Many of you know that this past February, I had an eye issue that resulted in two surgeries over the past five months.
And you may also know that I didn’t handle it all that well.
I’ve told people that I lost my mojo. But honestly, I didn’t fully understand what that meant until something happened this past week.
I got back to work. And—get this—I was productive. Really productive.
It was almost shocking.
I didn’t realize how unmotivated I had become until I felt that motivation come rushing back. And, funny enough, once I reopened the doors to my business, speakers looking for help started flooding in.
Apparently, they were waiting for me to come back, too. 😊
So, what did I learn from my five-month hiatus?
1. If you need time—and can afford to—take the time.
I know what a gift it is to have the ability to reduce your workload and put your business on cruise control when you’re dealing with a health crisis or another major life event.
But if you have that option, take it.
You need time to heal. You need time to think. And sometimes you need time to simply figure out what comes next.
If you don’t have the luxury of stepping away completely, figure out what you can take off your plate. Even a little breathing room can make a difference.
2. You can’t force creativity.
One of the unexpected gifts of this time was being able to do some serious soul searching.
And interestingly, it was easier to figure out what I didn’t want first.
Then I could start drilling down into what I did want.
If you had asked me to write a book during those five months, it would not have gone well. Partly because my vision was compromised, but also because my creative juices had simply stopped flowing.
You can’t squeeze creativity out of yourself when the tank is empty.
Sometimes you just have to give it time to refill.
3. Keep a skeleton crew.
Fortunately, I was able to keep my team in place. I also kept a small, stable group of clients who helped “keep the lights on,” and I had some savings to fall back on.
I know that’s not possible for everyone.
But I would encourage you to know your numbers. What is your monthly “nut”—the amount you absolutely need to bring in?
Know that number.
And if you have the luxury, cherry-pick the clients you know you’ll enjoy working with.
Maybe that means doing less speaking and more coaching or consulting for a while. Or maybe, in the face of a serious diagnosis or life event, you need to drop everything.
There’s no one right answer.
The point is to build enough flexibility into your business that it can bend when you need to.
4. Disability insurance can be a Godsend.
I didn’t end up needing to dip into my disability insurance, but I’m very happy to know it’s there.
I have coverage for the big setbacks—things like a heart attack, cancer or stroke—and it pays a lump sum if something serious happens.
Hopefully, I’ll never need it.
But knowing I have that safety net gives me peace of mind.
I know insurance is a complicated subject, especially in the U.S., but it’s worth understanding what protection you have—and what you don’t.
And now… I’m back.
I feel much, much more like myself.
My eyesight will probably never be 100%, but I’m incredibly happy with the outcome of my latest surgery.
And more importantly, my mojo is back.
Which brings me to a couple of things to watch for this fall…
She Thrives is coming in October.
I’m launching my women’s program, She Thrives, in October, and we’ll kick things off with a webinar on September 16.
If you’re interested, reply with “WEBINAR” in the subject line, and we’ll make sure you’re on the list.
And… there’s a new kind of coach coming.
Over the past several months, I’ve been doing a deep dive into AI for speakers—testing, exploring and figuring out where it can genuinely help.
And here’s what I’ve discovered:
For general help, AI is terrific. But when a speaker needs sound advice about building a speaking business, more is required.
That’s why I’ve been working on something very exciting.
Later this year, I’ll be sharing my newest program—a learning experience that includes Coach Jane in Your Pocket, powered by AI.
This has me REALLY excited.
Because it means personalized, knowledgeable, proven coaching can become accessible to so many more speakers.
If you’d like to make sure you’re on the list, reply with “POCKET COACH” in the subject line.
Well…I’m back.
And it feels really, really good.
Thanks for being with me through this journey, Wealthy Speakers.
I’m excited about what’s next. ❤️
Wanna talk about what’s next for you? Let’s have a chat about what you’re moving toward!
