I look forward to this ALL YEAR! 💃

it just keeps getting better and better ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ My VP of Operations and I recently got together in NYC for our annual week of strategic planning. It’s something I look forward to ALL YEAR! 🥳 While we talk almost every day, we live on different coasts. That’s why it’s SO MUCH DAMN FUN to have a full week to be with each other IRL. We’ve been doing this for 14 years now, and it just keeps getting better and better. [Marie and her VP of Operations recently got together in NYC.] Not only do we go through all the key numbers for the business, but we also create a strategic plan for making our next set of big goals and dreams happen. You know what else we do? Talk about all the hard stuff. Changes, challenges, and the inevitable “SURPRISES” that we’re likely to face in the year ahead. While it’s impossible to game out every possible obstacle or sh*t show coming our way, we strive to be as sober as possible about making sure we’re prepared to not only survive, but thrive. My best friend Kris and I often talk about this stuff too. It’s this idea of “Life Proofing” your business. Meaning, how can we take some proactive steps to set ourselves up for sanity when tough, unexpected things happen? - A parent or partner gets sick - Key team member moves on - You or someone you love gets a devastating diagnosis - Fill in the blank _____ with X Y or Z. In that spirit, I thought you might enjoy some of the steps we’ve taken: 7 Tips to Life-Proof Your Business: 1. Know what aspects of your business can be put on pause if and when the shiitake hits the fan. Be clear on what’s truly non-negotiable and what’s not. - For most small businesses, if forced to choose between temporarily pausing social media or regular email marketing, my reco is to keep up email, pause social. 2. Set up a solid Team Password manager. Make sure gaining access to various documents or platforms is not an issue if someone (or YOU) is unexpectedly not available. 3. Have SOPs (standard operating procedures) for any non-negotiable tasks in your business. Sometimes it’s not your life that gets turned upside down, it’s someone on your team. 4. Cross-train your team (each person needs a back-up!) and make it easy for people to pinch hit for each other. Why? Extreme weather events take out power. Folks have accidents, family emergencies, and get sick. - We use [Guru](, [Loom](, and Google docs a lot for this kind of step-by-step training and knowledge sharing. 5. If you publish regular content, batch it. Have ‘back up’ content in the can. My friend [Seth Godin]( has been writing a daily blog for over 2 decades. He’s always got material in reserve. 6. Keep expenses low and have extra cash in the bank. Ideally, enough to keep the business bills (payroll, etc.) paid for 3 months. 6 or more = GOLD. Yes, it’s possible. Just takes time and focus to build up. 7. Cultivate, practice, and preach the [Everything is Figureoutable]( mindset. As the saying goes — when things go wrong, don’t go with them :) Of course {NAME}, we could keep going with this list foreeeeva! But those seven 👆 are a super solid start. What do you think — anything specific you’d add to this list? Hit reply and let me know. 💌 Sending you BIG warm November hugs, Marie P.S. If you have any interest in having me (and my team!) help you make 2025 your BEST year ever, we’re opening new spots in [Dream Club]( on December 30th. I know — it seems like a long time away, but it’s not 😚   If you wish to stop receiving our emails or change your subscription, you can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe here](, or you can email your request to info@marieforleo.com. [Terms of Use]( | [Privacy Policy]( Marie Forleo International, 511 Avenue of the Americas #3517, New York, NY 10011