5 signs quiet growth is right for your business

🌸 And a PSA that quiet growth is not what you think it is.

Everywhere you look, it seems like there’s an entrepreneur with a success story to declare, a secret sauce to share. Dished out through every channel imaginable—email, social media, podcasts, courses, the works. It’s all laid out like a roadmap to riches, each step neatly packaged for easy consumption.

And let's be honest, it's pretty compelling. Who wouldn't be drawn to a foolproof plan for success? So, you dive in, eager to follow the recipe that worked wonders for them. But here’s where things start to go awry—amidst the whirlwind of 'follow my lead,' you can begin to drown out your own instinct. You start chaining yourself to strategies that don’t really fit, drummed up by people who aren't quite like you. And before you know it, you're overwhelmed, feeling more like you're cobbling together someone else's dream rather than forging your own.

Perhaps that sinking feeling of overwhelm is a sign letting us we're out of sync with our own rhythm. Busy playing by others’ rules, not our own, scrambling in a race we never really wanted to run.

But what if we chose to tune out that noise and march to the beat of our own values instead? Isn’t it time we stopped chasing everyone else's roadmap to success and started defining our own?

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Steve Jobs

To caveat, I hearty know and believe courses and how-to’s certainly have their place and can be invaluable sources of wisdom. However, if we blindly follow them to the letter, without checking in with ourselves, we might end up feeling more frustrated than empowered.

So, what does it look like if you've got caught in the whirlwind of noise? Here are five clues that quiet growth might be just the cup of tea you need:

#1 ✿ You’re constantly second-guessing yourself

If you find yourself hesitating over every decision, overthinking, and always searching for the latest marketing trends, it might be a sign that you're caught up in external "success formulas." This endless quest for the best advice can disconnect you from your intuition. Quiet growth champions intuitive strategy, listening to those instinctual whispers, and making decisions that resonate deeply with your personal values, insights, and experiences.

#2 ✿ Traditional growth tactics clash with your values

Do you feel uneasy with some of the common marketing tactics that seem disingenuous but are often glorified? Like creating false scarcity or employing manipulative urgency to rush customers into making purchases they're not ready for, or don’t even need. If conventional growth strategies don’t sit well with your ethos, it's a strong indication that quiet growth, which prioritises value over volume and embeds genuine care in every strategy and aspect of your business, could be your ideal path.

#3 ✿ Your current business model feels more stressful than successful

When the day-to-day running of your business brings more stress than satisfaction, it's time to reevaluate. Quiet growth focuses on building a business that sustains not just financially but also emotionally. This approach encourages setting realistic expectations, simplifying operations, and integrating time-saving systems that automate routine tasks. By doing so, you allow yourself to work in a way that complements your life rather than complicating it, ensuring that your business nourishes rather than drains you.

#4 ✿ The drive for visibility is wearing you down

Constantly striving for more visibility can trap you on a relentless content hamster wheel, which is particularly exhausting for highly sensitive solopreneurs. If the pressure to always be "on" feels overwhelming, it might be time to embrace quiet growth. This approach prioritizes deep connections with your ideal customers or your "100 hell yes" people, as business coach Jen Carrington describes them—those who truly resonate with and value your work. Focusing on these deeper connections rather than appealing to the masses allows you to grow your audience sustainably and authentically, without the burnout of trying to reach everyone.

#5 ✿ Neglecting self-care has become the norm

If you can't remember the last time you took a day off or indulged in a hobby, it’s time to reassess your approach to business. This means growing your business at a pace that allows you to live the life you want without burning out. Quiet growth isn’t about growth for growth's sake; it’s about integrating practices and setting boundaries that ensure you don’t sacrifice your well-being for success. This approach champions the importance of physical well-being, mental health, and personal joy, recognizing these elements as not just beneficial but essential for long-term success and deep personal fulfillment.

Redefining growth on your terms

Lao Tzu once said, "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." This has become a guiding mantra as I rebuild my business, reminding me that growth can be unhurried, steady, and uniquely mine. Just as nature flourishes in cycles, so too can our businesses.

Quiet growth isn't about retreating from the world or becoming invisible; it’s about engaging with it meaningfully. It's not about tumbleweeds rolling across your business landscape but about planting seeds carefully and tending to them diligently, ensuring each season is both manageable and meaningful.

This approach helps us tune into our internal compass and choose to grow in ways that respect our rhythms, honour our values, and sustain our well-being.

Because here’s the real talk: The quieter you become, the more you hear. In a world obsessed with milestones and checked off to-do lists, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is pause. It's in these quiet moments that we truly connect—with ourselves and the world. Your life and business are yours to design; why not build them to be both purposeful and peaceful?

As we tune out the noise and hone in on what truly matters, we pave the way for businesses that not only survive but thrive, rooted in authenticity and sustained by mindful strategies that align with our deepest intentions.

Thank you so much for reading, and as always, I would love to hear from you!

✿ I can't help but wonder… Have you ever chosen to ignore the status quo and grow quietly instead?

Until next time,

cultivate quietly, bloom wildly ✿

—Hannah

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