This week's Better Together Round-Up is here! Think: one strategy that actually moves the needle, the resources you didn't know you needed, and a few fun favorites we're loving right now. Quick to read, packed with value. You in? đź•’ 3-minute read, unlimited inspiration.
Hey Reader!
My girls were in kindergarten when I started this business. They turned 13 last month.
And every year since, the same thing happens after summer.
The pool bags get put away. The school calendar fills up. I sit down to plan out the fall, and before I map a single launch, I ask myself one question.
Should we still run the Co-Op Mastermind?
It's a fair question. I started it six years ago. Hundreds of women have been through it, and I've watched it change their businesses, their schedules, and their families.
But it's a lot, because we run it differently. The biggest difference is you don't sign up with me and then work with someone else. It is you and me, side by side for 9 months. And that is what moves the needle the most.
The Co-Op has evolved and grown over the years (as have we), but the concept remains the same. The experience is exceptional. ​
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Every member gets a full "human" audit and a 1:1 with me every quarter (aka real conversations), plus weekly deep dives into her business. Every month, for every member, I spend 1 to 2 hours preparing for her calls and another 2 to 4 hours inside her business, reviewing her assets and helping build her systems. My team is in there with her too, and I'm managing that team behind the scenes so nothing slips.
I've seen a lot of programs. I've bought a lot of programs. Not one comes close.
And still, every time I open my inbox, there's another one promising instant results. đź‘€
I won't lie. It gets in my head.
Because I want instant results too, but I know long-term that doesn't work, and then I start questioning if what we are offering is right because it isn't the "easy" path.
So this summer, I almost said no. I was tired of competing. Of picking up the pieces of those that have overpromised and underdelivered. It felt like I was walking uphill while everyone else took the escalator.
Then I did what I always do. I went through my quarterly planning process, one question at a time, until I got to this one:
What brings you joy?
I didn't have to think long.
→ The Co-Op. 💛
→ My team.
→ The retreats.
→ Changing families' lives.
→ Showing women they can build a sustainable business with more free time and more vacations. I've even helped plan a few vacations this year.
→ Building systems so marketing gets easier and less stressful.
→ Untying women from their phones, so life feels a little less heavy.
So I said yes. One more year.
And recently this fall, two client surveys (that they complete each week) showed me why.
The first one. This summer, one of our members was running her business in the cracks of her week. Fifteen hours, two active clients. Her win that Friday was reading a book for fun and holding her little boy while he had a fever.
Around then, she started hosting local networking events. Her first one made $12.
She kept going. She followed up. She sent her numbers in every Friday, even on the slow weeks.
Her third event just made $773.55. Under "Where do you feel stuck?" she wrote: "Nothing. I feel the heavy has cleared."
The second one. In September, another member renegotiated one pricing agreement. It wasn't a new offer or a big launch, just one agreement she finally had the numbers to push back on.
For the first time, one of her core products started making money.
In October, she collected $33,870.38.
On her scorecard she wrote: "I crunched a lot of numbers and feel really good that I know what our numbers are, and what we can do."
I read both of those twice.
That's the part instant results never show you. The $12 event. The unglamorous pricing fix. The Fridays they kept showing up anyway. Growth that's still there next year.
I honestly don't know if the Co-Op will continue after this year. I do know the women in it right now are building something that will outlast whatever trend is happening now.
That's what we've always offered. Results. Community. Real human support.
If you want to build that with us, applications for the Collective Co-Op close November 25.
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​There is a lot that AI can do. The experience it can't touch.
XO,
Holly
P.S. Wondering if this is your year? Hit reply and tell me what's going on. I'll give you an honest answer, even if it's "not yet."
Your Weekly Anti-Social™ Shift
Ask the joy question.
Before you plan next quarter, write down what in your business brings you joy. Then hold your plan up next to that list. If the plan doesn't make more room for it, change the plan first.
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Worth Clicking
A few things I'm clicking, buying, and loving this week.
- Want to hear it from the women themselves? The Co-Op Stories playlist is our members talking through their real businesses, wins and hard seasons included.
- Community is the theme that always works. If you've wondered how to scale a membership, Elle Drouin's Membership Growth Toolkit walks you through it.
- The Claude skills you'll actually use (and how to set them up) are all in Kate's Claude skills bundle. My CMO skill is in there too.
- Thinking about outsourcing? The Pocket C-Suite is a free private podcast from Madelyn Victoria. Ten experts each share one strategy from the seat they'd hold on your team. I'm the Chief Strategy Officer, and Katy, our COO, is in it too. You also get an invite to a live call on Dec 3 at 1pm ET.
- My new favorite holiday pajamas? These.
- Poppy is eating most of our holiday decor, so we made the girls' rooms festive with new bedding instead.
Some of the links I share may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase. I only ever recommend tools and resources I truly love and use myself. Think of it as a little thank-you for supporting what we do around here. 🫶
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This Month in the Community
Tue, Nov 17 · 12pm ET: Anti-Social School™ Marketing Roundtable. We share what's working, what's not, and dial in your client attraction plan.
Tue, Nov 24 · 12pm ET: Club Monthly Planning Party. Leave with your next 30 days mapped.
Tue, Dec 1 · 2pm ET: Anti-Social School™ Sales and Ops Call with Katy, our COO. She helps you find your next sale and walks you through exactly what to say and how to follow through.
Not in a room yet? The CTR Club is the easiest way in. Anti-Social School™ is where you build the whole system. And the Collective Co-Op is by application through November 25.
Quick Picks
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