By Juli Hall as told by Sara Shelton
Part of our “My Blueprint Story” Series

Zero.

That’s the number I saw staring back at me at the end of 2017. As the owner of an event venue in rural Georgia, it had been my busiest year in business yet. We doubled our events, working year-round to host more weddings and private events than ever before. I was putting in more hours behind the scenes during the week to keep the business going and growing.

Did I know exactly what I was doing? Not really. But was I figuring it out along the way? Sure! And where had it gotten me?

Zero.

Yes, that’s right. When I did the year-end report for our business at the close of our second year in business, I was stunned to realize that we made no money that year. After all that work, we took home basically nothing. Sure, we brought in money but with the high overhead costs of running a venue, at the end of the year we did little more than break even.

I was defeated to say the least.

I’d been lost, exhausted, and overwhelmed in my business. I was running myself ragged to keep up with the schedule we took on that year, and now, not only did I realize it didn’t pay off, but I found my excitement and enthusiasm for the business itself completely drained.

That’s when I found the Blueprint Model. I met Shanna when I was completely in the weeds, but what she offered me through the Blueprint Model helped clear the way for a better business and a better lifestyle for myself and my family. Here’s how:

1.

I learned to understand my numbers.

I always knew the numbers in my business, but the Blueprint Model helped me actually understand those numbers. There’s a lot of overhead that comes with my particular business (because running a venue isn’t cheap!). And understanding my numbers helped me uncover that my pricing was only covering that overhead. If I didn’t raise my prices, I would never do more than break even in this business. Understanding my numbers showed me that.

2.

I stopped apologizing for my prices.

With the formula and confidence in place to raise my prices, I then had to stop apologizing for actually raising them! The Blueprint Model helped me stop feeling guilty for charging more. I didn’t need to compare myself or my prices to others. I didn’t need to feel greedy for wanting to make money. In order to successfully raise my prices, I had to do it with confidence and that meant I had to stop apologizing for it.

3.

I identified my ideal client.

Rather than market to everyone, the Blueprint Model helped me see that I could (and should!) market to the kinds of couples who work for us. We don’t have to please or appeal to every single couple in our area looking for a wedding venue. Instead, we can look for customers that are the right fit for us. We can work with our ideal clients.

4.

I found balance.

This might be the most important thing I learned in the process! I have two teenagers at home, and before the Blueprint Model, I wasn’t giving them near the time they deserved. I was working 40 hours during the week and every weekend we had events on top of that. Even my team was feeling the strain of this lack of balance. But through the Blueprint Model, I saw that I could bring on more people to help us all find a little more balance. I delegated some of my work and responsibilities and increased my team in the process to find more balance at home and at work. And an added bonus, I got to take on new people and help them grow and shine in their positions, too!

You’ve heard the saying: Knowledge is power.

Well, it’s true! The knowledge and understanding of my money changed my business. It gave me the freedom to make the best changes I could for my family, my team, my business, and myself. It gave me back some balance (and helped me make some money along the way!).

That is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.

P.S. DO YOU DREAM OF:

→ finally making money doing what you love!

→ providing real income for your family without having to sacrifice all your time and energy to the non-stop hustle.

→ transforming your business (and life!) just like hundreds of other men and women who’ve implemented this proven business blueprint.

If that sounds like a dream year, then I want to invite you to join us inside The Blueprint Model!

JOIN THE BLUEPRINT MODEL WAITLIST FOR MORE DETAILS!