Listen on Apple • Listen On Spotify
Sometimes, the biggest business months don’t look how you’d expect. They’re full of wins, yes… but also exhaustion, late nights, and lots of help. In this blog, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a season that’s been full-on in every way… but one I’ll never forget.
We’re (almost) in our dream home
Let’s start with the house. We’re not officially in yet, but we’re this close. I’m recording this from a room with a plant in the background just to make it look a bit more homely (ha!).
Building this house wasn’t even on our radar originally. But when the perfect block of land came up across from our old place…spacious, full of birds, close to town…we just had to say yes. Since then, it’s been months of council approvals, bushfire paperwork, tile delays and Kmart storage binges I did not budget for. But it’s almost done, and I honestly can’t believe I get to work from a space that feels so me.
Rebuilding my DIY Design My Biz course
For the last six years, DIY Design My Biz has helped hundreds of business owners create their branding and graphics in Canva. But lately, I’d been feeling this deep nudge. It needed an overhaul.
So I did it. Fully. I re-recorded every module, rented a studio, worked late nights, and pulled together Canva Docs that include templates, worksheets, checklists and games. I wanted every module to feel like a done-for-you support system.
I had to call in help: my team formatted slides, my video editor jumped in, and my designer Vanessa was there on studio day to keep me sane. It’s been a lot. But it’s also made the course better than it’s ever been, and I’m so proud of that.
Launching while parenting
While all of that was happening, I also launched the refreshed version of my DIY course with a masterclass. We ran Facebook ads (which, honestly, performed better than I could have dreamed), had 2,000+ people sign up for the masterclass, and welcomed 50 new students into the course. It was my second-biggest launch ever.
But here’s the real story: I worked every nap time. Every evening. I sat in a library sound pod to write the outline. I approved edits while breastfeeding. This wasn’t glamorous, but it was meaningful.
And then… an award
Someone nominated me for the Bendigo Business Excellence Awards (whoever you are, thank you!). I became a finalist in three categories. And then… I won.
In the Small and Succeeding category. That moment on stage, crying, realising how far I’ve come… it was surreal. Not because of the trophy, but because it helped me finally say, “I do have a real business.”
And If you’re a solo person at home running your own business, I want you to know that yes, you are a real business too.
Ran my first retreat
Another dream came to life this month, my first ever in-person retreat, co-hosted with my amazing friend Hazal. We had four incredible women join us in Daylesford for a few days of branding, marketing, and deep convo.
Was it a lot? Yep. Was I tired? 100%. But also… it was special. We learned that next time, we’ll build in more white space. But honestly, it reminded me just how powerful in-person connection can be.
Finally hitting 10k followers on Instagram
It took me nearly 10 years and over 1,700 posts to get to this milestone on Instagram. The growth wasn’t overnight, but it was worthwhile. And if you’re in the early stages of business, keep going, because you’ll get there eventually.
What’s really made all this possible for me?
Support. I don’t say that lightly. This month worked, just barely, because of the help I had:
- A team of 10 keeping things running behind the scenes
- A toddler on my hip while I coached clients on Zoom calls
- A coach who reminded me to write an awards speech
- My husband, my parents, my community
I didn’t do this alone. I hope this gave you a little insight into what it really looks like behind the scenes of business. Whether you took some tidbits or just enjoyed the blog, thank you for being here.
If you’re not already hanging out with me on Instagram, come over to @whitedeergd. I share lots more of this kind of stuff over there.
WORK WITH JACQUI:
// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb
// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub
// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio
