Blog - Karen L Reyburn

Creative

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Open cardboard box holding a bag of Lego pieces, with a red Brick Borrow card on top reading

Creative Play for Adults: A Lego Gift for My Team

This week, I discovered there is a service that allows you to rent Lego, build it, and send it back. (I found this because someone on Threads was saying “lego sets are so expensive, and once you build them where do you even keep them?” and someone replied to tell them about this rental company.)

Karen sketchnote just keep going mug sea

My Origin Story: Where Accounting and Creativity Meet

Just about every podcast I’ve been a guest on starts with my story. How did I end up running a marketing agency exclusively for accountants? How do those two qualities – accounting and creativity – come together, and how do they work now? It’s my origin story. It’s the one everyone cares about: not just

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara held up at the lunch table, part of a daily reading habit over quesadillas

Unreasonable Hospitality: What Will Guidara’s Book Teaches About Delighting Clients

As you may have seen on LinkedIn this week, I’ve started a book club for one. Or two, or three, if any of you want to join. I pick a book I’ve been meaning to read, place it on my dining room table, and read a small portion of it each day when I have

teal shoes yellow hoodie

Listen to Your Energy: Choosing Rest Over Networking

This week, I was in Edinburgh with one of our team and had the opportunity to go to a networking event. It was focused on marketing. It would have been a good opportunity to meet other marketers. They even had an open mic night for practicing your latest pitch or idea. And I decided not

celebrating a book launch dinner in a small island restaurant

On Small Celebrations and Getting the Life You Want

Three years ago, my first book The Accountant Marketer was published alongside a live book launch in London. We booked out a beautiful library venue, invited clients from all over the world, and celebrated “in style”. This included straws with my face on them, edible cocktail toppers of the book’s cover, speeches, custom drinks, and

Sketch of James Clear book Atomic Habits by KLR

Why Atomic Habits Doesn’t Work for Everyone

I used to think Atomic Habits had changed my life. I pretty much said that in this review I wrote in 2023. Then I discovered the If Books Could Kill podcast, listened to their take on it, and realised how it addressed those niggling feelings I had about some of its advice – and why

hogwarts is my home castle sketch

What’s in a name? Hogwarts is actually a really ugly word

Choosing a name – for your firm, for a new product, for a book – is tough. It feels like such a big deal. If it’s your business name, you know you’re going to be seeing this logo everywhere – on websites, on the wall in your office, on letterhead or business cards. It will

ferry to isle of mull sunset

AI reminds me that I need rest, and creative space, more than ever

I moved to an island because I wanted to embed quiet, and slowness, and space into my life. I’ve been thinking lately how incredibly important this is in the face of the absolute and utter RUSH of AI. I won’t spend much time on the caveats – I use AI, my team use it, new

karen reyburn 2011

Tell your origin story: your ideal client wants to know it

“In the end, stories are about one person saying to another: This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I’m saying? Does it feel this way to you?” ― Kazuo Ishiguro This photo is me in 2011. Just started a new marketing agency to help accountants. Fresh from working directly for

just keep going yellow mug st kilda

Keep going, or give up? Consistency beats intensity

When it comes to seeing a result from your marketing, you know that keeping going is the way. Sticking with your email newsletter, your weekly YouTube or TikTok videos, your LinkedIn posts and comments…it has an impact over time. But it’s hard to tell sometimes if you’re speaking or writing or sharing into the void. Is

island sauna shack mull salen sunset

Friday night reset: sauna and sea and community

On Friday afternoon, I wrapped up my afternoon meetings, replied to the outstanding items from team members, and drove about twenty minutes to the sea and the wood fired sauna we have here on the island. It’s a Friday night rhythm for me. And the ONLY way this works is if I block it out.

Reveal nature biofluorescence walk

Go slowly and you’ll see more

“We’re going to walk together, really slowly. Because when you go slow, you see more. When you go fast, you miss things.” Recently I went on a Biofluorescent Walk here on the Isle of Mull. Never been on one before…didn’t even really know what it was. But the announcement about it and the images looked

I picked a book cover!...and it wasn't the one I wanted

I picked a book cover!…and it wasn’t the one I wanted

Well my friends…I’ve chosen a book cover for my second book. And I’m not gonna lie: it definitely wasn’t the one I wanted to choose, at first. I liked the other version – more creative, I felt. More fun and clever and the kind of design I like. But after getting feedback from over 270

Keep Your Systems Simple

Keep Your Systems Simple

Creating (or updating) systems for your business feels really positive, like you’re properly scaling at last. After all, that’s what they tell you, isn’t it? Don’t just do the work; build the systems. Train the team to use the systems and you have a scalable business which runs like a well oiled machine whether you’re

accountants you are creative book karen l reyburn

Book subtitles, website messages, tag lines: The shorter the message the harder it is to create

This week, I had a deadline to get the full title and subtitle of my second book to the publishers. No problem, I thought. I have so many ideas! I already knew what the core title was – “Accountants, you are creative too” – and literally had forty or fifty potential subtitle texts in a

A new brand isn’t merely visual: it challenges your entire business

“Think of your brand like a bouncer”, I said on LinkedIn this week. Its job is to protect and help you from letting in those you don’t want in your club. And to protect the club (your business) from being so confusing that no one knows what you stand for, so they dither and eventually

On “going dark” - even for two hours

On “going dark” – even for two hours

This week I took out two full hours to “go dark” – no slack, no email, no phone notifications: complete silence on everything except this one project. The next day, I did it again. Same project (now halfway finished). Two hours, again. No connection with anything except the tasks before me. I got it done.

creative headspace sketch of person imagining heart

Assume good intent.

You’ve had it happen. Probably even this week. Someone said something, did something (or didn’t), and you thought: “Well. That wasn’t very nice, because…” And your mind literally filled in the gaps. The truth is, we don’t know. That’s why our brains (wired for story) leap in to “help”. But since we are humans, full

Book Notes: Finish. - Karen Reyburn

Book Notes: Finish.

To be fair the chances of me completing a book called “Finish” seem higher than for other books. The title alone stares at you, judges you a bit until it’s done. I’ve written before about my tendency to pull back right before something big is completed: Self sabotage, finishing your writing, and the power of

How to identify your marketing strategy “themes” - Karen Reyburn

How to identify your marketing strategy “themes”

Marketing strategy can feel confusing – and even pointless sometimes. Surely it’s mostly a bunch of talk, and if you have to go through it you will, but really you want to just get some marketing done. “Executed” is the marketing term, but I find that rather war-like and creepy sometimes, so I tend to

The connected circle of space, and speed - Karen Reyburn

The connected circle of space, and speed

“So I see you have values like creative space, and rest… but you also have impact and decisiveness,” an accountant said to me this week. “One is slow and measured; the other gives the sense of speed and movement. How do you see those fitting together?” What a great question. It’s one of my favourite

Back to the basics: matching your people to your offer - Karen Reyburn

Back to the basics: your people, their need, your offer

Your people. Your offer. And how your offer matches what those people need. That’s it, really. That’s marketing in a nutshell. When I go through a series of “Foundations” sessions with a new client, this is ultimately what we’re digging into. We have four in-depth sessions, with a lot of questions. (My favourite is when

Time for resolutions, or time for reflection? - Karen Reyburn

Time for resolutions, or time for reflection?

I’ve not always been ready to make resolutions at the start of January. Some years I pushed myself. This will be my year, I’d promise myself, as I bought or pulled out yet another notebook – or a series of notebooks, like one year when I wrote a different word on each one, like “creativity”

As your business changes, the expression of your values changes too

As your business changes, the expression of your values changes too

Company values are excellent things. And sometimes, they need to be revisited. Not because they aren’t right: but because in business, as in life, things change. Your perspective shifts. What was the right area of focus before doesn’t fit the way it used to. I’ve been discovering that’s the case for me and my agency:

The easiest way to get Google reviews from clients

The easiest way to get Google reviews from clients

Real client reviews and testimonials have some of the biggest impact in marketing, because they mitigate the buyer’s fear of making a bad decision. Your buyer is thinking something like: “What if this doesn’t work out?” “I’ve heard this before – it sounds good but it did last time too” “Will I really get the

face with eyes and thought bubble with yellow question mark

Your gut is often right…but what is it based on?

As business owners, our gut is often right. That person we hired, but had a little niggling feeling about, didn’t work out. The project with a big cash injection, but with a slightly annoying client, ended up draining energy and resources for months. “I knew it,” we think. “I wish I’d listened to my gut!”

Take your 20 seconds of courage, and ask the question - Karen Reyburn

Take your 20 seconds of courage, and ask the question

There are things you want which are on the other side of asking a direct question. “Could I be a guest on your podcast?” “Is there a speaking slot available for me?” “What do you think about working more in partnership?” “Are you ready to start?” We often take the side road, the hint, the

Of course you can! (win new sales, get new clients) - Karen Reyburn

Of course you can! (win new sales, get new clients)

Exactly four weeks ago today, I was at a conference listening to someone talk about having the best, the ideal clients (and not accepting anything less). “If you have a client who isn’t the right fit for you, let them go,” she said. “You can always get another one.” My mindset wasn’t in the same

What if time didn’t judge me? - Karen Reyburn

What if time didn’t judge me?

Do you find yourself saying “Oh my word it’s [time of day] and I haven’t [list of things] yet!” It’s 9am and I’ve only checked emails. It’s 4pm and I haven’t finished the one thing I said I would do today It’s Friday and I still have this that and the other to finish… But

Maximum Viable Marketing: once the minimum has been tested, what next? - Karen Reyburn

Maximum Viable Marketing: once the minimum has been tested, what next?

I’ve spent some time recently talking about “minimum viable marketing”. You can read more about the concept here, but once you’ve made progress on the minimum viable, the smallest thing, the least…it’s time to look at the maximum viable. The biggest thing. The most. The point of the “minimum viable” is to save time and

Drawing of a building bearing the sign

Build a content library to use and share

What if your problem is not creating content, but making the most of the content you already have? In this case I recommend you build a Content Library. This can be as simple as a Gsheet listing the content you’ve already created (in various formats), which you share with your team. You can include: Category:

On big dreams and big goals: Keep the windows in mind - Karen Reyburn

On big dreams and big goals: Keep the windows in mind

For the last four months, this view of my new living room windows has kept me going through a lot of…for want of a better word, admin. Phone calls. Forms. Emails. Questions about home reports, and adjusted and refreshed home reports. Surveys. Issues with structural engineer surveys. Issues with home reports (again). Calls to solicitors.

Yellow chair work: Flexible, spacious, big picture

Yellow chair work: Flexible, spacious, big picture

If you’re anything like me, you spend far more time than you’d like sitting in an office chair in front of a desk (and Zoom style calls). Some days I do move things around. I take my laptop to a coffee shop, or head downstairs with a temporary folding desk. But more often than not,

Sketch of envelope with pink love heart and

A love letter to our ideal client: YOU, the accountant!

Dear accountant, Hi. You are one of the most amazing people to exist in the business world. You’re aware of your skills, but you also think it might be a little dramatic to rave about you to this level. After all you know you’re good at your work, but you also are so impressed with

Build the rhythms of marketing into your business life - Karen Reyburn

Build the rhythms of marketing into your business life

If you want a new result from your marketing, building your own marketing rhythms will help get you there. Many of you have read Atomic Habits. The big realisation for the author James Clear was that results aren’t driven only by the goals you set, they are connected to the systems you follow. Those habits,

“Grit” tasks vs excited tasks

Some of the things you need to do are fascinating, motivating. Big picture, strategic kind of things. Delivering a presentation before a group of people who are interested to speak with you afterwards. Publishing a book. Hiring your first employee. It’s also true for smaller tasks, connected to this kind of work. Even filling in

Book edit review notes - Karen Reyburn

Book edit review notes

We all use filler words in writing. We scramble around saying, “The point is, there are things which are definitely most important, which we need to make sure we do…” as opposed to “Do these things.” It’s similar to filler statements when speaking. “Um…” “uhhh…” “I’m not sure…” “It’s sort of like the thing where…”

Using “What” instead of “Why” questions - Karen Reyburn

Using “What” instead of “Why” questions

When someone asks you, “Why?” about anything, it raises a little defensiveness. Depending on the question and its impact on you or your life, their asking the question might raise a lot of defensiveness. Think about it. You tell someone, “I’m thinking of moving to Spain” and they say, “Oh really? Why?” Instantly your brain

Cancelling things is a superhero skill

Cancelling things is a superhero skill

As business owners, we’re interested in trustworthiness. We want to be known as someone – and a company – who can be trusted; and we want to work with those who are the same. We’re also (and I speak absolutely for myself here) stubborn to a point. We can do it. We will do it.

Following up on clients sales - Karen Reyburn

It doesn’t matter why the prospect didn’t come back to you

If the prospect doesn’t come back to you, the answer is not “Oh well, they weren’t that interested anyway.” The answer is “I need to keep following up until I get an answer”. There are endless reasons a prospect might not come back to you. Here are just a few. They wanted a sense of

Learnings from a 100 day video challenge - Karen Reyburn

Learnings from a 100 day video challenge

On Tuesday of last week, I recorded my 100th consecutive video and shared it on Instagram. I started the challenge on what felt like a whim. I was out for a walk on a Sunday morning, and was thinking about the power and impact of video. And how I often avoided it because my hair

https://karenlreyburn.com/staged-change-not-instant-change/

Staged change rather than instant change

Change takes adjustment: for you and for others. Whether it’s helping the team change the way you do things at the firm, or sharing systems or price changes with clients, or scaling your business: trying to make the change instantly will likely be tough. Instant change shocks you and surprises you. And you don’t know

DIY video course is ready for you - Karen Reyburn - Accountants

The DIY course is here!

Many of you have at least bought, and perhaps even started or read, The Accountant Marketer. Reading it is one thing: actually doing things with it is another, and can take time. It’s been over six months since the book was published, and several times a week now I get messages from accountants who have

addition subtraction symbols sketch KLR

What can you remove?

When I find myself a bit overwhelmed, a bit “oh my word where do I start first”, my tendency is to do more things. Do as much as possible so I can tick things off my endless (and ever-increasing) list so I feel a bit of relief. All that achieves is a very small amount

All the things! (Not all at once) - Karen Reyburn

All the things! (Not all at once)

One of the many fun parts of being an entrepreneur is ALL THE IDEAS. All the time. When I’m meeting with a client and they mention something they need. When I’m at a conference and talk with multiple accountants about what they’re excited by, or struggling with. Reading one of my latest business books. Listening

What fills your cup?

What fills your cup?

Knowing what really makes you come alive, fills your cup…that can be hard to tell sometimes. After all, things can feel a bit heavy at times. Things with clients, with team members, with family members, with yourself. Grey and cloudy and rainy weather. Prices going up, up, up everywhere you look (even in your own

Accountability doesn’t mean you get everything done - Karen Reyburn

Accountability doesn’t mean you get everything done

Every month I hold one-to-one coaching calls with accountants who have either a big project they want to make progress on, or a series of small tasks they keep putting off. Either way, their momentum calls are just that: the space for them to build momentum. Get shit done. There’s always a point - usually

yellow word creativity with grey question mark behind

What is creativity?

What does creativity mean to you? Over the past few months I’ve been taking every opportunity to ask accountants I’m talking with every day about how they see or define creativity. As I read through, or listened to, the answers, a few themes keep appearing: It comes naturally, and it’s also hard work It’s a

Minimum viable marketing - Karen Reyburn

Minimum viable marketing: Get the audience and message right first

“Okay I’m going to create this PDF guide…but obviously I’ll also need some automation and follow up emails for everyone who downloads it, so I’d better get started on that first!” Our entrepreneur-brain is rigged to think very optimistically about our Great New Idea. If we think of creating a PDF guide (or training course

Karen Reyburn - Have you ever gone Marketing AMA? Discover how choosing unconventional marketing strategies can impact your accounting firm.

Signed out AMA (Against Marketing Advice)

` I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy recently (with the lofty and noble goal of finally finishing all seasons, only to discover it’s nowhere near done and a new season starts this week). And at times on the show, a doctor notices an issue or suggests a course of treatment and the person says no, I

Make your shitty pots: from quantity to quality - Karen Reyburn

The story of the shitty pots (make more, get better)

` There’s a story about a ceramics teacher who split his class into two groups. One would focus on quality, making the very best ceramic pot, and only one; and the other would focus on quantity, making as many ceramic pots as they possibly could. The results would be graded accordingly: in the quality group,

Karen Reyburn - From fear-based to opportunity-based thinking

From fear-based to opportunity-based thinking

` A few weeks ago I had the privilege of literally watching someone go from “but this might not work” and all the reasons it was Too Much, to “ohhh this could be amazing actually!” It was a perfect example of moving from making a decision based on the fears to making a decision based

What happens when your business is…sorted? - Karen Reyburn

What happens when your business is… sorted?

` What will you do when you’ve arrived? One of the things business owners tend to focus on is getting the business to run the way you want. To run without you! Systems, team, leadership, pricing… you work so hard on each of these and it often takes longer than you expect. Many of you

Recommending something as “good” isn’t very helpful

Recommending something as “good” isn’t very helpful

` “Ohh, that book is really good!” I believe that's one of the least helpful things you can tell someone when they ask if a book is good, or a film, or a restaurant, or anything. A true recommendation isn’t about telling someone to have your same experience: it’s about understanding what, about that experience,

Choose your own new year - Karen Reyburn

Choose your own new year

Happy new year… to me!! You may remember I decided to move my new year to my birthday (which is today). January is a cold, dark, wet, windy, wild month: and I had some recuperating to do from all the Christmas travels. (Here’s the LinkedIn post about it if you want to catch up on the whys

Seek for team harmony, not team unity - Karen Reyburn

Seek for team harmony, not team unity

` I was once asked to help teach a group of young people about singing in harmony. I wasn’t sure I was the best person to do this. Although I grew up singing at home and in church, and in small groups or choirs, it was all self taught - or rather, learned from listening

The cycle of book buying and reading (or not)- Karen Reyburn

The cycle of book buying and reading (or not)

The “Book progression model” (or book disappearance model): 1. From the screen to your amazon basket (or order form) 2. Sits in the parcel for a few days 3. Out of the parcel and on to your desk - there it is! I’ll read it soon! 4. Moves to the “to be read’ pile because it’s been sitting

Win targets and dream targets - Karen Reyburn

Win targets and dream targets

Setting targets is one thing. But what kind of target are you setting? How achievable is it, really? This one can be hard to estimate. I find myself thinking, “I need to go really ambitious, because if you have low targets you’ll just reach them, and I need to push myself!” Then reality appears

Book notes: Grit - the power of passion plus perseverance

Book notes: Grit – the power of passion plus perseverance

There was a good bit I liked about this book, but ultimately I’m still left with questions about whether I fully agree with the book’s premise. Which is that grit is made up of both passion and perseverance. It’s not just pressing on, or keeping going: it’s doing all of that in an area (or with a goal) which is

Find your light when it’s dark (or grey)

Find your light when it’s dark (or grey)

December, with its short Scottish winter days, tends to be a tough month. I realise how much light I’m missing, and I need my ring light on in the office simply so I can be seen for the last four or five hours of video calls in my day. Most evenings I take my walk

The book writing process (and how much of it was actually writing!)

The book writing process (and how much of it was actually writing!)

Writing a book – for me anyway – was not the hard part. It was understanding the whole process – what would happen when, and what percentage of the process would be used for far more than just writing. Turns out for me, a LOT of the process happened after the writing was done. A

Slow down: follow the example of nature

Slow down: follow the example of nature

My words for the next few weeks are: Slow down. I had a seven-week period in which I was in a different country almost every week. All the events surrounding the book launch were happening, and I was happening with them. I went from Scotland to England to America back to Scotland, to Northern Ireland,

Every strength has a corresponding shadow

Every strength has a corresponding shadow

Every strength has a corresponding shadow. You and I both have things we are great at. Things which seem to come easily for us, or are pointed out by others. “You’re so good at this” or “I wish I could do that or be like that!” For each thing we are particularly strong at, there

The acknowledgements...and the disacknowledgements

The acknowledgements…and the disacknowledgements

Today’s Note is the words I shared at my book launch. Thank you, to everyone who supported and continues to support me as I seek to help more accountants, all over the world. This book is for you. — I really like the practice of an acknowledgments at the end of a book. Every book

KLR note sketch pink hand holding yellow cup with one teal drop pouring out

You can pour from an empty cup….but nothing much comes out

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” I saw that phrase posted again recently and was thinking about the word “can’t”. “Can’t” (like the word ‘should’) is another one I’ve been working on removing from my vocabulary. (Appreciation to Matthew MccConaughey for his story about replacing “can’t” with “I’m struggling with”, in his book Greenlights.)

hand drawn sketch of cover of The Accountant Marketer book by Karen L Reyburn

Book Notes: The Accountant Marketer! (and what I learned on the writing journey)

I’ve shared notes from a number of books I’ve enjoyed reading…now it’s time for my own! This is my first book, and instead of sharing the key learnings from the book itself (I’ll let you do that once you read it!), I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about writing, about writing a book, and

KLR notes just start 14-10-23

Just start!…in a series of small steps

When I started swimming again, I didn’t just one day throw a few things in a bag and show up at a pool. It may have looked like that, the day I started, but in reality it was a series of mental shifts which began months before. My sister insists this all began years before

Feet walking along and around a path

The journey is the way (the goal gets distracting)

I LOVE a good goal. I remember taking one of those personality or trait quizzes – which I usually don’t like because they box you in – but this one pointed out I was nearly 90% “goal orientated”. Meaning I will do anything and everything to achieve a goal, often to the detriment of…well…everything else.

Sketch of James Clear book Atomic Habits by KLR

Book Notes: Atomic Habits

Another book which has affected my entire life, both the business and the personal, is Atomic Habits by James Clear. I’d had it recommended to me by many people, so it was another book which had been on my list for ages. As with many books “everybody” seems to be impressed by, I tend to

KLR note squirrel! 18-03-23

SQUIRREL! The business owner’s distraction by the new shiny thing

You’ve done it again. You’re in the middle of a project, and you’re focused and making it happen, when suddenly…. SQUIRREL! Like Dug in the film “Up”, your head swivels round, distracted, ready to dash off in the direction of a squirrel. A new, better project. Something more exciting, newer. None of this tired old

KLR note buddha in me buddha in you book 11-03-23

BOOK Notes: The Buddha in me, the Buddha in you

I read. A lot. My list of “books to read” has over 100 titles listed, and every time I mention a book I’ve appreciated, I get another recommendation of a new one and the list gets longer. One of the books recommended to me years ago was “The Buddha in Me the Buddha in You”,

KLR note dustbuster shark sketch

The DustBuster and the Shark; or, a sales story

Once upon a time there was a human who owned a hoover. It wasn’t a particularly amazing hoover, but it more or less did the job. She’d run it round the house from time to time and it would pick up most of the dirt and mess, and sometimes she had to run it back

KLR note get too excited 18-02-23

Go ahead, get TOO excited

I’m willing to bet you’ve done this as often as I have – something comes up which is making progress, which could be momentous (in a small or great way), and you tell someone about it and they get really excited for and with you. “That’s so great! Oh my word! Amazing!” And then the

brick wall sketch with hole and blue sky visible

The breakthroughs don’t always come when you think they will

Okay I’m going to use my broken ankle as an example, again. Because it turns out this has become one of the most significant healing situations I’ve ever had to go through, so the analogies just keep coming. And part of how I process things is to relate them to what they mean and how

one step at a time sketchnote KLR

In healing, like in marketing, growth must take time into account

At my last visit to the fracture clinic, the doctor was telling me the things I could be doing to help stretch my ankle as it healed. I could move it forward and back. I could start walking without the big boot. There were exercises, and physio, and slow steps. “But no matter how much

Sales training workshop daniel priestley

Sales doesn’t come naturally: it requires continuous work

Sales. Love it or hate it? I was on a half day sales training workshop run by Daniel Priestley this week, and that was one of the first questions he asked us. He said if you HAVE to choose, would you say love it or hate it? I said if I really, really had to

book writing

On book writing: it’s not for me, and it’s an identity crisis for me

Oh hey. Nice to see you again! A while back, I took a breather from writing these "Karen's Notes" so I could focus my writing energies on finishing the content for my book, The Accountant Marketer. I meant to be intentional about it, explain what was happening, set some time frames. Maybe I'd take three

Good marketing, like good whisky, takes time

Good marketing, like good whisky, takes time

The making of Scottish whisky has long fascinated me. The simplicity of the ingredients, the patience required at every stage of the process, the hundreds of years of doing something the same way. Nothing churned out, nothing rushed. Good things take time. Conceptually, it makes sense. Better done right than done rushed. Invest well at

planning

Planning is everything (and then it’s easy)

This week I finished the DIY project of my downstairs bathroom. When I say “DIY”, this means “I hired a joiner to completely renovate the entire room and then I painted it”, which I say counts. But actually that was part of the problem. I figured once the joiner had come in to strip the

The (un)awkward silence: leaving space for people to think

The (un)awkward silence: leaving space for people to think

We had a training session at PF this week on using more “definitive language”. Examples included “We believe” or “I get it” or “This works because…” You use them in place of vague, rambly language. The kind which expresses uncertainty: “I think” “I”m not sure if that’s the best” “Here’s what worries me” “Just” “Sort

Green flags and gold flags: looking for the good qualities, too

Green flags and gold flags: looking for the good qualities, too

You know how to spot red flags. You’re not always sure how to define them, and you’re working on defining it, but when the flag starts waving, you know things aren’t going to be good. The client who doesn’t show up to meetings. The prospect who asks about price first. The applicant who doesn’t want

I don’t actually want to be polarising

I don’t actually want to be polarising

The best way to get engagement is to make strong, polarising, even outrageous statements. You’ll get more likes. More views. More haters too, but then that counts as engagement cos you can respond to them and then more people see it and that’s the point, isn’t it? More people, more comments, more visibility? Maybe. Maybe for

The comparison game may kick in over the holidays

The comparison game may kick in over the holidays

It’s nearly Christmas, so I’ll be signing off for a few weeks and writing my Notes again in January. Before I go, I wanted to send a reminder that taking a break at the holidays always opens up more of your mind to what “everyone else” is doing. The comparison game. For me it can get stronger

Pink flags: Not quite red flags, but...

Pink flags: Not quite red flags, but…

You know what a red flag is. Warning, danger, “bad gut feeling”, something was said or done which is an indicator this (whatever ‘this’ is) will not go well. Prospective client or team member, new client relationship, business opportunity such as a merger or sale. In any of these (and many other) situations we stay

The right way is the long way: in whisky and marketing

The right way is the long way: in whisky and marketing

Glengoyne Whisky Distillery prides itself on having the slowest stills in Scotland. My sister and I visited a few months ago, and in huge letters on the doors to the building holding the stills and the washbacks, it reads: THE RIGHT WAY IS THE LONG WAY Everywhere at the distillery and on their website and

“Target audience”? You’re not shooting at them. You’re inviting them.

“Target audience”? You’re not shooting at them. You’re inviting them.

‘Target audience’ is one of those marketing phrases which gets used without a great deal of thought. Yes, you could also say ‘ideal audience’ or ‘client avatar’ or some other official sounding phrase, but as with all marketing terminology I prefer to question everything. Target. Why target? Where does that come from? A target is

Listen to that “little voice” which reminds you to do (or say) something

Listen to that “little voice” which reminds you to do (or say) something

You know when you think, “Oh, I meant to message that person for…” (whatever it was), and you don’t, and then later on that day they message you to ask about the thing? You think (or say) “Ahhh, I was literally just thinking of you today and meant to get in touch!” And sort of

Just get started, and just keep going

Just get started, and just keep going

I took a break from writing these Note blog posts because I really needed to finish the content for my book. I meant to write a Note to explain, but I didn’t even manage to do that. You can tell I got serious about it because I even cancelled Netflix, and Disney+, and a few

The #pf100days video challenge: why we avoid video & what to do about it

The #pf100days video challenge: why we avoid video & what to do about it

As you may have noticed, we’re doing a 100 days video challenge for accountants who want to get better at video. And the best video coach is….you, doing more video. Think of a child learning about how video works. They see you on your phone, and they want to hold it. If you let them hold

All the things, and your one thing

All the things, and your one thing

“We’re doing all the things right now, so I guess my question is…what do I focus on?” Had a one to one Momentum session with a client last week, and when I asked what particularly she wanted to cover, this was it. This is for those of you who ARE actually doing things. Loads of

There are no shoulds in this room: How

There are no shoulds in this room: How “should” equals ‘could’ + shame

I’ve got a personal vendetta against the word “should”. It’s a shame word, a guilt word. And an unnecessary one. I started this change over six years ago. I’d never loved the word, but there was a final kicker when my dad was terminal, and on hospice. It had been a long road, as cancer

Swearing in marketing (a brand decision)

As we keep hearing about being “real” and “authentic” in marketing, and being “more human” in the content we create and share, we have to have the swearing conversation. Swearing has historically been considered “unprofessional”. Along with tattoos, drinking (alcohol, obvs) during working hours, and comfortable clothes which are unstarched and without collars or ties or jackets.

KLR notes sword of gryffindor 26-06-21

Only take in that which makes you stronger

As we read No Rules Rules, or watch a business documentary, or consider applicants who want to work with PF, or think about the changes we will or won’t make: we need to be the sword of Gryffindor. We take in that which makes us stronger.

Going entirely off sugar (and how it's not impossible)

Going entirely off sugar (and how it’s not impossible)

A few years ago I cut sugar out of my diet entirely. I remember the day I decided. I stood on a scale in my bathroom, me and only me, and stared at the number that stared back with its digital seriousness. 199.2 pounds. I’d always been thin – even “skinny”, when I was growing

Keep going...and the breakthrough may not look like you expect

Keep going…and the breakthrough may not look like you expect

We are not yet “post pandemic”. Yes, most of us can…. do things now. Visit places which were closed before. See people live and in person. Go to restaurants, museums, parks. Book a holiday cottage and stay there with family. Even hug people! It’s so exciting. But the last year to 18 months has taken

KLR notes learn system 22-05-21

What will you LEARN? What SYSTEM needs to change?

When you fail. When something goes wrong. When the conversation was difficult, or the client left, or got angry at you. When the applicant or team member didn’t work out. When you screwed up, when it broke, when you missed the deadline. When someone complains, or is upset, or doesn’t understand. There are two questions

What’s your “puffin” thing? The big thing you must do?

What’s your “puffin” thing? The big thing you must do?

As you are reading this, hopefully I am on my way to, or landed on, the Isle of Mull. It’s my favourite place of them all. A few hours’ drive from my house, a 45 minute ferry, and…I’m literally a world away. It’s quiet. There are single track roads and few people. “Traffic” consists of

KLR notes backpack load 08-05-21

Is your problem a backpack, or a load?

Many problems we shoulder are heavy. Difficult conversations, hard truths, issues with clients, differences of opinion. The burden you have to carry – only you, and no one can carry it for you – is like a backpack. A load is like a boulder. Something you literally can not (and are not supposed to) carry alone.

KLR notes marathon 01-05-21

The accidental marathon: you are capable of more than you know

I walked a literal marathon last Saturday. I wanted to go walking and exploring – i have a list on my phone of places I want to explore, which I haven’t been able to travel to for the past year. And now the travel ban has been lifted I’m heading out as often as I can.

KLR notes invisible work 17-04-21

Keep doing the invisible work

I got distracted this week. I had brilliant new ideas about how to help our clients and a message I wanted to make sure we get across, and ended up spending most of a day working on a video and some content on this topic and all the new ideas when really…I would have done better to just keep going on the projects I’ve got before me.

Stay in your lane

Stay in your lane

When I was growing up in Arizona, we had a swimming pool in our back garden (our “backyard”, to use the American term). I remember well the day we moved into that particular house – we’d just moved from California, and it was the height of summer in Arizona – July or August. Even hotter

KLR notes 2 levels of work 03-04-21

The two levels of success in work: hard work + yes, to creativity + rest

At the beginning it’s “hard work, and saying yes to just about everything”. This is how you succeed.

You move to working less, and saying no to almost everything. Hard work you replace with creativity (the ability to see opportunity) plus risk (the willingness to go for it). And instead of saying yes to almost everything, you work on saying no to almost everything.

KLR notes Art of asking questions

The art of asking questions

There is SO much more to question asking (and answering) than we realise. As the owner of a creative agency whose purpose involves understanding our clients better so we can help them create better marketing…asking questions is one of the most important skills we have.

How we ask questions and how we listen, can entirely change the answers we receive.

KLR notes creativity rest

Creativity requires structure. Rest takes work.

Last week we had a 3 day team retreat, and it was amazing and inspiring and difficult and challenging and we did things wrong and we did things right. As a team, we read the book Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar…

KLR notes listen gut

Listen to your gut…and dig deeper

“I just trust my gut”, you think. You hire someone you feel right about, and reject to the ones you don’t. A new prospect says and does a few things which feel dodgy, but seems like a nice guy, so you take him on as a client anyway. Many weeks or months later something happens and you think, “I knew it. I KNEW IT.”

“They’re a really nice person, but….”

When you hear yourself (or someone else) say this phrase, it’s actually all over. The supplier. The company you hired. The employee. The strategic partner. The accountant. The client. The advisor. The minister. The author. The influencer. The lecturer. The date. The….whoever. I have heard this phrase used by so many people for so long,

No self sabotage: Go all the way to the end

No self sabotage: Go all the way to the end

This image is me. In every major achievement in my life, I’ve gotten cold feet or slowed down or hesitated or got sick or something, right before the end. Depending on how significant the achievement is, it might be a day or a week before I get there, or it might be a few months.

100 days, no shortcuts

100 days, no shortcuts

Want to get better at something? Do it every day for 100 days. That’s it, that’s the Note. Okay…you know me, that’s not completely it. Naturally I have more to say. But if you read nothing else, grasp that. If you’re going to get better at something – writing or recording video or posting on

Red lights, greenlights

Red lights, greenlights

When I was younger, in America, we used to play a game called “red light green light”. Everyone would line up at one end of the field, or the room, or a wide open space. One person would stand at the front, staring ahead and not able to see those behind them, and shout “green

Are you off, or

Are you off, or “off off”?

You’re exhausted. Some of you have literally taken only a few days’ holiday in the entire year (or since March anyway). It’s time for a rest – a real one. An honest to goodness, don’t check emails or Slack or messages or even social media or your phone, rest. It’s the difference between being “off”…

KLR notes block out day 12-12-20

Do I need to block out a full day at a time to get marketing done?

Right, you’re going to be serious now. You’re going to focus your energy and attention on marketing a bit more (maybe this is your 2021 plan). But you know marketing always gets put off. You plan an hour or some time to “do marketing” and then you get emails and messages and phone calls and

The creative child within (and the fears that go with them)

The creative child within (and the fears that go with them)

When you tap into the creativity within, you tap into the child you….and sometimes the fears and resistances which come along with them. I was a guest on a podcast recently called “What’s your ‘and’?”. Everyone has an ‘and’, something they do or enjoy or create when they’re not working, and the podcast host, John Garrett,

KLR notes give thanks 28-11-20

Choose to give thanks. Always

This week is the American holiday of Thanksgiving. As a dual British-American citizen, it’s still a holiday I celebrate here in Scotland, and it really is one of my favourite holidays of all. Because the premise is: things are (or have been) very hard, so you gather together with family, eat good food and lots of it, and you give thanks for it all. For the food, the family and friends and tribe, and all the good things you’ve received or experienced even through the hard times.

long way no shortcuts

Long way only (no shortcuts)

I’ve been having various levels of back pain for the past seven weeks. (Just in case you don’t read the full note: don’t worry. I’ve seen a doctor, several physios, and am doing the work, and it is getting better. It’s just slow. That’s sort of the point of the note.) When it first started,

KLR pillars whisky walking coffee faith potter

Choosing personal pillars and values (and how this helps a team)

Not long after I set up PF, I identified what I saw as the core foundational “pillars” of the company. Things I personally stood for and what I wanted the agency to stand for, too. Those are creativity, integrity, generosity, and rest. (For a while there was one called “service”, but I decided that was less of

The story I'm telling myself (and how easily it can be the wrong story)

The story I’m telling myself (and how easily it can be the wrong story)

We have to make sense of things. Somehow. And if things don’t make sense, or don’t fit, our brain will work on putting together the reason, the intentions, the story. We will literally make up a story in our own head to help us understand. We’ll say “oh, I see, they wrote that email in that

Hard things and good things work together

Hard things and good things work together

I’ve been thinking this week about the good things we receive through an experience of hard things. No matter how good the good thing is we receive through what’s hard…it doesn’t magically make the hard things good. Or transform them. Sometimes (most times) they’re bad in and of themselves. Things like Covid. And lockdown. And back

How to introduce change: the skanky blanket story

How to introduce change: the skanky blanket story

We don’t like change. No matter how we dress it up, even when sometimes it can feel adventurous or exciting or bold or brave, there’s still a part of us which is uncomfortable with any change, and therefore resists it. Some of us are more like that than others. Or perhaps what I mean is,

There's more happening while we wait than waiting

There’s more happening while we wait than waiting

I read this sentence today and needed to pause to think about it for a little while. “There is more happening while we wait than just waiting.” The author was talking about how frustrating it is to wait. How weary we get, how cranky and frustrated and wishing it would be over – so we

Consecutive time off > time off in pieces

Consecutive time off > time off in pieces

Hello everyone! I’m back! Really actually missed writing these Notes, come to think of it. I like the routine and pattern, and I love the thoughtful replies I get and the good conversations it starts. Being off for three whole weeks, consecutively, has shown me a few things. Chief of which is that taking time

The books you read

The books you read

When ‘everything’ started back in March, I sort of naively imagined I’d get lots of reading done. I’d have all this time, I thought. I wouldn’t be traveling, I’d still get my work done at home and then I could just read and read and read. Didn’t happen that way, at all. Matter of fact

What's your thing?

What’s your thing?

A few months ago I was listening to a podcast called “Do The Thing”, and it stopped me in my tracks within the first few minutes, before she even got to the actual topic. She did a little intro, welcomed her guest, and then said, “Before we get into it, the first question I ask

The movie montage (and why you can't skip it)

The movie montage (and why you can’t skip it)

You know that part of a film, usually in the middle or about two thirds of the way through, where a lot of hard stuff happens really fast with music playing the whole time? There is laughing and crying and falling and getting up again and working out and cutting hair and falling over and

red kitchen knife sketch

Be the sharp knife

You know what’s more dangerous than a really sharp knife? A dull one. This week I was chopping walnuts with my favourite red kitchen knife, which my sister gave me for Christmas years ago. Probably more years than I even realise, because lately it hasn’t been chopping as cleanly and I kept thinking, “I’ll need

There is no normal (is there?)

There is no normal (is there?)

I started this sketch with the words: “There is no normal. We are not going back to normal. We never had normal.” And then I thought about it, and realised making sweeping statements isn’t quite what I want to do here. After all, some people really do want to “go back to normal”. Maybe you’ve

Head. Space.

Head. Space.

On Monday, for the first time in four months I was able to go somewhere besides my local walks. Those local walking paths have served me well during lockdown. I got the fresh air, some space, daily processing of all the thoughts. But I missed the freedom to get in the car and go far

On starting things and swearing and taking MY time

On starting things and swearing and taking MY time

I listened to episode one of Brene Brown’s podcast, Unlocking Us, yesterday. It has taken me – literally, exactly – three months to click play. (The episode is dated 20th March.) I knew it was going to be good. I have read several of Brene’s books (and watched her TED talks and netflix documentary) and

Distancing from my own head

Distancing from my own head

Last weekend a friend came round and we just sat out on the back deck all afternoon. Talking, watching the breezes move the trees, eating lunch, listening to music. We were talking about things we miss, and one of my greatest ones is travel. Not the constant travel – I’m getting my eyes opened to

The comparison game: do I ever win it?

The comparison game: do I ever win it?

The comparison game. Sort of the least-fun game ever. It has become very real to me in the past few weeks and months. It’s always been real: I’ve always struggled with feeling ‘less than’ in my areas of perceived weakness. Or fear. Or confusion. But at this time all our fears and confusions and weaknesses

I'll do it when I have ... time?

I’ll do it when I have … time?

“I’ll do it when I have time.” Okay so we’ve all had THIS excuse blown out of the water and revealed for the excuse it always was. Because unless you’re a care worker for your country’s health service, the fact is we all have a little more time here and there (and some people have

KLR note Austin Kleon3 try sitting 16-05-20

Try sitting in the same place at the same time every day

The most significant change happens in small increments, day after day. Month after month, year after year. In the past year, I’ve lost over 52 pounds (almost 4 stone) by counting calories every single day. Walking, every single day. Cutting out sugar, and choosing not to eat it every single day. In the past 6

It may not be okay: but comfort is coming

It may not be okay: but comfort is coming

There’s a lot of “it’s going to be okay” messages going around. In one sense, there’s truth in it. There have been crises before – of differing natures and time periods than this one, with different repercussions – and the world and its humanity are still here. So it’s very likely we – the communal,

the 2020 club

the 2020 club

Dear Covid-19, We accept the fact that we’ve had to sacrifice a whole month in lockdown for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you’re crazy for making us believe who you think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient

Put on your own mask first

Put on your own mask first

“Please remember to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” I’ve heard that when flying (back in THOSE days) more times than I can count. It makes good sense. No point trying to save others (particularly those smaller or younger than you, or who might be in trouble in some way) if you’re

True positives and false positives

True positives and false positives

Positivity is a good thing. It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s something I seek to live out. It’s even one of the six internal values of my company. In the midst of a really difficult time, staying positive can be even harder…not simply because of the tough things in life. (It requires discipline, even in

I don't know.

I don’t know.

I was trying to think of what to share with my Karen’s Notes list today. And the truth is, i don’t know. I’ve never pretended to have all the answers – these notes simply share what I’m thinking and how I’m feeling and I hope they help encourage a few. But after considering this topic

power of rest in temporary normal

On the power of rest in the new temporary-normal

There’s a lot out there about how to “use” your coronavirus time. Or your quarantine time. To rise to the challenge, be strong and valiant, own this and crush this and win win win. Last week I was feeling that a bit. I thought “My business is already remote, so this is business as usual”.

KLR notes #coronavirus

Who do you want to be when this is over?

Okay so, the world has gone a bit mad. I had some fears too, and they’ve gone up and down a bit as shown by this handy graph. Here’s the things I’ve been telling myself, my team, and pretty much anyone I ended up talking to this week about the coronavirus (so, everyone). On levels

quickbooks cancelled

What do you do when your plans are changed for you?

This week (as you’ll know unless you were living under a rock or not using the internet), QBC London was cancelled out of “an over abundance of caution” with the current #coronavirus situation. Protecting people, just in case. Making that kind of decision in the first place has to be really hard. I’m sure they were discussing

values, sketchnote, Karen's notes, team

Values: Have them AND live them

Last year I was asked to sketchnote the five values for a company called Diagnostax. I got to know them through one of the owners, Gwil, who I met at an accounting conference. I was walking through the hordes of people and Gwil literally stopped me and said “You’re Karen Reyburn, right? The one who

So, how's YOUR day?

So, how’s YOUR day?

On Friday, my nephew went into emergency brain surgery for fluid on the brain. It’s been an exhausting, difficult, confusing, emotional time so far (for the family there by his side and for me being far away). There’s tons we don’t know yet and very likely a long road ahead: but here’s the point. In

brene brown dare to lead sketchnote KLR

Dare to Lead: hard-but-good reading

Recently in an Insta story I mentioned I was reading the book “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown, and said it was “hard but good”. I had several messages almost instantly from a variety of people asking, Why is it hard? Whenever that happens it’s an indicator to me that I’ve hit on something that

I will not let the dark days (of winter) bring me down

I will not let the dark days (of winter) bring me down

It’s winter, and that means darkness. I live in Scotland, and in the summer it’s almost never dark at all. The sun comes up so early (and so calmly) that you hardly even notice – even if you stay up or get up to watch it, there’s just sort of a general lightening of the

Handel’s Messiah: sketchnoted

Handel’s Messiah: sketchnoted

It’s coming on towards Christmas, and one of the traditions I’ve always loved is listening to Handel’s Messiah. Beautiful music. Meaningful music, drawn from the oldest Book of them all. And a feeling of being swept into glory. My family would often go together to listen to it sometime before Christmas. My parents found this

KLR note Nice problem

It’s a nice problem to have…but it’s still a problem.

Has this ever been said to you? When you tell someone about a problem you’re facing right now, something like…. …you’ve got too many prospects to follow up on, and they’re all good. …your offices are getting too small, because you’ve been growing so fast and there are too many team members now. …you’ve been

karen reyburn sketchnotes go deep

Deep work: it’s hard (even when I’m new to it)

When I buy a book, I do this very odd thing where for a good few months (or even a year or more) I talk about the concept as if I know what I’m talking about….before I read the book. I’m not sure why I do that. Maybe it’s preparing my mind to read. No

greatest showman dont need everyone

You don’t need everyone to love you. Just a few good people

The Greatest Showman is one of my favourite films. It’s got catchy music, a great cast, and a solid message about not letting business and money take over. And it’s got some good solid quotes that made me stop and think, especially this one when Hugh Jackman’s character is rushing off to yet another round

But what if you could? Or what if you did know?

But what if you could? Or what if you did know?

Sometimes you just don’t know. Or you feel like you can’t. What moves you from that, to exploring whether you could? Or to a place of knowing you can, and doing it? Earlier this week my sister and I were hiking Lookout Mountain in Phoenix, at sunrise. I’m in Arizona in between conferences in the

karens sketchnotes

The travel list: how to get things done when you’re out of pattern

I do enjoy travel, and sometimes get a good bit of work done when doing so. But I used to find there were all these things i wanted to get done…but I wasn’t at my iMac with the nice Yeti microphone and the webcam and the camtasia video editing software and the faster speeds and

KLR notes

Maybe it’s not working…because it’s a new phase

On Monday, for the first time in 28 weeks, i stepped on the scale and had a gain of 1.4 pounds…and absolutely no idea why. I have only gained twice in that time period, and both times I had specific reasons that helped it make sense, and both were under 0.6 pounds each time. But

24 series blank time

You’re not “just tired”. There’s always something else.

Some days, or parts of days, you’re just not productive. You’re not targeting your goals or firing on all cylinders or crushing it. You’re not reading impactful books or watching helpful documentaries. You’re not going to the gym or cooking a healthy meal or having insightful conversations. You’re just…tired. Or are you? Are you ever

Marketing manager needed

Marketing manager needed

My company needs a marketing manager. I’m hijacking my Karen’s notes this week to ask for your help. No matter how much we do in terms of recruitment, the best hires often come from someone knowing someone else. We’re firm on what we want (and don’t want) at PF, we have a fairly intensive hiring

KLR note All the emotions

What to do when you get one of those heart-racing emails

You know when you get one of those emails or texts that gets your heart really racing? Something has gone wrong or has been difficult with someone (from a friend to a client to a supplier or whoever), and you’ve been communicating with them for a little while. And at first you were okay, just

swirling thoughts

Go for a walk: Let all the thoughts swirl around and get outside of your head

Some mornings, I wake up with a lot of thoughts already swirling around in my head. It’s like I put them to the side when I went to bed, and the second I open my eyes (or before) they leap upon me again and fill my head before I even have time to grab coffee.

island mentality rest

Island Rules: Not everything will go your way (and that’s okay)

“I like this island, because it slows you down whether you want to or not. The island itself literally won’t allow you to rush.” My brother in law said this as we were driving along the winding, rutted, curving roads of Mull. The sea was crashing on our right, the sun glowing through the clouds

Be brave, be brave, be brave: If you’re not sure you can do it, do it.

Be brave, be brave, be brave: If you’re not sure you can do it, do it.

Still on holiday this week (now I’m on the Isle of Skye). So instead of a full Note, here’s a sketchnote from an event I went to, which gave me a great deal to think about as a business owner. The topic was “strategy”, which can sound really boring. It’s been used and overused until

Vulnerability: showing up in weakness when you can’t control the outcome

Vulnerability: showing up in weakness when you can’t control the outcome

I’m on holiday on the Isle of Mull (my favourite island of them all). So, instead of a Note this week, I’m going to suggest you watch the “Call to Courage” by Brene Brown, on Netflix. I watched it last week – and I tried to watch it whilst doing other things. Ironing, sketchnoting, emails,

I need both accountability AND deadlines to get stuff done (and relationship)

I need both accountability AND deadlines to get stuff done (and relationship)

I get stuff done on deadline. But only when the deadline involves other people. Deadlines work for me because I care about other people. Sometimes to the exclusion of myself, which i’m working on, but I really hate letting people down. If I say I’ll send something Friday, it may be midnight, but I’ll get

A story about great leggings, and how simply having a good product isn’t enough

A story about great leggings, and how simply having a good product isn’t enough

My new favourite leggings are from a company called Sweaty Betty. I like what they make, but that isn’t all, and it’s not enough. I like what they say in their marketing, and who they are, and the way they interact with me as a human (not simply a “buyer”). A few weeks ago they

They ask you answer marcus sheridan

I’ve been talking about this for ages. How could they not know about it?

People hear things when they are ready to hear them. This is a little story about someone who recommended a book to me….which I’ve been recommending to, like, everyone all the time everywhere. I thought. It’s Saturday morning. My friend James texts me something he’s been thinking about, so i ring him and we chat

Accountants are creative too (no, not the illegal kind)

Accountants are creative too (no, not the illegal kind)

I’ve been thinking for a long time about the creativity of accountants (the good kind). In the past, i would say most accountants wouldn’t consider themselves creative. That word is for artists, photographers, writers, graphic designers. People who do creative-y things. But where does that impression come from? Why is it we think some people

Crush it? Hustle? Work harder? Rest.

Crush it? Hustle? Work harder? Rest.

The answer to being more productive may not be more work. It may be rest. I know the value of hard work: and I really enjoy it. I love being a business owner and I’m even grateful for finding the line between business and personal to be rather blurry. That’s ok by me. There are

The more healthy i am, the more healthy my business is.

The more healthy i am, the more healthy my business is.

The more healthy i am, the more healthy my business is. Last week i met with my accountant and we looked at the numbers for june (and July so far). It was notable the increase in sales (and related profitability) of the business for the past few months. Specifically the last 14 weeks. For those

Holiday Expectations: Will you “use” the time, or let it go by?

Holiday Expectations: Will you “use” the time, or let it go by?

Holiday can be hard to think about when you’re feeling a bit swamped. You want it and are excited about it; you need it; but you may also be tempted to make sure you “use” your holiday time for thinking about the business. Planning. Writing some content. Actually having headspace seems like a huge opportunity.

When you meet people “in person”, the conversation changes

When you meet people “in person”, the conversation changes

I set up my business as a 100% remote, virtual business. I did this for efficiency reasons, for a lifestyle choice. I wanted to work from home. Have flexibility. Be able to go where I wanted to go and not be bound by an office. Also, I don’t really work well in an office (I

The personal element has the greatest impact

The personal element has the greatest impact

“You need to have the machine, and you also need the human element.” My friend and fellow business owner Paul said that to me when we were meeting over breakfast. We were talking about the Accelerator course we deliver for accountants. I created it several years ago and it’s gone through a few iterations, but

But what if I get TOO inspired?

But what if I get TOO inspired?

Sometimes I put off reading (or watching, or attending, or doing) something…and when I evaluate it, my avoidance is because I’m actually worried about how inspired I will be. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous. Don’t I WANT to be inspired? Isn’t inspiration a great thing? It is a great thing….but it can also feel

Now it is time to finish (your writing).

Now it is time to finish (your writing).

Waiting to publish is the killer. It’s the killer of new business, of great conversations with prospects, of enthusiasm and progress and the change you’re trying to make in your business. It’s a killer because the potential is there – it’s right there!! But those who need to see it aren’t seeing it, because you’re….waiting.

You don’t have to wait for the time to write. You already have it.

You don’t have to wait for the time to write. You already have it.

You have the time to write. You just don’t recognise it for what it is. Perhaps in your mind, you expect it to look a certain way: quiet, comfortable, in a soft chair looking out to the sea with birds chirping outside… when in reality it’s probably more like typing with two thumbs while walking

What makes one tweet better than another?

What makes one tweet better than another?

This week I shared a tweet which got (so far) 62 likes and 18 retweets, which for me puts it as the second most popular tweet I’ve ever put out there. The front runner still (and possibly always) is the famous Harry Potter tweet which I shared from Kings Cross (with over 202k views, 1042

On rebranding: You can integrate a rebrand slowly, over time

Rebranding: You can integrate a rebrand slowly, over time

Here’s a real life example of how you can slowly change your branding in line with a re-brand. Last week my sister and i stayed at a B&B up north in the Scottish Highlands, and in the process of finding it I noticed they had two signs on display. One was a fairly old fashioned,

Steve jobs

Steve Jobs: good business, bad humanity.

This week I finished “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. It’s quite an easy read for such a big book – and as a major Apple fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the man who created Apple, and was part of changing the world as we know it. I’m extremely grateful for all Steve Jobs (and

Tell the story (disasters and failures and all)

Tell the story (disasters and failures and all)

I’m so tired of hearing success stories with a little one-liner to hard times. “I lost three businesses, was 100k in debt, and THEN I TRIUMPHED and am the raving success you see now.” That’s not a story: it’s an ending. (And it’s not even a true ending, because they’re still going.) This week I

Keep going. (The little things matter.)

Keep going. (The little things matter.)

There’s a lot of talk about how you have to love what you do. How you can wake up every morning full of enthusiasm and joy and sparkle, and every moment is a winning moment. Sure, okay, you have a few instances that are tough, but you leap up from the ground, dust yourself off,

How people referred to you behave (and how many you might be missing)

How people referred to you behave (and how many you might be missing)

People who are recommended to you almost never simply pick up the phone and call you. They do research. They think. They go through a lot of pain. They wonder and worry. They put it off. They go to your website. They follow you on social. They ask for recommendations. They think about it longer.

Defend or dive deeper

Defend or dive deeper

When you identify something about yourself that’s different, something that tempts you to feel is “not as” (not as good , not the same as others), what do you do with that? Do you… …defend or …dive deeper? For the past year or so we’ve been talking within the PF team about the concept of

Show your work: Who are your influences? What are you learning?

Show your work: Who are your influences? What are you learning?

I’ve been avoiding reading this book for months. It’s been in my book stack, reminding me with its bright yellow cover that it’s there, ready to be read, ready to encourage me and give me new ideas. Actually, that’s why i was avoiding it. I knew this book is about sharing what you’re working on,

The 1-minute and 5-minute social media tactic

The 1-minute and 5-minute social media tactic

You don’t have time for social media. You’re already swamped with emails, client meetings, team issues, events, new apps to check out, and on, and on. Fitting in more marketing time to look at social media – to learn it, figure out how all the different platforms work, know what works best and what doesn’t….that

Victories and questions: your fallback for content

Victories and questions: your fallback for content

Struggling to find what to write about? Not sure where to start, how to direct your team, feeling blank? There are two categories which will never fail you (unless of course you’re not talking to your clients, in which case, sort that out!). Victories and Questions. I’m talking particularly about your clients’ victories, and your

What are your inner marketing voices saying to you?

What are your inner marketing voices saying to you?

I’m on a train right now, as I write this, going into Edinburgh for our in-person PF team get together. It’s always good fun to get together with the team (who are usually remote and communicating via Slack and video), and the sun is shining, and the skies are blue. A nice change from Storm

Karens sketchnotes

“…I wanted to know the story those numbers were telling me.”

Last week my accountant said something that has stuck with me – and come back to me – every day since he said it. I traveled, attended a lot of events, met amazing people and re-connected with ones i knew already, had new business opportunities… and yet the one thing that stands out in my

Brainstorm all your ideas

Failed marketing ideas that were never used

This week, I remembered something we brainstormed at PF about five years ago. Something that never got off the ground. An idea that seemed incredibly brilliant at the time, but didn’t happen. Looking back at it now I’m so grateful we didn’t go this route. (I admit this has been responsible for a LOT of

Rushing? Look up. Look out.

Rushing? Look up. Look out.

Everything rushes by so fast. The train. The cars. The meetings. The emails. The slack messages. The cities. All the people. The queue for coffee. (Okay that one maybe doesn’t move so fast cos we don’t have our coffee yet.) In the past week I’ve had a lot of opportunities to rush. Today, I was

Karen sketchnote just keep going mug sea

Sometimes you need to just get started.

Sometimes you need to just get started. And sometimes you need to just stop. Last week I spent five days on the Isle of Mull. It’s my favourite place of rest, of beauty, of refreshment, of quiet and peace. And although I told myself I would simply sit by the fire and read books and

Rest takes practice

Rest takes practice

Whether you’ve never been a person who rests well, or you have gotten out of the habit, being comfortable with rest will not come easily. It involves silence. And solitude. And quiet. And perhaps some introspection. None of which come easily to most of us. But the main reason is that we have built ourselves a

Rest: Start with solitude, discipline, and boredom

Rest: Start with solitude, discipline, and boredom

One of the elements of true rest is solitude – because rest at its heart sees us at our heart. But one of the results of the modern world, modern technology, and our instant-response generation is that we are not used to solitude. We don’t like it, and we don’t know what to do with

Rest: Why it's not Godly to wear yourself out for God

Rest: Why it’s not Godly to wear yourself out for God

There is nothing honouring about wearing yourself out – for whatever noble reason you’ve set. For God, for your church, for your business, for your family. There will be times when you need to do more, sleep less, push past every boundary you feel you have. There are even seasons of life when that needs

Rest is always possible.

Rest is always possible.

Rest is always possible. It’s always a choice. And it’s always an act of faith. Telling ourselves that we “can’t” rest simply means we won’t. There’s too much on. The baby is crying. The house needs to be viewed today or someone else will buy it. An employee just put in his notice and you

A passion for rest

A passion for rest

I’m passionate about rest. It’s also the one thing I struggle with above all others, and which I many times despair of ever ‘achieving’ in my life. But that’s the trouble with rest. How do you ‘achieve’ something that is all about slowing down? Doing less. Trusting. Being patient and quiet. Listening. Being at peace.

Travels in photography: Vienna, Austria

Travels in photography: Vienna, Austria

Austria at Christmas time. It conjures up the idea of mountains, snow, grey skies, brightly-lit Christmas markets with all sorts of wares, carols sung in front of a cathedral, and the beauty of old European cities. We were thrilled to discover that Vienna met our expectations in all of these areas. It was cold, but

Yet another website? Why?

My usual advice to anyone about multiple websites is: don’t have them. Focus on one website, one domain, one URL. Drive everything to that site, because you’ll get more traffic and more focused business that way. I still stand by that advice, but if you know me at all you may be wondering then why I’ve got the

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