Hello, hello, beautiful humans.
How is it August already? I’m not usually one of those people who feels like time is flying, but the last couple of months have been an absolute whoosh in my world.
Funny story: I actually had this episode planned two weeks ago, on a completely different topic. But something kept getting in my way of shipping it to you, and that something was perfectionism. Specifically, perfectionistic thinking dressed up as “being strategic.” So instead of pushing through in my own sweet time, I jumped on the mic spontaneously on a Tuesday afternoon, kids about to walk in the door and all. Us spicy brains do love a last minute deadline, don’t we? Sometimes I hate that part of myself. But I also know sharing this stuff while I’m in it is more useful than a polished, tidy version after the fact.
So here’s what’s actually been going on behind the scenes, and the lesson I think a lot of you need to hear right now.
A Little Behind the Scenes Tour of My Portfolio
If you’re an aspiring portfolio business owner, I’ll always keep it real about the ups and downs of this model. Right now I’m smack in the middle of one of the classic downsides: when you’ve got multiple streams firing at once, deciding where to place your energy can feel completely overwhelming.
Here’s what’s been happening across my streams:
Performance Partnership (my strategic psychology partnership work with leaders, CEOs and athletes)
- This area is growing fast and I’m genuinely so excited about the direction it’s heading
- A new partnership with a sporting body is coming up, where I’ll be mentoring their leadership team
- A few speaking gigs later this year, including one on the Gold Coast in September
Modern Therapy Collective (my private practice)
- I’ve brought an incredible therapist, Lacey, onto the team
- This has completely shifted how I think about focus and energy. With my VA Olivia, I never worried, there was always something for her to do. But with Lacey, if I’m not generating enquiry and booking her calendar, that’s a direct opportunity cost sitting right there
- Dream Surfer Guy (my husband, for those who are new here) and I are on the hunt for another practice location on the Southern Gold Coast. We want to buy rather than lease, so the search has been slow going. If a commercial real estate agent happens to stumble on this podcast, come find me.
Luminate
- We just had our in-person retreat and it was so much fun. Kicked off with a twerking class (yes, really) because I’m a firm believer that the physical energy we bring into a room shapes how far we’re willing to stretch our thinking
- The whole day was built around “your bold era” and I walked away exhausted but more aligned with this work than ever
Portfolio Business Accelerator (PBA)
- My newest offer, launching very soon, is a seven week intensive to help you get clear on your portfolio identity and map and market test your next $50 to $100K stream
- Kicking off end of August with limited spots, because I want to give everyone a proper one on one strategy intensive with me
That’s a lot happening across the board, and honestly, I’m grateful all of it is firing. But that’s also exactly where things got tricky.
Where the Perfectionism Crept In
Somewhere in the middle of all this busyness, I lost sight of how I actually like to launch.
Usually, when I launch Luminate (the one program I run with an intentional launch structure), I do it fluidly. I think about specific clients each day, I show up, I share value, I give people what they need to make an informed decision. That’s it. Strategy is absolutely part of it, but the magic comes from staying flexible and led by connection, not control.
Somehow, in the last couple of weeks, I flipped into a different mode entirely. I started reverse engineering. Thinking things like I want 15 people in PBA, so what exact steps get me there. And look, there’s nothing wrong with strategy. I use plenty of it. But when I start believing I can predict and control the outcome down to a formula, all the magic drains out of it. It stops being fun. And you’d feel it too, if I launched like that.
Here’s the bit I really want to share with you: I got so tangled up in this thinking that I told my coach yesterday, quite genuinely, I don’t know if I want to do PBA anymore.
She was baffled. The day before, I’d told her how excited I was. I’d told her about all the incredible health professionals I’d been chatting to, people feeling wobbly about changes to the NDIS or burnt out from one to one work. I’d literally said to a prospective client, “I was you five years ago, I can help you.” And then twelve hours later, I was ready to walk away.
She didn’t even have to point out much. Just naming that discrepancy out loud was enough for me to catch myself and come back to what I know to be true.
What I Know to Be True
When I show up and share value because it feels fun and light, and my only intention is to help, people want to work with me. That has always been the case. Not because of my four degrees or my multi six figure business (although hey, that’s nice too), but because of the connection. Because you can feel my essence in the way I talk and share, and somewhere along the way you’ve decided, she gets it.
If I strip that authenticity away and swap it for rigid structure, I lose that connection with you. And so do you, as the person on the other end.
This isn’t a Monique thing. It’s a human thing. When we’re busy, overworked or a little overwhelmed, our brains reach for control. Anxiety does that, it pushes us to want to contain and organise everything. But for me, real control has never come from rigid structure. It comes from believing in myself and holding loose frameworks that let me stay agile. In a portfolio business, there genuinely is no other way to operate.
The Video Sidebar (Because ADHD Brain Insisted)
Quick tangent, because this ties in beautifully. I’ve also been putting off this podcast because I convinced myself it “needed” video to be valuable. Cue the spiral: I need Riverside, I need to learn Riverside, maybe I should hire a studio, maybe I should batch record…
Meanwhile, none of that was actually stopping me from doing the thing I love most, which is talking to you. My longest standing client, Holly, found me purely through this podcast. She wasn’t even following me on social media. She listened, booked a call, signed on as a one to one client, and only followed me after she’d signed the contract. We’re heading into our third year together and have doubled her profit.
That’s the reminder in all of this. You get to choose what actually works for you. When you choose it because it’s true to you, rather than because it’s the “right” or expected way, you bring a completely different energy to it. And people feel that.
The Bigger Picture
We are not in the era of people working with you purely for your expertise anymore. Expertise is everywhere now. You can get information from ChatGPT, from Google, from AI doing your deep research for you. That’s no longer anyone’s biggest advantage.
We’re in the era of people working with you because of you. Your personal brand, your way of thinking, the trust and rapport you build. So if you’ve got an idea sitting there and you’ve told yourself a story about what’s “required” to make it work, some content plan or launch formula or piece of tech you think you need first, it might be worth asking whether that story is actually true, or just something you’ve made up to feel more in control.
For every client of mine who launches with a highly structured plan, I’ve got another who’s made six figures with zero content plan, purely on energy and intuition. There is no single rule book. You get to decide what your version of success looks like.
If You’re Feeling the Same Pull Toward Perfectionism
A few things I’d gently offer, whether you’re launching something, building multiple streams, or just trying to focus in a noisy world:
- Notice when “being strategic” starts to feel like “putting pins in your eyes.” That’s usually a sign you’ve drifted from your natural way of working
- Get support around you. A coach, a mentor, a trusted friend who can reflect back the discrepancy between what you said yesterday and what you’re saying today
- Remember that clarity doesn’t usually come from having sixty conversations with AI and collecting sixty different opinions. Sometimes it comes from a little more restraint and a lot more trust in yourself
- Ask what story you’ve built about what’s “required” to get a result, and whether it’s actually true
What’s Next
Portfolio Business Accelerator doors are opening very soon, with a small, intentional group so I can give everyone proper one on one support. If that sounds like where you’re at, links are in the show notes, or send me a DM on Instagram with “PBA” and I’ll send through the details.
And yes, video might make an appearance in a future episode. Heat pillow on my neck and all. But either way, I’m committed to showing up here regularly, because this is one of the things I love most about my work.
If you took something from this, I’d love to hear it. Tag me, leave a review, or come say hello over on Instagram.
Big love, and I’ll see you next week.
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