A Love Letter to June
This is the first (of what I hope to be many) blogs that are not tied to a podcast episode. I LOVE doing the ones for my podcast and also have had the nudge to write freely especially to capture my reflections, learnings, and experiences each month.
So, welcome to our first monthly reflection and love letter to June, with the high potential of more to come!
What is to follow:
Background on what led up to June
The big decisions made within the first 4 days of the month
The spaciousness, fun, and stress that followed
My 1:1 VIP day that included & has created CREATIVE FLOW
Finally taking back my power & owning who I am/what I do
Three key takeaways for YOU
A Little Background
Let me give you a quick background especially if you have not listened to the recent podcast episodes or been in my world for a while.
My husband and I are expecting our first child, a girl! We found out at Disney by building a lightsaber the color of the gender and are excited to be welcoming her in October.
We bought our first home in May. Crazy process with the loan and even additional learnings from negotiated additions since then.
I hired two new people to join my team for my consulting business, Success Beyond Strategy. I made the decision in March to fully niche down into supporting clients in software migrations and transitions only (more to share on this niche from June).
The consulting business (my primary source of income for both me and my husband) went into a major lull end of April and has continued.
I hosted my third Immersion in La Crosse, WI. It was the best one yet between hiring an event coordinator/strategist to support me, the group of women in the room, and how each piece fell together perfectly.
Round two of the Intentional Mastermind Experience kicked off for 5 months with five incredible women who I have dreamed of being in this container!
And probably more that I cannot think about right now but you get the gist. So let’s dive into my reflections & learnings from June!
Big Decisions Were Made in the First 4 Days
I have been working with a hypnotherapist for almost a year now, the incredible Kelsey Lettko. After our last few sessions, she mentioned doing an additional call specifically for me to Mastermind myself, talking through my current commitments and upcoming commitments as I head into maternity leave.
To start, I did an audit of what all my commitments were. This is the exact process (auditing, masterminding, prioritizing) that I do with my clients and funny enough I couldn’t tell you the last time I did this for myself!
During my own audit, I listed out all the things I currently was doing or had committed to in my business. All were so exciting and things I had dreamed of. And, many were draining my energy, had no return on my time or financial investment, and as someone who at this point was 22 weeks pregnant, had no extra energy to focus on.
So in my own individual audit, I had already made these decisions:
Cancelling/stopping my local events in Boone (Women’s Roundtable, Coffee & Co-working, and The Walks)
Pausing the podcast and email newsletter at the end of September as I head out on maternity leave.
Releasing the pressure/need to be on live calls for online communities I am a part of.
Then came the mastermind session, all focused on me……
We worked through my list, agreeing the above made the most sense. Other commitments, current IME journey, consulting business, event integration kit… were great for me to continue.
Then we happened upon The Immersion that I was planning to host in July. These always fill me up and… when Kelsey asked me, “Do you have to host in July? Can you reschedule?” It hadn’t even been a thought.
We didn’t have much time to discuss as we were at the end of our time so right after our call, I sat with this question.
My immediate internal responses were “I can’t lose the money I put down for the venue”, “what about the women who already said yes”, “what will people think of me? Will they trust me if i change my mind and reschedule”.
The list went on and on, then I imagined what it would feel like in my body if I did reschedule the Immersion for next year………… and this IMMEDIATE relief set in. All these additional tasks that were on my list for the next 4-6 weeks, would just fall away.
In that moment, I knew my decision.
The Immersion in July 2026 was getting rescheduled for May 2027. It scared the living crap out of me and also I knew right now my priorities had to be somewhere else (i.e. building the financial stability in the consulting business, growing a human, and setting both businesses up to automate/run without me).
The Space, The Fun & The Stress That Followed
When I tell you this decision changed everything, it literally changed EVERYTHING.
I was already in the midst of a few other projects that needed to get done but had been dragging on because of my capacity. So, immediately the week after making the decision to move the Immersion, I took a deep breath and dove into the projects and fun things I had been putting off!
Finished up the full migration from ActiveCampaigns to Flodesk- I was so excited about this as it was upleveling my emails, workflows, and checkouts like crazy. And by the middle of June, I was able to complete the project with some incredible women and start using Flodesk fully!
Had the time to sit in the waiting room (for over an hour) without stressing so I could register myself, my husband, and mom for the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend. Yes that might sound crazy and hello, big Disney and running fan over here!
Finally get my hair done and AGAIN, not stress about the time taken away from working in the businesses.
Record some epic guest podcast episodes for Imperfectly Impactful and not have to reschedule because of limited time and energy.
Took weekends fully off from work. Able to be fully present for birthday’s, continue settling into our home, and lots of laughs/snuggles with my husband and pups while being in awe at the human I was continuing to grow.
Each of these things, and more, truly lit me up during this 10ish day gap. Yes, constantly I wanted and tried to fill my time with things that were “productive” but not really. Yes, I constantly was worrying about finances because now I had all this time and space where projects on the consulting side were supposed to fill and didn’t. Yes, I was still tired AF with this spaciousness I had never had before.
Yet with all of that being said……. The creative flow, the energy when I was/am working, has been unlike any other.
My 1:1 VIP Day & the Creative Flow That Followed
A few months back, I had made the decision to invest in a 1:1 VIP day in Boulder, CO with Krista Ripma.
Like many times I make decisions to invest in myself and business, I really don’t know what I am getting out of it. And this time for sure, what I thought when I made the original decision was no where close to what I actually needed and got from this day.
First off, I decided to stay at the Omni Interlocken resort. It was going to cost me the same whether I stayed in Boulder at a Residence Inn/Moxy hotel vs this incredible resort outside of town. The difference being, I got a resort credit, $300 off because of booking through Amex Travel, and an amazing breakfast every day.
Then, I made the decision the week before to treat myself to a spa day. I cannot tell you the last time I got a massage nor spent the day at a spa. So the day before my full day with Krista, I FULLY RECEIVED and poured into myself.
Earlier that week, I had met with Kelsey, my hypnotherapist, again and the continued words that came through were rest and receive. So very fitting I had this day planned setting me up also to have the fully energy and creative flow for the next day with Krista.
Now this is where it went from, I am ready for this to wholly crap I did not know how much I needed this!
Krista does not disappoint with these 1:1 VIP days treating you to coffee/tea, meals, her brain, and so much more. So I don’t get too wordy here with how the day went, I’m going to bullet point out what actually came from this day:
Actually allowing myself to RECEIVE.
a. I went in with an open mind and heart letting what ever was meant to come through to come through from this conversation even if I got called out (which hello Krista is not afraid to do and most definitely did!)
b. Halfway through the day I decided also to pull a few cards from some oracle decks and low and behold, the first one I pulled said ‘RECEIVE’. If that wasn’t a sign and reminder, then I don’t know what is!
Realization I had been giving my power away, waiting around, beating around the bush…. So many different things with the software company I am partnered with for my consulting business. It had been FRUSTRATING the last few weeks.
a. During the session, we dove into how I could take my power back, removing pressure honestly from the software company themselves, create lower tier offers to reach more of their clients, and above all, start to make connections and partnerships with other DME/HME software companies.
One of the biggest realizations I had: deciding fully to niche down to DME/HME companies and software partnerships moving forward.
a. This was a freakin no brainer, as I had spent the last year learning all the lingo, processes, workflows, etc of this industry. No more spreading myself thin or thinking I would. We’re going narrow and deep!
Renaming my Post-Event Integration Guide to the Event Integration Kit with all the tips and tricks from Krista on fully branding it, updating my messaging, and 100% committing to getting this in front of more people.
a. Marketing, specifically ads, is what Krista is known for so a piece of this was discussing how to offer this to event hosts for their attendees and then using ads to get in front of attendees at larger events I may not be able to be in the swag bags/sponsor.
Realizing I was missing a free resource, so brainstormed and cannot wait to share this so soon!
Seeing the full picture: she laid out for me by implementing these strategies and rolling out IME and the Immersion next year how my businesses can AND WILL bring in over $300K next year if I stay fully committed
Creating my 90 day plan before maternity and right after.
a. This was my main goal as I want to set my businesses and teams up for success while I take time off. My goal is 4 months fully off the businesses. I know it will not be 100% but the goal is 90-95% of my time those 4 months will be focused on my daughter, my husband, our pups, my health/recovery, and truly being present with where we are and all the new.
Lastly, and one piece I did not expect, was the financial mindset discussion we had over dinner. Krista will tell you how it is and is not afraid to hurt your feelings (part of the reason I adore her and working with her so much!)
a. We talked about how I am so successful, will continue to be, have all this confidence, and so much more……….. Yet when you mention financials or money, I become so emotional.
b. I won’t dive too much into the details here but we had a very frank conversation on what the last two years have looked like for myself financially. The highs and lows and extreme lows.
c. Three big things came from this: one, I am not as bad off as I feel I am (hello being an entrepreneur). Secondly, this is only a season for my business. And third, this is probably the big block that is time to be addressed and fully embody including having a conversation with some people I have been putting off for a VERY VERY long time.
This is only a snapshot/summary of what we discussed, discovered, strategized, and worked through during my time with Krista. I am beyond grateful for her, to start implementing the strategies, initiatives, and fully embody parts of myself I have not for a while. Which leads us to the final part of the month……….
Taking Back My Power & Owning Who I Am
When I returned from Boulder, I was one, very tired (again hello pregnancy and growing a human!) but two felt the fire of clarity, passion, and excitement for what was to come the next 90 days, rest of the year, and even 2027.
So what did I do?
We prioritized, created an action plan, and started IMPLEMENTING. What I teach and preach, I was finally putting into action again for myself.
Let go one of my new team members. Financially, I couldn’t sustain paying her and projects hadn’t landed the last 3 months as we thought.
Prepped a pilot program to launch with the software company we are already partnered with.
a. Pitched the pilot program, that included 3 new ways to support their clients in fully adopting their systems.
Created templates to be able to pitch this pilot program and more to other DME/HME software companies and DME/HME companies themselves.
Updated the Post Event Integration Guide
a. New name, Event Integration Kit
Added all the branding, started charging, etc.
Made a list of events I want to offer this kit to for free
a. Listened to on repeat the “I Trust” elevation from the Elevated Collective (Kelsey’s community) after realizing there is a lot of trust in myself that was lacking in this season.
Taking all spaciousness that had been created and allowing the creative flow to pour through me on the days it does. It is how we not only discussed offers during my 1:1 day but now I have full one pagers, powerpoint decks, and sitting here allowing myself the call to write instead of podcast this week.
I know this was a long blog, and if you made it to the end, first off thank you.
Out of all of this writing though, there are three things I want you to take with you:
The most important audit you will ever do is the one you do on yourself. List your commitments, be ruthlessly honest about what is giving you energy and what is draining it, and then ask: what actually has to stay? Most of us do this for everything and everyone else first. Make yourself the priority.
Let your body answer before your brain does. When I imagined rescheduling the Immersion, I did not make a pros and cons list. I felt the relief in my body first and that was the answer I knew deep down. The brain will come up with a thousand reasons to stay stuck. The body almost always knows the truth faster.
Receiving is not a reward for when the work is done… It is the work. Rest, support, spaciousness, a spa day, a VIP day, and an oracle card that reminded me again to receive….. all of it was not indulgent. It was what made everything else possible. The creative flow, the clarity, the fire I came home from Boulder with. None of that happens without first allowing myself to receive it.
There is so much on the horizon these next 90 days before we meet our first child, our baby girl, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue sharing this journey with you. Even after she’s here. Every chapter, every season we go through has lessons for us to learn and my hope is to share these moments with you so you can learn along with me (and maybe even move through your own quicker).
For now, I am rooting you on and remember….. You do not have to be perfect to make an impact on yourself or other people. 💜
Cat Roten
Intuitive Leader & Mentor