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- Fwd: Internal Bossbabe Strategy Memo
Fwd: Internal Bossbabe Strategy Memo
Hey ,
I just finished writing a 25-page internal strategy memo analyzing every aspect of my entrepreneurial career over the last decade. Every revenue stream, every expense category, every strategic decision that got me here.
It was one of those deep-dive exercises that forces you to see patterns you missed while you were in the thick of building.
And there's something I need to share with you that came out of this analysis.
Everyone talks about revenue milestones like they're the finish line.
"Hit 6 figures!" "Scale to 7 figures!" "Multi-million dollar business!"
But here's what no one tells you: Revenue is just the beginning of the conversation.
After generating millions in revenue across multiple years, I've learned something crucial that I wish someone had told me when I was starting out.
The metrics that actually matter
Most entrepreneurs are optimizing for the wrong things.
They're chasing gross revenue numbers they can post on Instagram. They're building businesses that look successful from the outside but feel like golden handcuffs on the inside.
Here's what I've learned matters more than your revenue number:
Your operating profit margin (how much you actually keep)
Most businesses aim for 7-10% profit margins. I've consistently maintained 30-40%. Why? Because I built for sustainability, not just scale.
Your time-to-revenue ratio (how much you work for what you earn)
I know entrepreneurs making $500K who work 70-hour weeks. I also know entrepreneurs making $250K who work 20 hours a week. What would you prefer?
Your values alignment (whether success feels good)
The most miserable entrepreneurs I know have businesses that contradict everything they believe about how life should be lived.
What I wish I'd known sooner
Going through a decade of data, some patterns became crystal clear that I wish I'd recognized earlier:
I spent 3 years perfecting my website when my revenue came from relationships. My data showed that less than 5% of my revenue came from people who found me through search or my website. Yet I spent countless hours and thousands of dollars optimizing my site instead of focusing on the podcasts, partnerships, and personal connections that actually converted.
Building an email list beats building a social media following every time. Social media feels productive because you get instant feedback. But when I tracked where my highest-value customers came from, it was almost always my email list. One email to 10,000 engaged subscribers outperforms Instagram posts to 100,000 followers.
Premium pricing attracts better customers, not just more revenue. When I doubled my prices, I didn't just make more money per customer - I got customers who were more committed, less likely to ask for refunds, and gave better testimonials. Cheap customers cost more than expensive ones.
The most profitable businesses have just 2-3 core offers maximum. My highest revenue years weren't when I had the most products. They were when I stopped launching new things and focused on perfecting the ones that already worked. More products = more complexity = lower margins.
What the revenue plateau taught me
For the last few years, my business has stayed consistently in the multi-7-figure range.
And honestly? I used to see this as a problem.
I'd look at other entrepreneurs scaling to 8 or 9 figures a year and wonder what I was doing wrong. Why wasn't I growing faster? Why wasn't I pushing harder?
Then I realized: I had accidentally built exactly what I wanted.
A business that pays me exceptionally well
A team that doesn't burn out
Systems that work without my constant input
Profit margins that most businesses would kill for
The freedom to be present for my daughter and pregnancy
The revenue plateau wasn't a failure. It was evidence that I'd optimized for the right things.
Where the industry is heading (and what it means for you)
I'm seeing some trends that I think most entrepreneurs are missing right now:
1. The "course creator" market is saturating, but the "transformation facilitator" market is expanding. Everyone's selling courses now. But very few people are selling genuine, measurable transformation. The businesses that will win are those that can prove ROI, not just deliver content.
2. AI will democratize content creation, but amplify the value of personal experience. Anyone can create a course with AI now. But they can't replicate your specific journey, your specific failures, your specific breakthroughs. Your story becomes your moat.
3. High-ticket, low-volume models will outperform low-ticket, high-volume models. Customer acquisition costs are rising across every platform. The math increasingly favors businesses that serve fewer people at a higher price point with deeper transformation.
4. Community and connection will become premium features. As AI handles more educational content, human connection becomes the scarce resource. The businesses charging premium prices will be those facilitating genuine relationships and accountability.
5. The "always launching" model is dying. Launch fatigue is real: for both entrepreneurs and customers. Evergreen systems with strategic promotional periods will replace constant campaign mode.
If you're building now, optimize for these shifts instead of fighting them.
The real success metrics
Instead of asking "How can I make more?" I started asking:
How can I make the same revenue with less effort?
How can I increase profit margins while maintaining quality?
How can I build systems that scale without requiring my soul?
How can I create more impact with the revenue I already generate?
These questions led to completely different business decisions.
Instead of launching 10 new products, I perfected 3. Instead of hiring more people, I optimized the team I had. Instead of working more hours, I automated more processes.
The result? Higher profit margins, more freedom, and a business that actually serves my life instead of consuming it.
My biggest growth edges (that no one talks about)
Looking at the data honestly, here's where I still have room to grow:
Delegation without perfectionism. I've been profitable every single year of business, but I'm still holding onto tasks that someone else could do 80% as well for 50% of my time cost. The math is obvious, but the letting go is hard.
Saying no to good opportunities. My analysis showed that some of my most "successful" years revenue-wise (except our biggest year last year) were actually my least profitable when you factor in opportunity cost and energy drain. I'm still learning to say no to things that aren't a hell yes.
Building systems before I need them. I consistently underestimate how long it takes to implement systems when you're already at capacity. The time to build the bridge is before you need to cross the river.
Charging for the transformation, not the information. I still sometimes price based on what I think people will pay, instead of what the transformation is actually worth. This is leaving money on the table and undervaluing my clients' results.
The freedom-based business model
This is why I'm so passionate about teaching freedom-based business models.
Not because I'm anti-growth or anti-ambition.
But because I believe you can build something wildly profitable AND wildly aligned.
I've proven it's possible to:
Generate life-changing revenue
Maintain exceptional profit margins
Work less than 40 hours a week
Build a team that thrives
Create lasting impact
Stay true to your values
The key is building strategically from day one.
Most entrepreneurs optimize for growth and then try to add freedom later. But freedom isn't something you add to a business, it's something you build into the foundation.
My invitation to you
Stop chasing revenue for revenue's sake.
Start chasing revenue that serves the life you actually want to live.
Because at the end of the day, what's the point of building a million-dollar business if it costs you your peace, your health, your relationships, or your values?
You can have both.
High revenue AND high freedom. Exceptional profit margins AND exceptional life satisfaction. Business success AND personal alignment.
But you have to choose to build for it from the beginning.
Want to work with me directly?
I spend a lot of my time now analyzing things like this, so you don’t have to.
I’ve got the results, data and industry experience that is supporting me in being able to build out simple but ROCK SOLID strategies… along with future industry predictions to make sure we stay ahead of the curve.
I’m not saying this to brag. I’m saying this because I’m truly committed to our mission:
Helping women like you build businesses that you LOVE.
I’m offering a $97 Summer School in August, which is a weeklong intensive with me. My programs start at $997, private mentorship is 6 figures. This is a unique opportunity to work with me in-depth to really make a difference in your business.
I’d LOVE to work with you, so if you’re interested, sign up before we fill up.
…and if you’ve read this email and are starting to feel that REAL fire in your belly to change your life with your business this year, I want to encourage you to upgrade to VIP in Summer School. It’ll be a small group of us going deeper, every single day, to get the absolute MOST out of this experience.
I’ll also be offering social media, funnel and business audits for my VIPS.
XO,
Natalie
The Metric Audit: Are You Tracking What Actually Moves the Needle?
This week, instead of obsessing over gross revenue goals, take 30 minutes to audit the three metrics that matter most:
Operating Profit Margin
What % of your revenue do you actually keep after expenses?
Benchmark: Aim for 30%+ if you’re service or digital-product based. If it’s under 10%, where is profit leaking?
Time-to-Revenue Ratio
How many hours are you working per $1,000 earned?
Example: If you’re earning $10K/month but working 60 hours/week, that’s ~$41/hour. How can you restructure offers or delivery to double that effective hourly rate?
Values Alignment Check
Review your calendar from the past month.
How much time was spent on activities that energize you vs. drain you?
Where are you making money in ways that feel off-brand or out of alignment with the business and life you truly want?
ACTION STEP:
Write down one decision you can make this week to:
Increase your profit margin
Reduce your time-to-revenue ratio
Better align your offers or systems with your core values
Then implement it within the next 7 days.
Because scaling isn’t about adding more. It’s about optimizing what already works to create more freedom and more revenue.