Mistakes happen.
I make them all the time, one-off oopsies like typos, broken links, showing up late for a meeting. Mostly, I shake them off and forget about them.
But sometimes a mistake not only stings – it sticks around.
One of the most painful mistakes I made was about losing the biggest source of referrals for my business.
Here’s what happened:
Prior to 2022, most of my new clients came from organic traffic to my website. Every month, 3-6 people would fill out a form and request a free Wildspire conversation. Some of them would hire me as their coach. It worked beautifully.
Then, just as I was beginning my immigration to Portugal, my website traffic dropped more than 50% and those leads disappeared.
I didn’t notice right away because an international move was a teensy bit distracting. It was a bonehead move, but that’s not my biggest mistake.
My biggest mistake was relying on a single source of clients.
I put all my dragon eggs in one basket. When that basket vanished, I was SOL.
The irony is that I used to teach this exact lesson to wedding professionals back in my Book More Brides days. Diversify your lead sources. Don’t depend on just one referral stream. DOH!
Since then, I’ve been rebuilding by focusing on connection calls and intentional outreach. Next I’ll be adding broader content sharing and collaborations. It’s working, but it’s been a slower climb than I’d like.
So please, learn from my mistake.
Take a moment and reflect: Where do your clients come from?
Do you have more than one stream of leads?
If not, this is your nudge to diversify before something unexpected yanks your basket out from under you.
And if you’d like some support with this, I’ve got something fun for you.
This month inside the IMPACT membership, our theme is Follow the Creative Spark, and I’m hosting a live, co-creative workshop:
Sell Your Workshop in 72 Hours on August 13th
A playful, practical experience to help you launch your next online offer—fast.
You’ll get step-by-step guidance, live co-working time, and the inspiration to get out of your head and into momentum, with zero overthinking or complicated tech required.
Perfect for coaches, solopreneurs, and creators ready to turn an idea into income.
https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/impactinvite/
Yours in love and play,
Steph
