WEBVTT
00:00:01.169 --> 00:00:13.320
Have you ever felt like you're following all the right business advice, posting, consistently, networking, pushing for growth, but deep down, you know, you're completely out of sync where you actually are.
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.630
If so, you're not alone.
00:00:15.630 --> 00:00:18.480
And that's exactly what we're gonna unpack together.
00:00:18.806 --> 00:00:23.396
You are listening to Built To Flow, the podcast that's redesigning how business works.
00:00:23.396 --> 00:00:28.646
I'm Heather Crabtree, business strategist, three time founder and creator of the Built to Flow framework.
00:00:28.646 --> 00:00:38.606
This show is about building businesses that align with your energy, values and the season of your life so you can grow sustainably and with intention.
00:00:38.606 --> 00:00:45.612
And right now you're in the Foundation series six episodes that walk you step by step through the Built to Flow framework.
00:00:45.612 --> 00:00:49.962
Consider this series your blueprint for a business that doesn't just grow.
00:00:49.962 --> 00:00:50.767
It flows.
00:00:51.786 --> 00:00:52.866
Welcome back.
00:00:52.866 --> 00:01:02.286
In episode two, we explored why your business needs seasons of both growth and rest, and we walk through what each of the four business seasons looks like.
00:01:02.286 --> 00:01:06.906
Today we're gonna make it personal because here's what I've learned.
00:01:06.906 --> 00:01:12.126
When you're unclear about your season, you make decisions from confusion instead of clarity.
00:01:12.126 --> 00:01:15.531
And confused decisions rarely serve you well.
00:01:16.102 --> 00:01:27.111
By the end of this episode, you'll know how to recognize the signals of your current season, how to spot when you're shifting into a new one, and how to use that awareness to make better decisions.
00:01:27.141 --> 00:01:36.837
Right now, one of the biggest questions I hear when I introduce the Build to Flow framework is, okay, but how do I know what season I'm actually in?
00:01:36.837 --> 00:01:40.378
Because the truth is, it's not always obvious.
00:01:40.378 --> 00:01:44.457
Sometimes you're halfway into a new season before you realize it.
00:01:44.457 --> 00:01:49.707
Other times you're resisting the shift because you think you should still be in growth mode.
00:01:49.707 --> 00:01:54.328
That's why learning to identify your current season is so powerful.
00:01:54.328 --> 00:01:58.677
It gives you permission to lead with clarity instead of confusion.
00:01:58.677 --> 00:02:00.665
So let's look at the steps.
00:02:00.665 --> 00:02:02.676
Step one, we're gonna assess your energy.
00:02:02.676 --> 00:02:06.335
Start by checking in with your energy.
00:02:06.335 --> 00:02:10.566
Expansion often feels charged and exciting.
00:02:10.566 --> 00:02:14.376
While contraction can feel tender or protective.
00:02:14.376 --> 00:02:22.806
Integration tends to feel steady and grounded while recalibration often feels messy, but clarifying.
00:02:22.806 --> 00:02:24.195
Your body and energy.
00:02:24.195 --> 00:02:26.716
Often know the season before your mind admits it.
00:02:26.716 --> 00:02:35.806
For example, if you keep saying, I should launch that course, but your body feels heavy at the thought, you might be in contraction rather than expansion.
00:02:35.806 --> 00:02:37.306
Take a minute.
00:02:37.306 --> 00:02:46.515
Right now, close your eyes if you're not driving, and ask yourself, what is my energy telling me about my current season?
00:02:46.515 --> 00:02:48.705
Step two, we're gonna check your capacity.
00:02:48.705 --> 00:02:53.056
Capacity is about what you can hold right now.
00:02:53.056 --> 00:02:57.700
Expansion usually comes when you have bandwidth to take on more.
00:02:57.700 --> 00:03:02.536
Integration is about sustaining what already exists.
00:03:02.536 --> 00:03:10.036
Contraction is when you need to pull back because capacity is maxed and recalibration is.
00:03:10.036 --> 00:03:14.265
When your capacity is shifting because your redesigning the way you work.
00:03:14.265 --> 00:03:21.945
Ask yourself, do I feel like I have space to add more or do I need to protect what I already have?
00:03:23.686 --> 00:03:26.626
Step three is you're gonna look for transition signals.
00:03:26.626 --> 00:03:31.216
Sometimes you're not firmly in one season, you're in transition.
00:03:31.216 --> 00:03:34.485
Think of these transitions like weather patterns.
00:03:34.485 --> 00:03:39.075
You can feel the shift in the air before the storm hits or before spring arrives.
00:03:39.075 --> 00:03:40.996
Here are a few signals.
00:03:40.996 --> 00:03:46.906
If you've been in expansion, but you're exhausted, you may be shifting toward contraction.
00:03:46.906 --> 00:03:55.350
And if you've simplified in contraction, but now feel restless, you may be moving toward recalibration.
00:03:55.350 --> 00:04:00.360
If you've been working your model in recalibration and things.
00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.390
Finally feel clear, you may be moving into integration.
00:04:03.390 --> 00:04:10.036
If you've been studying the integration and you feel that spark of momentum again, you may be moving into expansion.
00:04:10.036 --> 00:04:16.966
Recognizing these shifts early, help you adjust before you burn out or miss the moment to grow.
00:04:18.196 --> 00:04:21.946
Okay, now step four, we're gonna ask the right questions.
00:04:21.946 --> 00:04:26.266
Sometimes clarity comes from asking simple but honest questions.
00:04:26.505 --> 00:04:31.725
Here are some to guide you by a season expansion questions.
00:04:31.725 --> 00:04:34.500
Do I have energy for growth?
00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:37.500
Am I excited about new opportunities?
00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:42.451
Do I feel ready to take on more integration questions?
00:04:42.451 --> 00:04:45.240
Do I need to stabilize what I've built?
00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.641
Are my systems working?
00:04:47.641 --> 00:04:54.000
Am I ready to go deeper rather than wider contraction questions?
00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.130
Do I need to protect my energy?
00:04:56.130 --> 00:04:58.411
What can I simplify?
00:04:58.411 --> 00:05:06.675
What would rest look like right now and recalibration questions, what's not working anymore?
00:05:06.675 --> 00:05:08.386
What have I outgrown?
00:05:08.386 --> 00:05:10.665
What needs to shift or evolve?
00:05:10.665 --> 00:05:15.855
Your answers to these questions will usually point you to the right season.
00:05:17.505 --> 00:05:33.105
And if you're still not sure, I created the Business Clarity Kit to make this even easier, it includes a short reflection plus A GPT powered companion that helps you identify your season, pinpoint your focus area, and choose one line step you can take this week.
00:05:33.105 --> 00:05:38.355
You can grab it right now@heathercrabtree.com or click the link in the show notes.
00:05:38.896 --> 00:05:46.875
And if you're a strategist, coach, or guide who supports others through growth, I invite you to apply for the Built to Flow lab@builttoflow.com.
00:05:46.875 --> 00:05:57.735
It's where you get certification as a strategist, and in this framework join a community of like-minded practitioners and become part of the movement to redesign how business works.
00:05:57.735 --> 00:06:07.846
And since today's episode was all about recognizing your current season, I'd love to know what signals are you noticing in your own business right now?
00:06:07.846 --> 00:06:13.425
Feel free to send me a DM on Instagram at Heather Business Coach and share the clues you're seeing.
00:06:13.425 --> 00:06:16.485
I'd love to walk alongside you in this conversation.
00:06:18.076 --> 00:06:20.146
You don't need to wonder if you're on the right track.
00:06:20.146 --> 00:06:22.636
You just need to know your season.
00:06:22.636 --> 00:06:26.985
When you recognize your current season, you stop fighting yourself.
00:06:26.985 --> 00:06:33.105
You stop forcing strategies that don't fit, and you start leading with clarity and confidence.
00:06:33.105 --> 00:06:44.461
And our next episode, episode four, we'll talk about the six core focus areas, the levers inside your business that you can actually adjust depending on your season.
00:06:44.461 --> 00:06:50.430
That's how you stop trying to do it all at once and start making the right moves at the right time.
00:06:50.658 --> 00:06:54.079
Thanks for listening to the Foundation Series on Built to Flow.
00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.468
Remember, every season calls for something different.
00:06:57.468 --> 00:06:59.119
You don't need to do it all.
00:06:59.119 --> 00:07:01.759
You need a business that flows.
00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.579
Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
00:07:04.579 --> 00:07:07.879
I'm Heather Crabtree, and this is Built to Flow.
00:00:01.169 --> 00:00:13.320
Have you ever felt like you're following all the right business advice, posting, consistently, networking, pushing for growth, but deep down, you know, you're completely out of sync where you actually are.
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.630
If so, you're not alone.
00:00:15.630 --> 00:00:18.480
And that's exactly what we're gonna unpack together.
00:00:18.806 --> 00:00:23.396
You are listening to Built To Flow, the podcast that's redesigning how business works.
00:00:23.396 --> 00:00:28.646
I'm Heather Crabtree, business strategist, three time founder and creator of the Built to Flow framework.
00:00:28.646 --> 00:00:38.606
This show is about building businesses that align with your energy, values and the season of your life so you can grow sustainably and with intention.
00:00:38.606 --> 00:00:45.612
And right now you're in the Foundation series six episodes that walk you step by step through the Built to Flow framework.
00:00:45.612 --> 00:00:49.962
Consider this series your blueprint for a business that doesn't just grow.
00:00:49.962 --> 00:00:50.767
It flows.
00:00:51.786 --> 00:00:52.866
Welcome back.
00:00:52.866 --> 00:01:02.286
In episode two, we explored why your business needs seasons of both growth and rest, and we walk through what each of the four business seasons looks like.
00:01:02.286 --> 00:01:06.906
Today we're gonna make it personal because here's what I've learned.
00:01:06.906 --> 00:01:12.126
When you're unclear about your season, you make decisions from confusion instead of clarity.
00:01:12.126 --> 00:01:15.531
And confused decisions rarely serve you well.
00:01:16.102 --> 00:01:27.111
By the end of this episode, you'll know how to recognize the signals of your current season, how to spot when you're shifting into a new one, and how to use that awareness to make better decisions.
00:01:27.141 --> 00:01:36.837
Right now, one of the biggest questions I hear when I introduce the Build to Flow framework is, okay, but how do I know what season I'm actually in?
00:01:36.837 --> 00:01:40.378
Because the truth is, it's not always obvious.
00:01:40.378 --> 00:01:44.457
Sometimes you're halfway into a new season before you realize it.
00:01:44.457 --> 00:01:49.707
Other times you're resisting the shift because you think you should still be in growth mode.
00:01:49.707 --> 00:01:54.328
That's why learning to identify your current season is so powerful.
00:01:54.328 --> 00:01:58.677
It gives you permission to lead with clarity instead of confusion.
00:01:58.677 --> 00:02:00.665
So let's look at the steps.
00:02:00.665 --> 00:02:02.676
Step one, we're gonna assess your energy.
00:02:02.676 --> 00:02:06.335
Start by checking in with your energy.
00:02:06.335 --> 00:02:10.566
Expansion often feels charged and exciting.
00:02:10.566 --> 00:02:14.376
While contraction can feel tender or protective.
00:02:14.376 --> 00:02:22.806
Integration tends to feel steady and grounded while recalibration often feels messy, but clarifying.
00:02:22.806 --> 00:02:24.195
Your body and energy.
00:02:24.195 --> 00:02:26.716
Often know the season before your mind admits it.
00:02:26.716 --> 00:02:35.806
For example, if you keep saying, I should launch that course, but your body feels heavy at the thought, you might be in contraction rather than expansion.
00:02:35.806 --> 00:02:37.306
Take a minute.
00:02:37.306 --> 00:02:46.515
Right now, close your eyes if you're not driving, and ask yourself, what is my energy telling me about my current season?
00:02:46.515 --> 00:02:48.705
Step two, we're gonna check your capacity.
00:02:48.705 --> 00:02:53.056
Capacity is about what you can hold right now.
00:02:53.056 --> 00:02:57.700
Expansion usually comes when you have bandwidth to take on more.
00:02:57.700 --> 00:03:02.536
Integration is about sustaining what already exists.
00:03:02.536 --> 00:03:10.036
Contraction is when you need to pull back because capacity is maxed and recalibration is.
00:03:10.036 --> 00:03:14.265
When your capacity is shifting because your redesigning the way you work.
00:03:14.265 --> 00:03:21.945
Ask yourself, do I feel like I have space to add more or do I need to protect what I already have?
00:03:23.686 --> 00:03:26.626
Step three is you're gonna look for transition signals.
00:03:26.626 --> 00:03:31.216
Sometimes you're not firmly in one season, you're in transition.
00:03:31.216 --> 00:03:34.485
Think of these transitions like weather patterns.
00:03:34.485 --> 00:03:39.075
You can feel the shift in the air before the storm hits or before spring arrives.
00:03:39.075 --> 00:03:40.996
Here are a few signals.
00:03:40.996 --> 00:03:46.906
If you've been in expansion, but you're exhausted, you may be shifting toward contraction.
00:03:46.906 --> 00:03:55.350
And if you've simplified in contraction, but now feel restless, you may be moving toward recalibration.
00:03:55.350 --> 00:04:00.360
If you've been working your model in recalibration and things.
00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.390
Finally feel clear, you may be moving into integration.
00:04:03.390 --> 00:04:10.036
If you've been studying the integration and you feel that spark of momentum again, you may be moving into expansion.
00:04:10.036 --> 00:04:16.966
Recognizing these shifts early, help you adjust before you burn out or miss the moment to grow.
00:04:18.196 --> 00:04:21.946
Okay, now step four, we're gonna ask the right questions.
00:04:21.946 --> 00:04:26.266
Sometimes clarity comes from asking simple but honest questions.
00:04:26.505 --> 00:04:31.725
Here are some to guide you by a season expansion questions.
00:04:31.725 --> 00:04:34.500
Do I have energy for growth?
00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:37.500
Am I excited about new opportunities?
00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:42.451
Do I feel ready to take on more integration questions?
00:04:42.451 --> 00:04:45.240
Do I need to stabilize what I've built?
00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.641
Are my systems working?
00:04:47.641 --> 00:04:54.000
Am I ready to go deeper rather than wider contraction questions?
00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.130
Do I need to protect my energy?
00:04:56.130 --> 00:04:58.411
What can I simplify?
00:04:58.411 --> 00:05:06.675
What would rest look like right now and recalibration questions, what's not working anymore?
00:05:06.675 --> 00:05:08.386
What have I outgrown?
00:05:08.386 --> 00:05:10.665
What needs to shift or evolve?
00:05:10.665 --> 00:05:15.855
Your answers to these questions will usually point you to the right season.
00:05:17.505 --> 00:05:33.105
And if you're still not sure, I created the Business Clarity Kit to make this even easier, it includes a short reflection plus A GPT powered companion that helps you identify your season, pinpoint your focus area, and choose one line step you can take this week.
00:05:33.105 --> 00:05:38.355
You can grab it right now@heathercrabtree.com or click the link in the show notes.
00:05:38.896 --> 00:05:46.875
And if you're a strategist, coach, or guide who supports others through growth, I invite you to apply for the Built to Flow lab@builttoflow.com.
00:05:46.875 --> 00:05:57.735
It's where you get certification as a strategist, and in this framework join a community of like-minded practitioners and become part of the movement to redesign how business works.
00:05:57.735 --> 00:06:07.846
And since today's episode was all about recognizing your current season, I'd love to know what signals are you noticing in your own business right now?
00:06:07.846 --> 00:06:13.425
Feel free to send me a DM on Instagram at Heather Business Coach and share the clues you're seeing.
00:06:13.425 --> 00:06:16.485
I'd love to walk alongside you in this conversation.
00:06:18.076 --> 00:06:20.146
You don't need to wonder if you're on the right track.
00:06:20.146 --> 00:06:22.636
You just need to know your season.
00:06:22.636 --> 00:06:26.985
When you recognize your current season, you stop fighting yourself.
00:06:26.985 --> 00:06:33.105
You stop forcing strategies that don't fit, and you start leading with clarity and confidence.
00:06:33.105 --> 00:06:44.461
And our next episode, episode four, we'll talk about the six core focus areas, the levers inside your business that you can actually adjust depending on your season.
00:06:44.461 --> 00:06:50.430
That's how you stop trying to do it all at once and start making the right moves at the right time.
00:06:50.658 --> 00:06:54.079
Thanks for listening to the Foundation Series on Built to Flow.
00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.468
Remember, every season calls for something different.
00:06:57.468 --> 00:06:59.119
You don't need to do it all.
00:06:59.119 --> 00:07:01.759
You need a business that flows.
00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.579
Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
00:07:04.579 --> 00:07:07.879
I'm Heather Crabtree, and this is Built to Flow.
