How Do You Want to Experience Your Business?

When I first began my coaching practice, I naively believed that success was simply about having enough clients and generating sufficient income. What I discovered, through both personal experience and years of supporting other coaches and entrepreneurs, is that the quality of our business experience matters just as profoundly as its external markers of success. The question "How do you want to experience your business?" isn't merely philosophical—it's foundational to creating a practice that sustains and fulfills you over the long term.

This inquiry emerged from my own journey of burnout and subsequent renewal, alongside insights gleaned personally from ALOT of reflection. Through being coached myself, I have been challenged me to consider not just what I wanted my business to achieve, but how I wanted to feel whilst building and running it. The distinction is crucial: external success without internal alignment often leads to what I've witnessed in many coaching practices—professionals who appear successful yet feel trapped within the very businesses they created to provide freedom.

The L.I.F.E Framework for Intentional Business Design

Lifestyle

How do you genuinely want to spend your days and weeks? Consider your natural rhythms, preferred working hours, and the balance between focused work and human connection. Are you someone who thrives with back-to-back client sessions, or do you need spaciousness between conversations to process and reflect?

I've learned that honouring our authentic preferences isn't selfish—it's strategic. When we work in alignment with our natural patterns, we bring greater presence and effectiveness to our clients.

Impact

What transformation do you hope to facilitate through your work? Beyond the surface-level outcomes, what deeper shifts do you want to support in your clients' lives? This isn't about grandiose claims, but rather about clarifying the meaningful change you're uniquely positioned to facilitate.

Consider how your personal experiences, skills, and perspectives create a distinctive approach to supporting others. Your impact might be helping leaders find their authentic voice, supporting individuals through career transitions, or facilitating team cohesion.

Finance

How much do you genuinely need and want to earn? This requires honest examination of both your practical financial requirements and your relationship with money. Consider your desired annual income, monthly cash flow needs, and budget for professional development or special projects.

Financial clarity enables you to make informed decisions about your service offerings, client numbers, and pricing structure. It also helps you avoid the trap of taking on work that doesn't align with your other values simply because you haven't done this foundational thinking.

Experience

You needn't be chained to a desk if that isn't your preference. How might you design your work environment and delivery methods to support your wellbeing and effectiveness? This could involve working from various locations, incorporating walking meetings, or designing your space to feel nurturing and inspiring.

Consider also the emotional experience you want to have whilst working. Do you prefer intense, concentrated periods followed by rest, or a more steady, consistent rhythm? Your answers will inform everything from your scheduling to your service design.

Reflection Questions and Next Steps

To deepen your exploration of these themes, I invite you to sit with these questions over the coming weeks. Rather than rushing to immediate answers, allow them to percolate and inform your observations of how you currently experience work and life.

• When do you feel most energised and present in your work, and what conditions support these states?

• What aspects of your current business experience drain your energy, and how might these be redesigned or eliminated?

• If you could wave a magic wand and create your ideal working week, what would it look like in practical detail?

• What fears or inherited beliefs about business might be limiting your ability to design something truly aligned with your values?

"The entrepreneur works on the business, not in the business." - Michael Gerber

If you find yourself needing coaching or supervision around designing your business experience, I invite you to explore what support might serve you. Sometimes having a thinking partner helps us move from reflection to intentional action.

Ready to explore these questions more deeply? Book an enquiry call by contacting www.intentionalsteps.co.uk to discuss how coaching support might help you design a business that truly reflects your values and desired experience.