Six months. Seven lessons.
Everyone’s talking about 6s and 7s right now. Having 2 girls obsessed with the 6-7 movement meant I too had to lean in. So here’s mine — six to seven months in, seven lessons I didn’t expect to learn building a portfolio career and new product.
1. Your business will evolve faster than you planned
When I launched, I thought I was clear on my offer, my audience, my message.
By month two, I wasn’t.
A client gave me feedback that was honest, uncomfortable, and exactly what I needed.
The next day, I rewrote my entire offer.
Everything shifted after that and not because I guessed better, but because I listened harder.
Build for them, not for you.
Your assumptions slow you down. Feedback speeds you up.
2. Flexibility is more than hours
I used to think flexibility meant school pick-ups and shorter days. Now, it means the ability to move fast and work on what matters.
Last month, I spun up a new offer in 24 hours because a client needed it and it worked.
That’s flexibility.
Choice over chaos.
Freedom over structure.
It’s what makes a portfolio career so powerful.
3. Pricing is confidence, not arrogance
Every time I’ve raised my prices, I’ve attracted better clients. Not wealthier but better aligned.
Pricing isn’t about ego. It’s about clarity.
I bring 20 years of strategy, scaling, and systems to the table.
I know what I can deliver in an hour and what that’s worth.
When you back your value, you magnetise the right people.
Confidence compounds.
4. Systems beat motivation
Motivation is a mood. Systems are a strategy.
Early on, I tried to “find time” for content and client work. It didn’t last. Now, everything runs through process — AI workflows, client templates, weekly content rhythms.
The difference?
I don’t need to feel inspired to move forward.
The system moves me.
If you’re in your first six months, forget perfect goals. Build systems that make results repeatable. Invest in this!
5. Engagement over likes
This one surprised me.
One of my lowest-performing posts, barely any likes, brought in two client opportunities. No algorithm magic. Just consistency.
People are watching even when they don’t engage.
The real momentum happens in DMs, not the feed.
Every client, collaboration, and opportunity I’ve had in these first six months started with a DM.
Likes are noise. Conversations build business.
6. Gut instinct is data too
I track metrics, test prompts, and read analytics but my gut still calls the shots.
When something feels off, it usually is.
Every pivot that’s paid off started as an instinct before it became a data point.
Intuition is the earliest signal data can’t yet prove.
Learn to trust it.
7. You can’t outsource conviction
You can delegate, automate, and systemise almost everything.
But you can’t outsource belief.
If you don’t deeply believe in what you’re building, your audience will feel it instantly.
Conviction is contagious. It’s what keeps you showing up when the numbers don’t move yet.
And when it does move? That belief is what people are actually buying.
Six months in, everything’s changed. My offer, my voice, my audience, my confidence.
But the core hasn’t: stay close to clients, build systems, back yourself, trust your gut.
That’s the real growth plan.
A great read Jodi, great insights too and I love the use of the 6/7 - this is all I hear from my basketball obsessed daughter.