This weekend, I am going to spend time with those that share the same hobby as me: medieval reenactment. I am excited—this is the first time I will be preparing a feast as the lead chef! I have been working on the menu, recipes, budget, and task list for months.
As I was reflecting on my upcoming week last Sunday evening, it occurred to me that even though I am an insurance accountant and entrepreneur by profession, the skills and personality needed to be successful in my hobby are very much what it takes to be successful in my profession. Who I am at work shows up in who I am in my hobby.
I will find great joy in preparing the feast; however, I found just as much joy in creating the budget, sourcing ingredients, and planning the individual tasks that my team and I will be completing Saturday.
I prepared a budget for this weekend—even down to the granular level of what the herbs and spices will cost. My goal is to break even; my hope is to make a small profit. How is this any different than what we each should be doing for our business? Creating a plan based on your individual goals for your business. I researched the most cost-efficient ingredients, I found alternatives, I weighed the options of using pre-made ingredients vs. having to spend time preparing the same items from scratch. What I am left with is an incredible plan for a delicious feast, that honors the cost of my time, the guests eating, the non-profit we are supporting, and my incredible team. This feast—and how I have planned to execute the preparation—makes the best use of every resource at my disposal.
I have no doubt that I will run into some issues that can only be vaguely expected when planning. I’ll pivot and come up with an ad hoc solution that I can only hope will not affect the outcome. Even the best laid plans need room for contingencies. However, I am confident that the advanced planning I have done will give me the cushion I need to absorb any setbacks. Again—exactly what we should each be doing in our own businesses.
1️⃣ Set your goals.
2️⃣ Evaluate your resources.
3️⃣ Don’t forget the value of your time.
4️⃣ Be prepared to pivot.
5️⃣ Enjoy your work.
About Crystal Temple
Crystal has spent nearly two decades focused exclusively on accounting and bookkeeping for insurance brokers. She has founded multiple bookkeeping groups, one of which was acquired by a prominent AMS provider. Crystal has also served as a controller of an agency group that acquired over 50 agencies in a two-year timeframe. She is the co-founder of a startup called Ricono, building a platform to address some of the technology deficiencies brokers face when trying to measure and manage their financial operations.
Crystal has spent nearly two decades focused exclusively on accounting and bookkeeping for insurance brokers. She has founded multiple bookkeeping groups, one of which was acquired by a prominent AMS provider. Crystal has also served as a controller of an agency group that acquired over 50 agencies in a two-year timeframe.
She is the co-founder of a startup called Ricono, building a platform to address some of the technology deficiencies brokers face when trying to measure and manage their financial operations.
