Seeds of Wisdom: The Harvest Tells the Truth
By early August, the garden begins to tell the truth about the season.
The tomatoes are ripening. The squash plants are stretching in every direction. The raspberries have come and gone. Some crops are producing more than expected, while others are struggling.
This is the time of year when I begin gathering what is ready.
But harvesting is not only about picking what has grown.
As I move through the garden, I am also paying attention.
Which varieties produced the best fruit?
What was damaged by too much rain, too little rain, insects, poor soil, or conditions I could not control?
What would I do differently next year?
The harvest is not just about what I receive from the garden.
It is also about what I am learning.
What Has This Season Actually Produced?
The same is true in business.
By August, enough of the year has passed for us to see patterns.
If you have been tracking your revenue, inquiries, conversions, referrals, client retention, and other important numbers, you probably have enough information by now to know what is working and what is not.
You may not have every answer.
You can begin to see where your clients are coming from, which offers are generating revenue, what people are responding to, and where you may be putting in effort without receiving enough in return.
This is part of receiving the harvest too.
It means being willing to look honestly at what your business has produced.
Don’t Rush Past What You Have Grown
For many solopreneurs, this is harder than it sounds.
We can be so focused on how far we still have to go that we overlook the progress already in front of us.
A successful launch becomes the beginning of another project.
A financial goal is quickly replaced by a bigger one.
A service that has become easier to deliver is dismissed because it now feels easy to us.
Instead of receiving the value of what we have created, we turn it immediately into more work.
Your harvest may include increased revenue.
But it may also include clearer messaging, better-fit clients, stronger boundaries, more referrals, better systems, greater confidence, or a growing reputation for the work you most want to be known for.
What has become easier because of what you have learned?
What are people now coming to you for?
What progress have you been too quick to minimize?
Before you rush toward the next goal, take time to notice what has grown.
A Bigger Harvest is Not Always a Better One
Recognizing what is working does not mean ignoring what is not.
When I harvest from the garden, I do not simply count how many tomatoes I picked.
I also look at their quality.
Are they healthy?
Was the variety worth growing?
Did it require more attention than I expected?
In business, revenue matters.
But revenue alone does not tell the whole story.
Which offers are most profitable?
Which clients are the best fit?
Where are your strongest referrals coming from?
How many conversations are becoming clients?
Which marketing activities are producing results?
Where are you investing time, energy, or money without seeing an appropriate return?
You may discover that an offer is selling well but takes too much time to deliver.
You may find that you are getting plenty of attention but very few inquiries and conversions.
You may be reaching your revenue goals while feeling exhausted and resentful.
Your data is not a judgment about your WORTH or your entrepreneurial prowess.
It is simply showing you what has happened in your business as a result of the actions you have taken so far.
Use What the Harvest is Teaching You
If your results are not where you hoped they would be, August is not too late to make a course correction.
You may not be able to change what happened during the first seven months, but you can use what you have learned to make better decisions about the months ahead.
You might focus more attention on the offer that is already selling.
You might strengthen your follow-up with people who have expressed interest.
You might simplify your services, improve your invitation, adjust your pricing, reconnect with referral partners, or stop investing in a marketing strategy that is creating activity but not results.
The goal is not to panic and scatter more effort everywhere.
When you know where the problem is, you can make a thoughtful adjustment.
The purpose of reviewing the harvest is not to criticize the season behind you.
It is to use what you have learned to influence the season still ahead.
A Healthy Business Gives Back
A healthy garden gives back.
It gives food, beauty, pleasure, nourishment, and seeds for the next season.
A healthy business should give back to its founder too.
That is what I mean when I talk about helping solopreneurs grow businesses they love and that love them in return.
This includes compensating you fairly for your experience, time, creativity, leadership, and care.
It should provide some combination of financial security, satisfaction, freedom, opportunity, meaning, and room for the rest of your life.
Receiving the harvest means allowing yourself to recognize the value you have created.
It also means being honest about whether your business is giving back in proportion to what you continue to give it.
As you begin August, take a closer look at what this year has produced so far.
Celebrate what is growing.
Examine the quality.
Pay attention to what the numbers are telling you.
Then decide what deserves more attention, what needs to change, and what you no longer need to keep tending.
The harvest is not only what you receive.
It is also what you learn.
What Is Your Business Telling You?
Take a few minutes this week to look at your year-to-date numbers.
And if you are having trouble seeing the patterns clearly, let’s talk.
Together, we can look at what your business has produced so far, identify what kind of course correction will help you build a business you love—and that loves you in return.
Gratefully,
Markey Read
