The ABCs of all the things I learned in 2020 that helped me DOUBLE my revenue - Chanti Zak - Copywriter & Funnel Strategist

Happy New Year, friend! 

This is me tip-toeing my way into 2021… 

Seriously, I tweaked my preggo back touring our new friend’s free-range cattle operation and can still barely walk 😅

I might be way behind the rah-rah “new year, new you” shenanigans but I do want to share a few important lessons I learned in 2020. 

And as much as I loathe most listicles, this somehow naturally morphed into a full blown A-Z list of realizations! Forgive me, but also, this *hopefully* isn’t your typical yearly recap. 

The ABCs of all the things I learned in 2020 that helped me DOUBLE my revenue 

A you’re Adorable (bahaha, couldn’t resist, sorry for the ear worm)… *Ahem*, seriously A is for AGILE + ANTIFRAGILE:

Nassim Taleb’s best-selling book Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder explores the surprising benefits of hardship and uncertainty. 

How he describes it “Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.”

Full disclosure, I haven’t read it yet but I am a fan of the concept. 

It’s been about 75 years since the first world (ugh, hate that term) have experienced any real collective hardship. This year was us dipping our toes in the water of what that looks and feels like. 

My heart breaks for all the added pain and confusion this year brought to the world. 

But to online business owners like you and I, and anyone who’s entered this space, there were undoubtedly silver linings. The thing about silver linings is they’re hard to separate from the mass of grey that makes up most of the cloud. 

There were many times this year where I personally felt paralyzed. The stream of “what ifs” felt incessant — and still does. But despite not knowing what would happen I kept taking action. I’m betting you did too and I’m almost certain it made us both better business owners. 

Which brings me to the next ‘A’ — agility. Holy toes! They got a workout this year. Lots of fast moves, from launching during the peak of lockdowns to launching again, totally messing up the timing, and doing it anyway. 

My prediction for 2021 is that agility and being able to move and pivot quickly based on what’s happening in the world is going to become even more important. I mean, what if Facebook decides you’re no longer welcome there and pulls your account? 

My favorite commentary on the whole debacle so far: 

(^meant to be funny, please don’t @ me)

B Balance is bullshit 

It doesn’t exist. At least not when you have young children and a business and a social life…jk who has those anymore? That’s not to say we should all give up that weekly yoga class or journaling practice. 

But it IS a reason to let go of the pressure to be the perfect mother, friend, partner, leader, coach, business owner on any given day. 

I used to feel so guilty if I had to work after my kids went to bed or if I couldn’t make the space in my schedule to go for an afternoon walk, but like my wise chiropractor said to me recently… 

The stress that comes with guilt and worry is worse for you than most actual conditions or situations.” 

Instead of balance, I’m striving for perspective, and if I can’t change something, acceptance. 

CConsistency is sexy… and I still suck at it 

I have tasted the fruits of consistency and they’re better than a prickly pear. This from a gal who always thought consistency was another word for boooring. Not true. I know it, but I’ve yet to truly implement that knowledge. 

I still operate as more of a sprinter than a marathoner especially when it comes to content creation. That’s something I want to change in 2021 and I’m making the space to do so. 

D Division is downright toxic 

2020 illuminated a very serious problem for human beings and business owners alike — an online environment flooded with anger, division, and judgment everywhere you look. 

Tuning into most mainstream (and lots of NON-mainstream) media or even our own social media confirmation bias bubbles is a recipe for a chronic state of fight or flight. And when’s the last time you saw a solution come to be from that place? 

It all makes a person want to move to the middle of nowhere, become self-sufficient, and completely unplug. 

Connection, curiosity, open-minded conversations, that’s where change comes from in my mind and that’s why I won’t feed the divide and conquer monster. 

E Everything takes DOUBLE the amount of time I think it’ll take 

Okay maybe not everything but I’ve noticed lately that the old “we overestimate what we can do in a day but greatly underestimate what we can do in a year” adage is all too real. 

It’s so easy to think ‘oh I’ll just whip that sales page up on Monday next week’ when in reality it’ll take Tuesday too, heck, it might even bleed into Wednesday if I’m being a real picky panda. 

Time management has never been my forte but I’ll continue to work at it, starting by giving myself and my team more time to get the things that matter done. 

Stay tuned for the rest of the alphabet in the coming weeks, friend. 

F is for fear but not for the reasons you might think… 

In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your biggest lessons of 2020. Hit reply and gimme the scoop! 

🎵 WHO I’M ROOTING FOR 

One of my Grow with Quizzes students, Corey Williams, launched her quiz last week and got almost 600 new leads in the first 48 hours! She worked so freakin’ hard and created a true masterpiece that’s bringing people to tears with how powerful her message is. 

Check her quiz out right here and learn Which Civil Rights Icon’s Shoes You Walk In ⇒ 

🎵 WHAT I’M LISTENING TO 

My 2020 playback on Soundcloud is pretty darn dope, especially if you dig electronic tunes. 

For something a little more soothing and soulful, bust out your favorite chocolate bar and check out this mix. 

🎵 QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

Still reading Atomic Habits and this line rings so damn true… 

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”

Sending you all the Sunday love and happy vibes for your week ahead, friend. 

A B C D E F G H I adore you! 

Chanti xx 

P.S. Got any burning business questions you think I might have the answer to? I’m doing a monthly live Q&A in my Audience Accelerator FB group starting this Wednesday and you’re invited! RSVP and find the link to submit your Qs right here >>> 

Welcome to my corner of the internet where you’ll find no shortage of real talk and proven growth strategies for solopreneurs, professional creators, coaches, and service providers. Grow forth and make it rain in your business, I’ve got your back every step of the way.

Hey superstar! I’m Chanti. 

What’s Your
GrowthType?

This assessment will reveal your innate strengths & the growth strategies that fit you best.

Take the Quiz