Phew, I don’t know where this summer went, but I certainly can’t believe we welcomed the first day of Fall this week ????
With such a crazy summer, and a lot going on behind the scenes over here, I wanted to share a bit of a quarterly update on life, biz, and our home renovations!
LIFE UPDATE
If you follow me along on Instagram, you may have seen this post I shared back in August providing a little insight into a health issue I had been struggling with.
I practically kicked off summer with something I just couldn’t figure out, GI issues. For over 8 weeks I couldn’t stomach food, causing me to be tired ALL THE TIME. I went weeks without really leaving the house because I was so exhausted and fatigued.
When I did make it out of the house, I didn’t dare eat anything for fear of how my body would react.
After multiple doctor’s visits and a ridiculous number of tests, I still didn’t have any answers.
This was week 8 of not being able to stomach food.
Out of complete desperation, I reached out to one of my amazing clients Dr. Beth Westie to see if she had any insight into what was going on.
Dr. Beth eagerly jumped on a call with me to hear what was happening and provided a quick plan of action for me to start right away.
Needless to say, her recommendations significantly helped me get back to “normal” by removing gluten and dairy from my diet and only eating easily digestible foods.
While her recommendations stabilized me and have made the past 4 weeks much more bearable, I am still working with the GI doctors to identify the root cause of the issue.
Yesterday, I had (what I am hoping is my final) test done to help us get some concrete answers.
Luckily, my newest doctor doesn’t believe I have any long term issues or diseases and thinks I can add gluten back into my diet (perfect timing as I leave for Italy tomorrow!!).
I’ll be taking it slow and will test the waters while I’m on vacation, but I’ve learned so much about the gluten- and dairy-free lifestyle that I may seriously reduce how much I consume on an ongoing basis even if it’s not an issue!
Seriously, removing gluten and dairy from my diet wasn’t easy, but luckily there are sooo many great recipes and alternatives out there that made the transition so much easier. I shared this simple acai bowl recipe a few weeks back, and I’ve been pinning all the recipes over on Pinterest if you’re looking for gluten-free options!
BIZ UPDATE
There were so many times this summer I found myself extra thankful and grateful for this little business I’ve built. And the amazing clients I get to serve ????????
I was also super thankful for the processes and systems created on the backend of my business providing me the space to rest when I needed it.
Despite feeling very fatigued and needing extra time to rest this summer my business was very busy.
From helping clients gain clarity in their brand strategy, launching multiple client websites, developing marketing strategies to help clients expand their reach, securing amazing talking opportunities for my clients, and on-boarding new ones, I’ve been hard at work with my head down.
But, that’s not even the half of it.
This summer, I also decided to jump feet first into a group coaching program with Jessica Rasdall to help me up my own speaking engagements and opportunities – which has been such an incredible and worthwhile experience ????????????????????????
Images from the Speaker Circle Retreat taken by the talented Laura Foote!
And, in the middle of all of this, I also created and launched my first online course, The Blogging Workshop!
I honestly feel like it’s an understatement to say this season for my business was insane.
After launching The Blogging Workshop, I realized how exhausting launching truly is. And, have questioned myself multiple times.
Asking:
❓who am I to do this?
❓is this good enough?
❓will people find this valuable?
❓do I really need to launch like this?
❓is it always this exhausting to build and launch a course?
❓am I really going to do this again?
❓why won’t it work?! (because literally all the tech issues happen right before you go to launch ????????♀️)
I am soooo thankful and excited for the students who enrolled!! I can’t wait to see how they are able to transform their efforts, take control of their marketing, and bring in new clients with this course!
There were many times where I seriously struggled with Imposter Syndrom, but I am super thankful for forging forward and making this bad boy come to life.
MY MISSION IS TO HELP OTHERS GROW THEIR BUSINESS, AND THIS COURSE DOES THAT!
Yes, of course, I learned lessons, took away plenty of ah-ha moments, but I am able to fulfill my mission by having the courage to start and for that, I am super proud of what I have accomplished!
If you’re tired of running the social media rat race, you’re gonna want this. Head over here to jump on the waitlist and be the first to know when doors to The Blogging Workshop open again!
This summer also included some internal changes to the Simply Sianne team.
In March we brought on Jamie Dickson as a marketing assistant and copywriter. When Jamie and I met, she was just getting started in this digital entrepreneur world. She has a background in copywriting for a print publication. But, she wanted to learn all that she could in this digital, online space!
It didn’t take long for Jamie to find her groove, and start building her Social Media Management business. So much so, that she booked up her client roster in just a few short months!!
With a full client roster and significant growth in her biz, I am so excited and proud of the business Jamie is building! It is truly incredible what we can do when you decide to raise your hand for your zone of genius!
As soon I get back from Italy, I’ll be interviewing interns for this new season!
RENOVATION UPDATE
In the midst of a very weird season of hustle and forced rest, we’ve continued to chug along with the renovations to our 1940s bungalow.
Things are moving a little slow as Michael and I have both been in a very busy season with work and work-related travel.
While it doesn’t feel like we’ve had a lot of time to dedicate to the renovations, we have made some significant progress!
This summer, we replaced the AC ductwork (yes, that was a terrible idea to do in the middle of summer in FLORIDA ????????♀️).
We started the guest bedroom and master bathroom renovations. Reworking the floorplan, removing all the plaster walls, putting up new drywall, and making ALL the design decisions.
I’m currently in the process of selecting the finishes for the master bath and I’m reworking the elements AGAIN… needless to say, Michael is ready for me to finalize a design decision so he can keep going ????
I plan on sharing that process and my final decisions in a YouTube video…. Someday ????
We’re not done outside. We’re waiting to tackle some of the interior projects that align with the rest of the work that needs to happen on the exterior for those specific areas!
The transformation that has taken place in the past year is hard to believe. Thank goodness for before and after pictures!
Well, that’s everything that has been going on around here.
I’m excited to enter a slightly less busy season and enjoy some R&R with my family in Italy!
I am having a lot of mixed emotions for this trip. Michael was supposed to come with us. But some changes to a major project at work means he is having to skip this trip. ????
This means, we’ll be planning some sort of trip soon so Michael can get a little R&R as well.
I’m curious, did you like this type of post? Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed hearing the different updates on life, biz, and our home renovations.
If you did, what did you like hearing about the most?!
