A personal post for those who are interested; it’s been awhile since I’ve done one!
This past year was a year of fast growth for KGF. As with any growth, there are growing pains. We had a host of changes, I see them as “additions” and “subtractions”.
🎥 We switched our video platform. It sounds boring but it’s a huge job when you’re a video based business and you have hundreds of videos and clients to move! Our members now enjoy a MUCH improved site, and it was a lot of work but we’re so happy we made the switch.
🏠 Moving my studio space OUT of the house after recording on our main floor for almost 4 years. This has been a dream come true! ✨ To have a proper work space (aka studio) outside in the backyard, with more room for me to record and have guests in the videos with me… not only that but room for both me and my husband to have our office outside of the house.
I am truly so grateful for the new space, and now my kids have to put their boots on and cross the yard if they need mom, so it’s eliminated some unnecessary interruptions like tattling and questions (Moms field a LOT of questions ya know? 😆) It’s been a GAME changer to have this space. Physical AND ‘head’ space.
One of the things I’ve learned this past year as an entrepreneur is that you have to be able to let things go. You sometimes get to a point where you really don’t have the option to keep holding on to them anyway! For me by the end of this past year – stress was building steadily as I continued to do a lot of the things I usually did, but with more customers, more demands, and the same hours in the day. I felt frazzled and was starting to feel worn down, to the point of getting sick 3x in 3 months. I just needed – help!
🥑This past December, we had our friend, neighbour and RHN join our team! Katie has been a godsend – she is a huge support on the back end with emails, and is working continuously on developing our nutrition division. Further information to come – but for now she’s already created 3 unique meal plans you can snag! She’s even gotten Barre certified and is helping me with a few classes here and there which is SUCH a help!
👩🏼💻And video editing – usually something I did in the evenings after my kids went to bed, it’s now done by my awesome sister in law! I have to say, it’s pretty nice to not have to worry about it anymore and she’s making those classes look pretty great! ✨
📚 Homeschooling – For a few months my smart and talented niece had been coming out to tutor her cousins for a few hours in the mornings, which has given my husband and I the time necessary to work together, get caught up on some big tasks, and attend to the business and its demands. She’s finished up helping now, but we were so grateful to have her assistance!
📲Instagram – I’ve been off for 7 months! I still sometimes need to post the occasional update or schedule, but I’m no longer posting stories regularly or surfing the app. And let me tell you – it’s high up there in the “best decisions I’ve made in my life” bucket!
I realized that my brain was under assault every time I opened the app and wanted control back of my TIME and MIND. And yes, I have gained that and so much more. Freedom, connection, less worry, clearer mind, easier time falling asleep, no comparison traps, no rabbit holes… LIFE IS GOOD off instagram. 🙌 These apps are designed to addict you to them and life is too dang short.
⚖️ I realize now in reflection on this past year that I was balancing a lot. I knew it was busy, to be homeschooling 4 kids a portion of the day, then rushing to fit all my work into the next portion (which was literally never enough time), then rushing to make supper, then running kids around their evening events, then trying to finish work the remainder of most evenings… Not to mention volunteer work, regular family events, and running as a hobby…
It sometimes felt like I didn’t have a free SECOND. I actually caught myself a few times RUNNING from room to room to try to get things done. 🙈 It makes my cortisol rise just recalling it!
And now that I’m on the other side looking back, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to sustain that much longer. Did I mention my eye was twitching for 2 months? 🤔
With the help we’ve gained, and the things I’ve subtracted, I feel like I’m breathing easier again. 😮💨
And this is important, because as I tell my clients all the time – you have to take care of YOU if you want to be able to be of any help to others. If I want to keep helping women gain better health, I need to be in good health myself.
I also know this is a privilege not everyone has, and if you’re reading this as an overwhelmed, frazzled woman with less support than you need – my heart goes out to you. I hope that you find your way through. ❤️❤️
So that is my little update.
This year has been off to a great start, and I am so grateful. Thanks for being here – I appreciate you!!
Kathleen