Notes from a Small Business - April ‘24
The Tara Birch Change Consultancy
March was an incredible month - it was the official launch of The Tara Birch Change Consultancy for one thing (just in case you missed it!), which is a career milestone for me.
After accepting redundancy at the end of last year, I’ll admit that I was (a little) nervous. I could have stayed at the company and accepted an alternative role, but I knew in my heart that it was time for a change. All I’ve ever wanted to do is help people - businesses and individuals - with personal wellbeing, professional development, and organisational success, and the role I was offered didn't align with my passion, purpose, or values.
The only way to achieve what I wanted professionally was to go it alone (well, with a little help from my incredible network, of course), so on 27th March 2024, The Tara Birch Change Consultancy was born. Building the business is a work in progress, but I’m loving every minute because I’m working towards my true passion and purpose.
As well as working towards providing a comprehensive suite of services for both businesses and individuals, I’ve been hard at work fine-tuning the website and producing marketing materials. My inaugural LinkedIn newsletter got an incredible 2000+ subscribers in the first month, far exceeding my expectations.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Another thing I’m always conscious of is to prioritise my continuous professional development, whatever else is going on around me. Online courses are a great way to do this, because their flexibility means you can pick them up whenever you have a spare 30 minutes. I’m always brushing up on my skills with online learning modules, because it’s important to me to keep on top of new developments, so that I can always deliver my services to the highest standards.
The importance of self-care
Obviously it’s been a pretty busy time, which has reminded me of the importance of proper self-care. For me, this has taken the form of a 5-day vegetable detox cleanse (it was fabulous - DM me for details if you’re interested), which I’ve combined with healthier diet and exercise choices and a better sleep routine. It’s always difficult to put yourself first, but it’s so important if you want to be able to show up in life with energy and enthusiasm, particularly when things get hectic.
Create a healthy workspace
I also gave my home office a lick of paint, bringing new life - and joy - into the space. Out with the old, in with the new! I could never have imagined the difference it would make to my mindset. Creating a calm, organised and pleasing environment to work in is more important than many people realise: not only does it boost productivity and efficiency, it also reduces stress levels.
Self-doubt, imposter syndrome and insecurity are a normal part of life
Of course, it’s important to be intentional about taking care of our body, mind, and soul, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have bad days too. Like everyone else, I experience self-doubts and imposter syndrome; I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t. It’s something that we all live with, so let’s all work towards normalising this side of ourselves, and being open and honest about our insecurities and fears. If you follow me on LinkedIn you’ve probably already noticed that this is a topic I’ve talked about in several of my posts over the years, and it’s something that I’ll be covering in greater detail in future blogs.
Out and about
Last month, I was lucky enough to be invited to join the Women in Security Awards network afternoon tea, where we celebrated #IWD a day early and heard from some inspiring guest speakers. I also attended The Watercooler event at ExCel London on 23/24 April, and I’ll be at The Workplace Event at the NEC, Birmingham on 30th April, so watch this space for my top takeaways.
