Hello Reader,

Right at the end of a call with my coach Kasey Jones last week, I told her I was proud of what I'd done this year. She already knew. She just nodded along with me.

Back in the spring, I set an intention to stop doing one whole line of work in my business by the end of 2026. I couldn't shut it off like a valve. I needed a plan, and new income to take its place. And here we are. Shell yes.

That same week, an octopus showed up in my inbox. (Stay with me.) The 1440 Daily Digest shared a new study on how octopuses squeeze through holes smaller than their own bodies. One arm goes first to feel out the other side, and a few more follow. Then those arms grab onto the wall and pull the rest of the body through.

It got me to thinking. It's just like this in our business.

Maybe you want to raise your prices, or finally hand off the job that eats your Mondays. It's tempting to think you need it all figured out first, with a new website and every offer lined up. (Been there. In my first year, I couldn't publish my website because my logo wasn't perfect.)

You need a direction and one small step. Then you find something to grab onto, like the people around you, a simple playbook, or AI for the repeat work. Operations come first, and AI goes on top. AI for the busywork, people for the heart part.

My website is still catching up to my work, and I'm moving forward anyway. Done is better than perfect.

The full post has the four questions I ask myself before any big change, plus what I call feed and fix. If you want to keep reading, it's on my blog: One Arm at a Time

What's one change you've been wanting to make in your business? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one.

Shell, Yes! Here's to your success,
Michelle
Shell Creative

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"It's Just Like This in Our Business"

A weekly dispatch on the three things every small business has to get right: Operations. Marketing. People. Real stories about the structural breakdowns that keep good businesses stuck and what it looks like when you finally fix them.