I'm pretty sure we'll have a lot in common
"Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: I’m not screwing around. It’s time"
Brene Brown
I understand the deep desire that hits at this stage of life
As a Next Chapter businesswoman you value contribution and fulfilment, for your work to have impact, meaning and purpose. You want your business to nourish and energise you, a business that complements rather than commandeers your life.
You also want and deserve to be well rewarded for the difference you make in the lives of your clients. But it can be common to get stuck doing the work that you can, but not necessarily the work that you really want to do. Change without support can be challenging, no matter how strong your desire.
It’s also not unusual to find your business growth stalls, that client enquiries become sporadic and for self-doubt, comparison and procrastination to kick in. And it’s certainly no fun to work in isolation when this happens.
IF THAT'S BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TURN THE PAGE?
Because I agree wholeheartedly with Brene, it IS your time.
Your world is opening up now.
- Perhaps that’s because you’re emerging from taking full-time care of your family or others who’ve been depending on you.
- Perhaps it's because you've outgrown your old business vision and are ready for change, for something that's more...you.
- Perhaps it's because you've come through illness, separation, divorce, addiction or trauma and you’re battle-scarred but stronger and more insightful and with a strong desire to share your message and to infuse this experience into the heart of your business.
Whatever your catalyst, it's your time.
Have you noticed your desire to be “on-purpose” in your business has increased significantly? That there’s a growing sense of urgency to respond to that yearning inside to reach your potential, to have more impact, to have, significance.
I can help
I'll help you develop and give structure to your ideas for a new business, to revitalise your existing business so it feels more aligned with the woman you have become or to expand and grow, to play bigger in your market. Together we’ll work on escaping the Comparison Trap, letting go of self-doubt, getting clear on your message and business model and mastering wholehearted marketing and sales so you can balance your desire to attract clients and cash flow with your desire for contribution and fulfilment.
Why is this work so important to me?
Because I wasted far too much time stuck in The Comparison Trap and all it's should’s and musts, believing that what I really wanted to share and do with my work was not possible because, compared to so many others, I wasn’t enough.
- Smart enough.
- Strong enough.
- Qualified enough.
- Distinctive enough.
- Confident enough.
- Just. Not. Enough.
When I finally developed the courage to let go and make the leap into My Next Chapter in 2012, to create and build the business I wanted rather than stay in the one I thought I was limited too, the feeling of joy and relief and the many, MANY women I have worked with since who are now on the same journey, confirmed it was the right decision. There really is so much more waiting for you when you listen to your heart and trust yourself.
What do I believe in?
I believe in new possibilities. In evolutions, not revolutions. In progress, not perfection.
I believe in you, and your ideas, the contribution you are here to make.
I believe in the woman that you have become.
I want to help you build your self-belief. I want to provide you with a fresh perspective so you can develop clarity on your next steps. And then I want to help you build a business model and marketing structure to bring your vision to life and define what success in Your Next Chapter will look like for you.
And, perhaps most importantly, I want to connect you with other like-minded women who are also in their 40’s and beyond and embarking on their next chapters in business and life too so you no longer feel isolated.
I'm so glad you're here
In my wee corner of the web, because although I’m very happily anchored in my happiest of Next Chapters now, it took me awhile to get here and I’ve learned how to navigate the bumps on the road and that means I have so much to share with you to make your own journey a little easier.
Life in my Next Chapter is so much better than it used to be!
I’ve worked hard on developing a healthy self-belief that springs from a solid core of self-worth, and that effort has paid off. I’m doing work I love, work that aligns with my heart and makes a difference.
But, like so many Next Chapter women, my present has been built on the skinned knees of my past.
Let's go back a few years...
Because I still get goosebumps when I look back and, with the benefit of kindsight, see how all of the steps have led me to where I am today. Things do seem to happen for a reason!
But in the early 2000's I was struggling. By definition I had a wonderful life. A husband, two lovely kids, a nice house in the suburbs, wonderful friends, a successful corporate marketing career followed by a freelance marketing consultancy I ran from my home after the kids were born.
All the happiness and success boxes appeared to be ticked.
But I was stressed out by all that I was juggling. I was often unhappy, overwhelmed and carrying a massive load of guilt for feeling that way.
I was fearful that the Everything's Fine facade that I so carefully presented to the world would crack and the real story of my “not enoughness” would be revealed to my friends and family and clients.
In the midst of a spiralling self-belief crisis (which had been my traveling companion for a very long time, in fact, since my teens), I had become increasingly dependent on winding down with a few drinks at the end of the day. I loved the way it felt when alcohol quieted the doubts and turned down the volume on the judgmental voice that harassed me from the inside.
The problem is when you try and numb your emotions, you don't get to selectively choose which feelings are anaesthetised. The good are removed as well - confidence, courage, motivation, positivity, they are all gradually eroded.
I was stuck in a horrendous self-destructive loop.
Eventually - thankfully - I began to understand that outside solutions can never fix inside challenges. With help and support, I flicked that switch and stopped numbing myself. And I began to grow again.
I began to believe in myself and my worth and just what I was capable of. This major shift allowed me to begin a new chapter in my life. I've since realised that it's our self-belief that shapes the extent to which we flourish and expand. It's our ability to listen to - and act upon - our own intuition that supports us.
Another chapter began as my marketing agency emerged
Once I let go of the external props that had held me up (and held me captive) - once I took hold of the resources within me, my optimism, enthusiasm, and self-worth were revitalised.
This new vitality spread into my business life. The small marketing consultancy that I had launched at my dining room table in 2003 grew. And grew. And grew!
I moved from being a solopreneur in a home office into serviced offices with casual staff. And from there to buying an office in Chatswood and expanding my team to four staff. Together we built a healthy multiple six-figure turnover, serving clients in three states.
But by late 2012, something else dawned. I realised I’d built a business that utilised the skills from my previous corporate life, but one that was no longer fulfilling.
I now knew from experience how important it is to pause when these feelings emerge. To listen when our hearts speak.
I remember thinking:
"Can I really do this? Should I? Can I really let go of this business and start anew? Isn’t there something just a little bit foolish about letting go and starting again at 43? Shouldn't I just knuckle down, suck it up and make this work?"
But then I considered the alternative. I imagined NOT making a change. Not following my heart. Not listening to my intuition. Staying safe. Staying where I was, doing what I was good at, but doing it without joy. I began to understood that just because you can, it doesn't mean you should!
And so it was time for my Next Chapter to begin.
That's the business you have discovered here - the synthesis of all of my strategic marketing experience and my personal development journey into self-belief and worthiness into coaching and mentoring of women who are also stepping into and owning, their own Next Chapters.
Magic happens when you choose to trust yourself. When you define success by your own values, not anyones else's. When you align purpose and possibility with positive action. The ripples you create then help and inspire others in ways they never imagined. Ways that you never could have imagined earlier in your life.
Because success and fulfilment isn't just about what you accomplish in your life. It's also about what you inspire others to do.
Next Chapters are often characterised by significant shifts
Shifts from ambition to fulfillment.
From should to could.
From success to satisfaction.
From obligation to contribution.
From maybe I can to yes, I'm leaping!
It’s all about e x p a n s i o n and it's exciting and scary and challenging and freeing all at the same time...
Are you ready for a new possibility?
Let's have a Wholehearted Conversation and explore how I can help you take the next step, just click here to read more and get started.
Warmly,
The "Official Bio"
Following a corporate Media career in advertising, marketing, sponsorship and sales with News Limited, Angela launched her Marketing Consultancy, Ideas Into Action, from her dining room table in 2003 after the birth of her children.
Ideas Into Action provided diverse expertise and solutions across business planning, marketing strategy, graphic design, website development, copywriting, launch strategies, project management and more and the business quickly grew to a stage where Angela purchased an office in Chatswood, leading a small, committed team of four staff and several contractors, taking care of small to medium-sized clients in three states.
In 2012, Angela made the decision to move on from the world of purely strategic marketing and to cater to the emerging market of female entrepreneurs. Drawing upon her depth of business and personal development, she has created a unique blend of marketing and mindset support to help women in their 40’s and beyond flourish in a “Your Next Chapter”® business and life.