their experiences!

So, let's meet our rockstar guests – Grace Whowell and Mariken Koning, both program alumni with totally different stories to share. Grace is a seasoned pro in the needle craft industry, and Mariken is just getting her entrepreneurial journey started. Though the program isn't tailored for startups, it lays a solid foundation for newcomers.

If you're serious about leveling up your business, you can't miss this episode! Seats are limited for the September cohort, and we've got some sweet early bird price discounts waiting for you. So, if you're ready to rock your entrepreneurial journey, let's dive in and unlock those secrets of success together! Let's go! 🚀


FULL SHOW-NOTES WITH TAKEAWAYS

https://www.patternshift.com 

BEST QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE

  • "The Ja, Wol program helped me to stay grounded and helped me to avoid becoming paralysed by the pursuit of perfection." - Grace
  • "The program helped me to gain clarity on my goals and stay motivated." - Mariken
  • "The Ja, Wol program is a great investment for anyone in the textile fiber industry who is looking to take their business to the next level." - Grace

LINKS

Use my Flodesk 50% off DISCOUNT CODE (affiliate link)

DOWNLOAD the Core

If you want to build or grow your business in textile crafts, why don't you join our online community for a small, monthly contribution of only 10 euros, which is $10 ish. You get to hang out, learn from and share your business. And your craft journey with all the lovely people there, support the podcast at the same time and you get everything wrapped into one loving package. I would love to welcome you there.

Go to Patternshift.fm and click

Support the Show.

☆☆☆

☆ SUPPORT THE SHOW ☆

If you appreciate the free content and the work we put into this podcast, consider showing your support in a way that feels right to you. This could be by sharing episodes with friends, signing up for our newsletter, or making a small monthly contribution through clicking the Support the show link, or -when you are listening via Apple podcast- click the subscription button and get monthly bonus episodes. Your support keeps the podcast going and aligns with the values we share. Thank you for being a part of this movement!

Apple Podcast subscription

  • super easy with two clicks and anonymous for those that use the apple app. Monthly or yearly. One amount. 4,-

Buzzsprout (my podcast platform) subscription

  • one click, fill out your bank details. Monthly. Choose your amount from 3,- and up. Leave your name and get a shoutout (if you want).


☆ JOIN THE WAITING LIST ☆

for the March cohort of the Ja, Wol Business Program!

☞ GET BI-WEEKLY ACTIONABLE BUSINESS TIPS AND INSIGHTS & EPISODE UPDATES ☜...

Speaker 1:

The big question on this episode is is the Javel Business Circle program for you? The next cohort starts in September and there's no better way to get an honest review than to talk to two completely different business owners that went to the program. This is the Pattern Shift podcast. I am your host, saskia de Feiter, and I've invited Grace and Marike, two alumni of the Javel Business Circle program. They both have a very different point of view and experience of the program, so you'll get a wide view of what the program offers and if it's something that could help you in growing your business from the inside out. Grace has years of experience in running a business in the needlecraft industry and Marike is just getting started. Although the program is not built for starting business owners, it will provide a great base.

Speaker 1:

As you are about to hear, day-to-day life as a creative business owner can be very lonely and overwhelming, leaving no time to actually grow your business. The Pattern Shift podcast gives you business insights and actionable tips to help you rise out of the day-to-day swamp and start to become more visible and move your business forwards. Find out how you can be part of helping crafters move away from fast fashion and become a value-based business owner who's on top of things, running a business that's more sustainable for themselves and our planet. In this episode, you'll learn about the topics, the experience and the results of going through the business circle program and, on another level, you'll learn about different approaches to investing in a course for your business. We talk about how important it is to stick to your values and to find your ideal customer. To take a messy action and don't be paralyzed by the pursuit of perfection.

Speaker 1:

We talk about who the program is designed for and what it includes and what you can get from it. That goes beyond worksheet and information. It's much more than that. In one of the last questions, you'll hear me repeat Marika's experience of not being a native English speaker. We had some connection issues and we had to be really creative in getting all the answers in this interview. Thank you, grace and Marika, for being such good sports. Now, before we start, don't forget to sign up for more business tips and insights via patternshiftfm or click the link in the show notes.

Speaker 2:

My name is Grace Woowell and I'm based in the UK. I have a business called Beyond Measure which started in 2015. And I sell beautiful and useful tools, mainly for textile artists and makers. I try and source things that are made to last, really good quality and are beautiful and give you lots of joy when you use them.

Speaker 3:

My name is Marika Koening. I live in the Netherlands and I teach young children at primary school in the needle craft, and I have my own atelier studio where I do the same. The name of my business is Het Hanswijk lokal.

Speaker 1:

That means in English that means the needle craft classroom. Yes, that's better in Dutch. Thanks so much. So both of you have been in the business circle program.

Speaker 1:

Grace started a while ago because she was part of the core group, the founding members, as they call it. That helped me actually build the program, and what I mean by helping is that we had a conversation and we would do holes Like what do you want to do next? It was almost completely open at the beginning. We asked where do you need help? And then I would dive into my experience and my books and everything that I've done in the last few years and then I would make a lesson and we'd talk about it and do everything that had around that particular subject. And Marika has started the business program in the last cohort, so for her it was already a finished program and I've added one-on-one conversations, mentor conversations, to the program, to the last one with Marika, so that's kind of how the program has evolved over time.

Speaker 1:

So I'm going to ask you both the same question and let's just always start with Grace and then move on to Marika. I'm so glad you are here to help me kind of express what the business circle can do for a business owner that feels a little bit overwhelmed and doesn't know where to go next, because you both come from all kinds of different angles from the Netherlands, from the UK, having a business, being a new business owner, doing the latest cohort and starting right at the beginning of the business circle. So I'm hoping that together we can give the listeners a good insight in what the business program can provide. So let's start right at the beginning. Grace, why did you decide to join? What was the problem that you were trying to solve?

Speaker 2:

I joined I think it was at the end of 2021, right at the end and I started my business in 2015.

Speaker 2:

I guess we were just coming out of COVID at that time and all the disruption that had caused and the changes that had taken place, with so many businesses trying to survive and trying to meet demand and the kind of economic fallback from that, I suppose, fallout. So I was feeling kind of quite overwhelmed. My business had grown but I was also going through some of the things like we've been through a house move. I was trying to balance it with my personal life. I was looking at the possibility of recruiting and managing staff at that point. So I just felt that when I found out about the course and when I'd spoken to you that it would be great to have some support and have support from somebody who had distance from my business, so that was it just kind of came at the right time for me. I suppose I knew you obviously through your business. We'd kind of met briefly at yarn festivals and I'd seen what you were doing and setting up the business circle.

Speaker 2:

So I knew that you also had a very specific insight into the kind of business that I had, but also with that kind of distance, I suppose. And I really liked your approach because it was very honest and open and I felt that's what I needed at this point. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3:

Monica how about you? My problem was that I started something but I didn't know what I was starting. It was a bit of everything and it was not clear to me and not clear to my audience, I think. And then I met the other, saskia, and she told me to connect with you because she thought there was a good click and it was so. My reason to join was I wanted to make more clear for myself what I was doing. Yes, amazing.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much. My next question for you is Grace how did you experience the program and you can talk about being one of the founding members, because that was a different experience. You were at the beginning, but then you also ran through the second cohort with Marika. What was your experience of the program?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, I joined the first cohort a little bit later than everyone else, so in some ways it was quite good to start again, do it again this year. But I think what was really nice was the meetings. The weekly meetings and the bi-weekly business circle meetings were really helpful in getting me to focus on the different kind of topics that we were looking at and really go back to the roots of what I was doing and why I was doing it. That was the main thing for me, and looking at the difference of modules that we worked on and worked through Again, it made me really focus on things that I hadn't actually given a lot of thought of when I set up my business. I did it in quite a kind of organic way.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, it was really useful to focus in on certain things, have the exercises that we did every week, talk about our winds and woes and just develop that kind of support of the group. Really it was a great place to go, where you you know out of the sessions if you had questions and problems, and also to help each other. So the second time that we kind of worked through it obviously it was a different time scale, which was faster, but I still felt that I built on a lot of the things the first time round and I could revisit those and things might change in a business as well. So it's even in a short time scale. Things can change. So it was really useful to revisit those again and even without being part of the group the sort of business circle once you finish you can still go back and refer to the groups and the handouts and get that support.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, yeah, monique is asking me to write a guide right before she can use that and who knows, I might, I might, but yes, you've got all of the chapters and all of the information. You could always go back and refer to it. Going back through the program. You're basically you were basically modeling what we're now going to do, going forward with the membership that will be connected to the program. So if you want to keep doing the work, but a little bit of a slower pace, but still have the accountability, alumni can become members of the business circle membership. And what you've done is you've done the program and then came back to it in the second cohort and did you notice that lots of things had changed because of what you've learned, or were there still lots of gaps there that you didn't get round to?

Speaker 2:

I think well, the year, which was last year that I actually went through it, was quite a tricky one at work. I did feel sometimes that I hadn't given my full attention to some of the topics, or I felt that some of them were ones that I really needed to dig into and work on, and some of them I've had a bit more already covered. But I think that the certain aspects of each module had a change and adapted depending on what we needed. The great thing was it's really specifically aimed at our kind of business. So even though we were doing different things in the group with our businesses, the information was still really specific to the kind of world of, you know, textiles or fiber arts or whatever you want to call it. Sure, what to call it, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So that was great and obviously things do change and move quite quickly. So, for instance, the thing that I noticed most was when we did the section on websites. So that had kind of changed quite a lot when we looked at it again and it was sort of new information, new research. So yeah, I really appreciated that because obviously you know you'd really done your background work on what was new and what we could use when developing that side of things. So, yeah, I think things had changed, but it's still the kind of core things that we went back to, but maybe in a slightly different way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think with the program it's always going to. The information is going to change and I cannot like copy paste the program for it for every single cohort. I will have to add to it, subtract from it and make it more up to date. So it's always going to be like a breathing thing. But also everything that we've worked through together and running a business is always going to be a process. It's always going to be things that you would have to look out for that might need changing on your website or your customers, or even new social media or new other types of tools that you can use. So it's always going to move and that's a big plus point of doing this online and not having it in a book. But then I'll just write the second version.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, grace Manika. What was your experience of the program? Being the only one and the first one that also got the one on one sessions with me, which I call kind of mentor sessions, but I know you see that differently. So if you can say a little bit about that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, for me it's 12 weeks of hard labor, but good labor, because everything was Not everything was new, but a big part of it was new to me and I took it very seriously, sometimes maybe a little bit too seriously. So I was the whole 24 hours a day was the BBC in my head. But now it's better and now I can harvest what I put in time into it and I think it is a big thing, a good thing, but a big thing Because there is part of it is coaching, and coaching can be tiresome for the coachee, for me as a person. You have to do the work and some exercises are difficult In the meaning of you have really have to think about it, and not for two seconds, but for at least 15 minutes or so. So it is good, but it's quite a work.

Speaker 1:

There's definitely work to do and there's a lot of introspection, because the modules are about you, your business and your offer. So the whole program is built on the idea that you run your business from a holistic kind of view, so finding out what your personal values are and connecting them to your business values, finding out how much time you actually have to put in your business while you can still have a healthy and happy family life, or because lots of people are not just business owners and to keep it going, to build a sustainable business. That means that you have to kind of organize your life and all the aspects of it in that way, and that takes a lot of thinking and figuring out. And, as we said before, the practice, the ongoing practice, is going to be a lot easier once you've done that initial work. And yeah, yeah, it's definitely not. It's not, it's not a vacation.

Speaker 3:

No, yeah, it's really. If you have to do things and you have to know in front that you can take 12 weeks and work on it, so have the time to do it, because it is all doing.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely. And doing, thinking, taking it with you in your head At the same time. It is true that what you said, you're taking it super seriously and that's the best way that take it seriously. But this, the work, should be doable in a couple of hours a week and all the extra time that you add to it is extra. And one of the things we teach, or I teach, which is very hard to do in the beginning, is to take messy action, to do it even though it's not perfect, to get it done and move on to the next thing. And that can be hard, but that means that you have some sort of base where you can go back to that and kind of fine tune it on your next leap over.

Speaker 3:

And that is what I recognize now. Now it's now a week, a week or so. We stopped them, we're done. And now I'm looking over and again and start with the first chapter and now it feels a little relieved. So I know what it's about and now I have my own space and time and go all over it again. So it's yeah, you have a double plus a year fall.

Speaker 1:

And you know. What's interesting as well is that I'm the guide and you call me a coach, but I'm no official coach yet. I feel like I'm a mentor and a guide and maybe a teacher. No, I am a teacher, but I go through the steps with you. So every time I land on the chapter values or the chapter content creation, then I look at it again, I look at my work and how I do things and I tweak things with you as we go along, because it is an ongoing thing.

Speaker 1:

The real answer is thank you so much for being honest, marika. It is hard work. You need to do the work and it's never going to be easy or boring or boring, but we will have guidelines and steps and things to hold on to and figure things out, because they're right in front of you. So you know what. Do a nowhere to go? I think yes. Can you perhaps talk a little bit about the different kinds of ways that the program is built, so we have our course material in the community and we come together, all those kinds of things? Or perhaps, grace, if you can answer that, yeah, sure.

Speaker 2:

So the group itself, my kind of the first cohort there was four of us plus yourself. So I think what we did develop a really great relationship between us and something that's kind of carried on through our meetings. We would meet every couple of weeks without you just to kind of talk things through and also share our homework in the feed. It was really useful to have different opinions on what you should do if you had a problem either with looking at the coursework or something else that was business related. So that was great to have that kind of support, and I feel that that's something that will hopefully keep going beyond the business circle or however we decide to use it.

Speaker 2:

I think the different modules where there was always something fun or a new question that I hadn't really faced up to before, there was a lot of facing up to things and things were quite difficult or out of my comfort zone. But then that's part of growing and learning, I guess. I think the messy action is something that I've really taken with me. So sometimes, with everything else going on at work, it can be hard to think, oh, I've got to do the coursework as well, how am I going to fit that in? But, like you say, if you just start somewhere and do it, then you can maybe get something of real value within 15 minutes, half an hour, which and I still go back to some of those original notes now and find them really useful when I'm looking at what do I want to go back to with my business? How do I want to take it forward?

Speaker 1:

How much time would you say it would take you per day, week, to do the program?

Speaker 2:

It varied really. Like I say, some modules I felt that I was kind of I had things covered because I delved into that. So, for instance, with the website although now I'm looking at ways to improve my website, a year ago I was quite far on with that compared to some people who were just starting and were just developing a website. But with other things like planning, which was definitely one of my weaker areas, there was more time invested because I was looking at different planning platforms and different ways of planning. So I would say that, as well as the meetings, I would say, yeah, like a couple of hours a week minimum, but then what you're doing is you're actually implementing that in your business, so it becomes part of it in the end. That's the whole point of it.

Speaker 2:

It's not a kind of separate thing, it goes into your business. And the messy action thing is definitely something that I think of all the time now, because if I'm stuck, I just go right, what can I just do? I need to do something, even if it's not perfect, and a lot of the time we can be paralyzed by the idea of perfection and things become huge and massive and something that's really difficult to tackle. But I think the course helped me to break things down and find a way to start somehow, so that's something I'll always take from it, I think.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, is that anything If we're talking about? You were saying that your website was something, that you already were at a certain level of building a website and then, even though you've learned some more, you work quite comfortable there. Planning was something that needed more attention, marika, for you. What were areas that you kind of already answered that you said most things were new for me. What chapter was important for you?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, marketing, branding that was totally new and planning was not totally new. But I knew I had to do things. I did not plan anything, so I learned to make good. That is a good thing and that is marketing and branding and the website it makes me. I knew I had to start it but I didn't know how. And now I do know how, but I have to do it, yeah.

Speaker 3:

And you also did have quite a breakthrough in going through the information about who is your customer Maybe that's the most important part of for me in the program was when I have to think about branding and I was stuck. I couldn't go forward or backward. It was annoying. And suddenly I realized that it was annoying because it was not at that moment it was not clear, totally clear who my customer was and I had a different.

Speaker 3:

I made a persona for a person and I did it with interviews and, just like you said, you had to do it. But it's the person, the persona I made. I did it like her totally. It was a person I really hate a little bit and alongside I had two pillars on my business One was the adults and one was the children, and the children were on the Wednesday midday and the Wednesday was, for me, the best part of the business. So suddenly I thought but children, it had to be children. Of course it had to be children. Yeah, it surprised me that. It surprised me because I know for years that I connect easy with children and I like their curiosity and their creativity and so on and so on. So in the midst of the program I changed totally my persona or my business.

Speaker 1:

And that kind of meant that you have to go through everything again with the other client in mind.

Speaker 3:

So that also explains a little bit why it was so much hard work for you, because you kind of I did it twice, yeah, but that's why the album is so good, because when you are on the good track it helps to do the program, because if you are on the good track, all the exercises are good for you and nice. But if you don't are on the good track, it's a very rough ride, and I took the rough ride to the middle of the program. Then I changed and after that it was a very easy, nice road with little bumps.

Speaker 1:

I'm glad I asked you this too, so we get both perspectives. But yeah, that's how it went and it was as of many. I like to say something about that because Manika and I did the one-on-one conversations. We had an hour call, sometimes a little bit over, every other week, and because of how that evolved the program and how it helped, I have decided to make it part of the program and, as a consequence, it has to stay a small group because I don't have enough time to do this with loads of people. But it is so valuable because I was able to ask Manika certain questions and because of that, she kind of figured out that she wasn't on the right track and she adjusted course, and that made such a big difference that I still think that, from the perspective of a mentor, a teacher, coach, whatever you want to call it every time I hung up with the conversation with Manika and also that has a lot to do with Manika, her own personality, but also the type of conversations I was so full of energy.

Speaker 1:

This is where I love to be, this is where okay, give me what's going on, what can we do, how can we solve it, what way do we go? And this is what I really love about this work and also making the connections People. Knowing that on one Monday you are hanging out with the group together without me and you're working on your businesses together is just wonderful and just being able to learn from each other in a in a way that doesn't have anything to do with what we are sometimes scared of being that it is too open, that you're going to share your business secrets with other people. We did a podcast episode on that. It's not like that at all. It's a supportive environment and it's really positive and it's a huge win that everybody wants to keep connected to each other and that is the difference between getting a book or getting multiple books and spending time on your own figuring it out.

Speaker 1:

And in this program is built as a gray set for a specific group of people in the textile fiber industry and it's built in a way that you connect to others and you can do your own work and that's not going to be all super easy but it's going to give you a lot of value in different ways. Some people will find the value in the connect, find most of the value in the connections, and other people will find most of the value in the, in the chapters and in the exercises. Can you share with us, both of you, what, what will, what part of it will help you to go forward from now on?

Speaker 2:

Well for me. It's given me some really good tools for when I feel stuck and overwhelmed. So I know now there's a different process to follow and it might be starting with that, that messy action, or it might be getting someone else to do something for me, because the time and energy that I would need to put in just don't add up. So it helps me to make those sort of decisions. It's given me the confidence to ask, ask my audience, listen to my audience, see what they want, but also realizing that because we look so much at our core values and what we want for our businesses that we can't beat everything to everybody, which is something that you might try to do.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, I think what I've got from it is that it's really important to stick to my values, particularly in a world where I think so much has changed, even over the last couple of years, and the way that we communicate with our audiences, whether that's through email or social media, that's all really changed. Everything's become much more crowded and competitive and overwhelming. So I think this gives me, or has given me, the kind of focus to deal with that, but just focus on what I want to do, what is good for me what I want the business to be and how I can make it fit in with the rest of my life without having a complete breakdown. And also, change is a good thing, it's a natural thing, and it's not about failing. It's about doing what is the right thing for you.

Speaker 1:

So yes, I'm like 10 points Handing out stickers. You got it. I'm like what is your answer to that? What will you get from this going?

Speaker 3:

forward now. Yeah, just what Ceregrino said the values. I think you know what you're worth, and maybe you already knew what your values are. But door, by making exercises, you know better what your values are. And if you know what drives you, then everything is much easier.

Speaker 1:

The biggest takeaway you got from all of this is having a mission and a vision, knowing what they are and having them as anchors to kind of sail with. Can we talk a little bit about the practical way we work? So we work online with video. We have the membership. We work online. We work with video. We are in this platform, the Yavl community. What was your experience in the kind of day-to-day working with all of this? And, marika, you can maybe later on also say something about the fact that it's English, because that is something that lots of people that are listening to might have questions about. So what did you think of the way we work in a practical sense? How did you experience the platform we use, being online with each other? I?

Speaker 2:

think that my T-next network was a new platform for me. It took a little bit of getting used to, but then it was easy to navigate and use and it was nice to have something separate from other platforms and other social media to keep the course in one place. The online meetings were great. They were really valuable both the wins and woes with Saskia and our group accountability meetings and they were just so useful to share our experiences and really get to know the other participants. I was really pleased that everyone else spoke English. That sounds awful so English of me, but it was. Yeah, everyone was great and I was just in awe of their English speaking abilities, which made everything much easier for me. Obviously, I enjoyed the way that we shared our notes, which was through the platform, either typing into the feed or you could share photographs or documents, and I think their worksheets are really great. They will be a really good addition to this sort of newer course and help to give you something back to refer back to when you need it.

Speaker 3:

Working in the BBC platform and making the exercises in English was no problem at all, but accountability group sessions were a little bit difficult because I felt unsure of me speaking English. When you were in doubt, I should say just do it, because for me it was the best present I gave myself in years. I learned a lot about myself and I learned a lot about how to start the business. It was nice to meet other people. I made some new friends. So is it worth?

Speaker 1:

Yes, definitely so. In the beginning, marika was having trouble with English. It was one of the things that she wasn't sure about how it was going to go. But going forward and meeting the other people in the group, she would just slow down a little bit and actually the language barrier helped her to really think about what she's going to say and it actually turns out to be a help and not as much of a strike block anymore.

Speaker 1:

So the person on the other end of this sound wave is listening and they're going. I really want to do this. I really need to do this. This sounds like it's exactly what I need, but they have a little. They're a little bit on the fence. They're not sure. It might be a little bit pricey, because Grace stepped in at the exactly right moment when I was building it and in exchange for the work they did with us, they got a lower price. Marika is one of the people that is in the new price cohort. It is an investment. Anything you want to say. If people are on the fence, if they are not sure whether they want to do it or not, do you both think it's a good investment? Will it come back to you in one way or another. The amount of time, energy, money you will spend to be three months and a bunch of euros, dollars or pounds. You can find the information in the in the show notes, obviously, if you want to know exactly how much it is.

Speaker 3:

You get a lot for that amount of money because it's three months of coaching, so that all alone. If you should have six one-on-ones with you alone, it definitely is price worthy. But now you have and the one-on-ones and you have the exercises and you have the other persons, so it's a big yes. You get so much for the price, more than that, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for doing this. You're not getting paid. Let me state that when we first started this interview, it was like be honest. Be honest, just say everything, because I need the person that's listening to know if this is for them or not. And if it's not for them, I'm just as happy, because that's just making it clear. I don't want you to think I'm not sure, is this for me? I feel like this kind of wobbly energy around it all the time. I hope that at the end of this amazing interview with these wonderful women, that you know this is for me or this is not for me, and that was the aim of this interview, and Grace and LaLeyka have been open and honest, but also really friendly and generous, and thank you both so much for doing this and for giving your time and your thoughts. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

I built this program from the ground up. I truly and utterly enjoyed building it in the last three years and, as I said in the interview, it's a living, breathing thing. So it will change with every new cohort and you will always keep access to what you've paid for. I'm getting great, great reviews and testimonials and I'm trying to collect them all and send them out to you, and it feels really awkward in one way, but in the other way it really doesn't, because this is something that we've built together, me and the first cohort, and then with the second cohort. It just grows and it just changes and I'm super proud of it. I mean, if somebody tells you you should write a book about this so that I have it with me all the time, that's a big deal, so you don't have to take my word for it, which makes me feel much more comfortable. Take Marika and Grace's word for it. After listening to Marika and Grace, I hope you find out if the Yavl Business Circle program can help you and your business, if you are ready to invest and make use of three months of momentum and support to end up with a compass and a framework for your business that will help you for years to come. If you are interested, or even if you are on the fence but interested, or if you can't wait to join, you can always reach out to me and ask me anything through info at yah-wallcom.

Speaker 1:

It's important to mention that the group is going to be small because I want to try out the one-on-one conversations with all members and my time is limited, so I'm not just saying that to push you to decide soon. It's just true. There are only a few tickets available this round and if you want to wait this one out, the next one after this will be in 2024. Early bird prices are up until the 1st of August, also not to push you, but to thank you for letting me know early that you are in and you can join and directly helping me fill up the course for others. If I have to wait until the last minute to know if it's going to be a large enough group, then that really doesn't help. It doesn't help by nerves and it also doesn't help me prepare for you. So 12.5% percent of discounts If you are ready now and if you want to join.

Speaker 1:

I think the last thing that's really important for me to share with you is that this program is all the best things that I've learned in the last 14 years 15 years my education, my courses, the books. I've read all those things. I took out the best bit, so you don't have to waste your time. It's a combination with coaching and business coaching, mentorship, community If you put all of that together, just like Marika said in the interview. Compared to the corporate world, this price is so low and it's been a struggle finding the right price because the value is really high. But I also do this work for a particular kind of business and they usually don't have a big budget.

Speaker 1:

My mission is very important to me and I think that lots of people in the small business world in fiber and needle crafts are reinventing the wheel because they're not connected, because they don't have an education, and that's not necessary. With these three months of doing the work together, being focused, using the momentum. Just head down and do the work. You will be so glad that you did, because this is saving you years of studying and hourly rates that are crazy. I can talk for hours and hours about this, but I think you've got the most important bits. If you want to reread about the Yavol business program, go to wwwjah-wolcom or you know you can also just go to patternchieffm and you'll find the information there. Let me know if you have any questions. Just email me at info at jah-wolcom. Are you in?

The Javel Business Circle Program
Experiences With Program and Mentorship
Challenges and Benefits of Business Program
Benefits and Practicalities of the Course
Yavl Business Circle Program Overview
Yavol Business Program Benefits