Paige Brunton

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Life Update - Business Challenges, Books & What’s Next!

Paige Brunton

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Welcome back to another life update video!

I've got a mix of personal reflections, business insights, and a bit of daily life to share with you today. It's been a whirlwind of experiences, recently, which I can’t wait to share with you - oh and we even have an unexpected surprise that arrived in the mail to unwrap together.

Where I’m at with content creation

Lately, I've been grappling with the difference between the content output I aspire to achieve and what I've actually managed. I’ve spoken before about how I’ve always had a 2x a week rhythm with content creation…

But not recently - I’ve totes dropped off the wagon, and am down to one video a week!

The gap between where I am, and where I’d like to be is really frustraing, considering how crucial content is as the marketing engine of my business. PB is, and always has been a content-focussed biz.

Now you might be thinking - 1 time a week vs 2 times a week really isn’t a big deal Paige, but I gotta tell ya, for me it really is.

Double the content not only doubles the opportunities to engage with my audience it also doubles the chances of gaining new followers and serving my existing community better. Yet, despite my passion for creating content, it's been challenging to maintain my desired pace. I've chosen to cut down to just one video a week and right now it’s tricky to see how I’m going to pick up the pace to do two again.

So why did the drop in content frequency happen?

Admin nightmares

Running a business isn't just about pursuing your passions; it involves a significant amount of administration and management.

We time track in the biz & yesterday I worked… wait for it… 14 hours! Yep 14.

And NONE of it was what I actually wanted to be doing!

I sorted out my Swiss pension, dealt with banking issues, spoke to financial peeps & helped my team get back into systems that were blocked due to 2FA 🤯.

It was a reminder of the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship, filled with "nonsense and admin and annoyance." Yet, these challenges also come with the territory of living an international life - which defs has its perks (although my advice if you’re considering it - is to spend 5 months & 29 days traveling & slightly over 6 months in your home country so you can stay resident there! Saves a truck-load of admin!)

But before this becomes the most depressing post of all time, let’s start talking about the things bringing me joy & energy RN!

Unboxing a surprise gift

On a lighter note, I received a delightful surprise from Kadie of Drop Cap Design. Kadie, is an AMAZING brand designer (check out her incredible work here), sent over a beautifully curated box as a gift. It was filled with little treasures like Prosecco, cookies, a candle, and some risotto—a thoughtful gesture that totally brightened my day.

I always talk about the power of community & connection as opposed to competition & this is SUCH a good example. I met Kadie when we were both just starting out in our businesses & she’s a true gem that I’m so grateful to have on my business besties list!

Expanding the team - wanna join the party?!

In other news on the business development front, we've decided to hire again to bolster our content creation and customer service!

With nearly 400 applications, I'm thrilled at the prospect of finding the right person to join our team. This expansion is not just about growth but about enhancing our ability to connect and serve our audience more effectively - something that’s absolutely at the heart of everything we do.

It’s been so much fun getting to know so many incredible people - all 400 of them!! But it’s defs really timeconsuming, so we’re hoping to have some fabulous people in the pipeline for future roles as the business grows.

Interested?

Make sure to subscribe to the email list to be the first to know next time we’re adding to the team!

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Business books I’m loving right now

Recently, I've been contemplating the direction of the business & growth. I took a coupla weeks vacay & true to form #businessgeek took a pile of fabulous books with me to help me think about the next steps for the biz.

I’ve always said I didn’t want to build the next amazon, and I still don’t, but recently I’ve surprised myself by thinking “I wonder how far the business could go, and what’s possible for it & me”. I’m not driven by the things you might think, more of a curiosity of - what might happen!

Oh, those books are here for you if you want to take a peek at what’s shaping my thinking!

📚 Who Not How

📚 Mastering the Rockefeller Habits

📚 Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller

📚 10x Is Easier Than 2x

📚 The Magic of Thinking Big

(Yep - those are affiliate links - my Margarita fund thanks you kindly if you choose to use ‘em!)

Thinking about an evolution, or even a revolution in your biz? Grab the guide below to help!

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Settling in in Zurich

Amidst the hustle, I've also been preparing for a special dinner with two friends from my mastermind group. It's a rare treat to be living in the same city as these wonderful Mastermind Ladies, and I'm looking forward to an evening of good food and great conversation - they’re a riot!

On the menu - a cherry tomato pasta dish with spinach and ricotta - it’s a crowd-pleaser for sure! (It’s defs one I make allll the time haha - need to expand my repetoire!)

Life beyond work: skiing and my fave new toy

Outside of work, I've been indulging in my love for skiing, enjoying the slopes across Switzerland and Austria. I was chatting with Florian (my husband) the other day and I think this is the most skiing I’ve even done in a season!

I’ve had a tonne of friends, family, and even business besties visiting, and have absolutely LOVED going to so many different places.

And while my gym routine took a brief hiatus during vacation, I'm back and motivated, partly thanks to my new Oura ring*.

OK, I was absolutely a skeptic at first, but I have to say I’m a convert. It defs reinforces what I know already, but because I see it in colorful graphs I’m taking it more seriously haha!

One of the things it’s been showing me, is that on working days my stress levels tend to be a teeny bit high, so I’m hitting the gym even more regularly, in part to help combat that.

*That’s an affiliate link btw!

What’s next?

So what’s next on the horizon at PBHQ?

I'm excitedly preparing for an upcoming ski trip with Erica from Big Cat Creative*, the winner of our affiliate contest. She’s the best time, and happily loves skiing so we’re heading out to Zermatt to check out the powder (and the àpres ski over there!) Legit can’t wait!

Spoiler alert! I managed to sneak a few pics of our trip - check ‘em out below.

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