Goal
I have a BHAG to share with you.
Are you familiar with BHAGs?
It’s an acronym that stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
We talk a lot about BHAGs in business.
And this is definitely a business BHAG.
But as an entrepreneur, my business goals always, always have to do with the kind of life I’m working to create.
This goal has surfaced in my mind at different times throughout my business building journey.
This time, I have to claim it, share it and really, really go for it. Because it’s a matter of life and death.
My BHAG for my business is that it will directly support my health.
I recently rebranded because I added some services to my menu. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I went through a season of pivot and release. You can hear more about that time in my WHEN Story™ “Wanna Fight?” on YouTube. Bottom line—I let go of coaching teens/young adults/parents and focused my business solely on event emceeing and speaking. Because I had to scale back.
Ultimately, and not for the first time, I came to realize that I am not a one-trick-pony. I never have been. As I share in the WHEN Story, I’m not bite-sized. I’m a full buffet. A multiple-trick pony. The word is multi-passionate.
Multi-passionate has always been tough to market, though. Which makes it hard to gain momentum and repeat clients.
This time, instead of stepping into something new, I’m stepping back to a time when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. In college, I wanted to work in publishing. I wanted to write and play with words. I wanted to be surrounded by books and the beautiful thoughts, concepts and ideas they contain.
I’ve been working with WHEN Stories™ as Director of Publishing for the last year or so. In that process, I’ve published multiple books. Last year, I also published my first book, Welcome to the Stage: The 360° Approach to Hosting Events Like a Pro. Since publishing my own book and learning my way around anthologies and Legacy Books, I’ve become a pretty incredible editor, formatter and cover designer. So I started offering these services to other business owners, specifically speakers, coaches and consultants. For these entrepreneurs, authoring a book offers a huge boost in credibility and improves conversation and conversion.
It fits with my event work in that it’s another avenue of human connection, which the best businesses know is worth investing in. And it’s working. For the first time, I have a lead pipeline and even a current, high-profile client who is already talking about their next project idea for me.
Between my work with WHEN Stories™, event emceeing, speaking and now adding self-publishing support services for other speakers and coaches, I expect to see revenue this year grow at a level that has felt out of reach for the last five years I’ve been in business for myself.
And my BHAG for that revenue is that the amount I’m able to pay myself AFTER expenses, taxes, etc. is enough to pay for ALL of my healthcare. My sessions at Brookfield Health and Wellness. My scans and annual insurance deductible. My acupuncture, craniosacral and massage therapies. My supplements and medications. Devices, tools and technology to use at home. Holistic dental care.
Right now, I can’t. At all.
My business is currently paying off some debt. My business income is covering all current business expenses and investments in some future opportunities. I’m essentially breaking even in the business and not yet pulling a paycheck, which might seem discouraging, but I have plans, projections and systems in place that all point to the fact that it won’t be like this for long.
The fact that I’m breaking even is actually huge, since the whole reason I took a full time job was because it had been losing money for years prior.
Right now, my paycheck from my day job goes to household expenses and debts along with my husband’s income. Right now, for my personal health care and cancer-healing I’m relying on and deeply grateful for the generous financial support of friends and family via my GoFundMe and direct contributions to me and to my care at Brookfield Health and Wellness.
This support has meant so much to me.
I’ve always worked so hard, and it has never been quite enough to get ahead.
Because of the funding I’ve received for my care this season, I feel like I can breathe. I feel like I can pause long enough to look at where I am, where I want to go and see clearly what I need to do to get there.
And when I get there—because I will—not only will I achieve my BHAG of paying for ALL of my own healthcare with my business income, I will also have the ability to finally give from the overflow and support others in similar struggles. That’s the BBHAG—the BIGGER Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
And because of you, I’m confident it’s going to happen.
If you’re interested in supporting my healing, you can donate through the GoFundMe below or visit saradeacon.com/support for other options.