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Hello 2022 (Big Company Changes)

Hello Blog. Hello, 2022. A lot of changes are coming! For one, yes, this blog is now my name. You will see there are three main categories on here—personal, adventures, and projects. 

The START blog will be all things business, organization, and finance and I am going to start writing again!!!!  

Friends, I needed these last couple of years exactly how they have been, but it has not been easy. I have been in a season of relearning, SO MANY changes, moving three times, and honestly, in the midst of it all, I realized I lost my voice. Well, I didn’t lose it, I just didn’t have the energy to stand up or out because I needed to survive and help myself! I had all these ideas to share and do this and that and I didn’t have the time or resources to make the shifts needed.

Why am I starting with all that? Because I know someone else in a season of survival, one where you feel stuck and not inspired, and you just need to hear… stay focused, stay your course, do what you can, and you will be on the other side soon! I also know that putting my head down was what I needed to do. For me, my kids, and my own journey of growth! My energy and time were limited, so I started just creating boundaries and trying to give myself grace.

There is a lot to say and recap so I decided to also record a video from my home office! And more details are below if you want to grab some popcorn and keep reading. 🙂

House Moves. 

Yes, I lived in Jasper at North Georgia Escape 2019 for a while. Before I took out a line of credit, turned it into the company, made it successful, it actually skyrocketed during COVID, and I sold and exited in 2021 when that time was right for me. I almost sold in 2019 because I didn’t know if I could handle two houses and another yet another company, but I felt it in my gut it wasn’t my time, and I also just was not ready. God’s timing on it all. 

2019 I bought a home back to where it was “normal” for me in the same community I literally grew up in and also had been raising my kids. It was the right home at that time, let’s call it the country club home. It was a total gut, and it was so much work. I was not afraid of work, and I had the vision, but during that process, I got overwhelmed and started stepping back in areas from a social perspective, for which I am now grateful. It was a year of a lot of work and then one day, I went to the gym, got on the stair climber, and I started not being able to breathe. I had done it many times before, but I couldn’t shake it. I got off, stood there for a minute, and realized I needed to get out and I was having a panic attack. It was not just out of the gym, but it was those same routines, areas, my head and for me, I was done being stuck somewhere that I didn’t feel like was me, and it was maybe even triggering. 

I grew up wanting to be like other people. I still want to be accepted and liked. Who doesn’t? My parents would drop me off at school in their work clothes and work trucks, and I remember seeing the Mercedes in front of me and thinking that is a success and one day I will be able to do that. In the nice neighborhoods with the country clubs, with the nice car, and just being in the “in”. I spent years being in the “in” environments and places where I just didn’t feel “home” or “in.” I was there just didn’t still feel like I belonged. And boy, did I have it wrong as a young kid on the idea of success.

Well… I decided to sell and moved yet again in 2020 to the lake home! I was terrified, to be honest, but I knew it was what I needed for my own growth and to feel at peace. This meant changing up my kid’s schools, my routines, and everything that felt safe was gone. It was not an easy decision and one I felt like and know it was the best move for everyone. And it was to another home that needed restoring! Yes, apparently I like projects. To a little bit of land, but it had more of a laid-back vibe. I took my expensive car, traded it in for one-half the price, and started restoring this home by making it us and finally setting in roots for the first time in 4 years. We have been here now for going on 2 years in July!

To be honest, during it all, I had all these plans to share projects and spaces completed. Share organizational tips for how it got done. Shares ways to save money during the process. Share the how or the why. Share the financial whys to help others think bigger pictures, but what I realized is I didn’t have the bandwidth and the other reality was… I was not grounded or organized myself completely, and my life was in and out of boxes. How could I give advice, when at moments, I felt like I was drowning with all the pivots everywhere. I knew what I needed to do and I put my head down and kept going until it was right.

2020 and 2021 affected STARTplanner heavily. A company that does 7 figures in sales and all of a sudden, the world stops planning. It shut down due to COVID. Transportation costs double. Supplies raise 70%. And now that it was a bigger operation, overhead was high. I could keep going. But it was a constant pivot and re-planning on my main entity and primary income for my children and me. Not only was this me as a single mom I felt the weight there, but I had employees too that depended on me. I had nothing to give to anyone. I felt like I was surviving and honestly, I don’t think I realized how heavy all the weight was until I started it all down.

I don’t just have the Start Brands while some companies during COVID were impacted negatively others soared. So now let’s add a couple more layers. I also felt called to buy commercial land in 2021, so that is what I did – which I am calling Vision Properties. I plan to break ground on that this year!

 Then I felt called to buy residential land and develop some of it, which I am calling Marble Ridge and doing so this year as well. 

Then I had someone need START HQ and they wanted to lease the entire space(a building that I own). Giving myself 60 days to move out. Eventually, Start will be at Vision Properties, so this was another reason why it feels right. The Airstream I got is also part of the plan as well and I will explain that soon too.

I know all that sounds like a lot. Which it is. I am a fixer and a builder at my core and that happens with a vision and a plan! I am organized and grounded and I am back to operating from a place of inspiration, not fear! I also realize my routines and habits on planning, finances and all the other things are important when things are great…. but more important when things get hard! It is HOW you plan your way out! You know your numbers, plan with action steps, learn, put your head down when you need to, and take intentional steps and you also have also of amazing people along the way that helps you.

Every business or personal decision I have made has not been right. It has been the years of lessons that honestly lead to the next move. End of the year, I got sick, and it forced me to rest, to take bigger steps back, and to really decide where, how, and with whom I want to step within 2022?  

With Start Planner, we already rolled into Start Brands and started a course last year. But I want to do so many more because honestly, this is where my joy lies and my competitive advantage as well! 

I want to teach….

  • Organization with Computer Files 
  • Start Knowing My Numbers – Business Edition 
  • One on One Business Coaching that I used to do and LOVED
  • Workshops that I used to do to teach others. 
  • How to organize Photos 
  • Top 5 apps on your phone to make you more productive. 
  • How I use my quarterly planner. 
  • How I use credit card points to get free items
  • Why this or why that…. 
  • I could keep going… 

And I want to share my next project with all of you in real-time! Vision Properties AND even recap some other areas that are done, and I had no time to share. START is my purpose. Actually, I think reSTARTing is now my purpose, and I know I am meant to not build a wall here but yet pivot in big ways and continue stepping!  

How does all this happen? WITH A PLAN and action steps even in the midst of survival. It is how you get out and to freedom! 

 Here are some of the highlights of what you can expect in 2022

  1. I am hiring. I have hired a marketing assistant. I can’t do it all. And I don’t want to do it all! Not going to do the things I don’t like doing anymore and getting back to the things that I love!
  2. I am cutting out the mid-year line for Start Planner. I realize this will affect thousands of you. I am sorry. Two reasons are 1. Mid-year line is when my kids are out for summer and I don’t want to gear up to be on when I just want to intentionally be off. 2. If we don’t cut it, our team won’t have the time and resources to produce content like above. The reality is I would rather be able to help 10,000 people giving them my all vs 70,000 people and feeling depleted. So 2022 Dated line this is IT until 2023 line! 
  3. Startplanner.com –> is officially startbrands.com, where all websites and brands will be operating under one entity now! HOLLA! 
  4. The Quarterly planner that so many of you have adopted that I use full time. Know we plan to have that system FULL time, and I plan to create content showing you how and why. You just wait…

Grateful for it all. 

The lessons. The highs and the lows. To be honest from a financial perspective, I don’t have to do Start Brands. I could stay in my bubble and do my thing with the other ventures and the passive income that I have built with hard assets, but I know that is not what I am meant to do. I am not meant to build a wall. I am meant to use my voice and help others. God has crafted me and my journey exactly how he intended for me for this very purpose because the pain points that many others are feeling I have felt them in my core. 

2022 my voice is coming back it will just be a different way. I am SO FREAKING excited to bring you more content that matters to help you! Also once again have space to share my passions. My only goal in being here is to inspire you. That may be in my voice, you hear and see reflections of you and YOU keep STARTing! I am still learning, imperfect, and figuring my journey out as well, but I have never been more clear on my passion and purpose. If you are not on the Start Brands newsletter… You might want to be!

Here is a glimpse of my big picture vision board for 2022! Have a blog post coming up soon showing this up close, the how and the why, and I use it with my STARTplanner.

  1. Nicolle E Stevens says:

    I really love the mid year planner but i am so excited to hear your courses and changes. Am a huge fan!

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