One Year Later: My First Year in Business

Last night, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my business launch. I took my closest collaborators out for dinner, and we celebrated the journey each of us has taken over this year to make The Sinha Group LLC what it is today. And.... what it will be.

What a year it has been. As we reminisced, we instinctively bucketed experiences into 3 groups: where we were, where we are, and where we are going. As I reflected further after our celebration, here is the compilation- the good, bad, and lessons learned (no ugly here!).

Where I was: When I started this business, I literally had no idea what I was doing.

So many new things to learn, from “What is an LLC?”, to “Design a website how?”, to “Where do I get clients?” and so on and so on. I had so much fear and doubt. I am grateful for friends and colleagues who gave their time and talents to help me in the areas I didn’t know. There were so many decisions and so many unknowns to figure out. There were also so many connections to make through networking, which I had to learn how to do.

I determined my niche (which I later changed), determined my coaching packages (which I also changed), started a blog, created a course...all of which I had never done before. I made pitches that were bad (no, really bad), made pitches that were unreasonable, and learned how to really listen to my clients and give them what they need.

I dreamed up coaching circles and launched them, dreamed up visioning retreats and launched them, and dreamt up a podcast. So much dreaming, so much designing, and so many lessons. Not everything worked, but the freedom to fail fast, learn big and move on without shame was, and is, my mantra.

Where I am today: A year later, here is the state of The Sinha Group:

• This is a viable business that is thriving

• I have amazing clients on all spaces

• I build lasting relationships with my 1:1 coaching clients and dive deep with them for self-discovery and growth

• I have successful coaching circles that change lives and allow busy women to dream and find purpose

• I have had successful corporate engagements and learned new business models along the way (government, AI, non-profits, engineering, healthcare and more)

• I have written almost a year’s worth of content in my blogs that have inspired readers to think differently

• This business has led me to be highly connected to non-profit work I am passionate about. I get to give back and make amazing friends at the same time

• We will continue to learn from ideas that did not materialize the way we planned. Failing fast has taught us far more than what we succeed at: everything from pitches, packages, pricing, offerings, marketing and more

Where I am going: Here’s what the future looks like for us:

• We are launching a podcast, “HERPath: the podcast for busy women looking for purpose, health and happiness” with three other amazing coaches in January 2024. I am so excited to share our unique perspectives on topics that matter to women today.

• We will leverage social media to keep groups connected, sharing and continuing their journey of self- exploration

• Retreats are coming! We are launching 3-day immersive retreats for small groups of women looking for community, self-confidence, self-love, creating purpose and living boldly.

• Our coaching circles will be expanded, and content updated for more connections, discovery and self-exploration

• Our corporate work will expand with DiSC, The 5 Behaviors of Cohesive Teams, Leadership Practice Inventory, Strategy development and deployment and team building.

• Our team is expanding to meet the needs of our clients and offer more value to you.

• We are excited to continue to innovate, try new things, fail fast and learn how to provide you with the best value.

And it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t impart how I managed my mind through all the ups and downs, twisting turns and peaks and valleys. Some of my go-to self-coaching themes:

• Courage arrives in waves- take advantage when it shows up

• Surround yourself with smart collaborators who teach you, push you, cheer you on and provide unwavering honesty

• Manage your mind- there are ups and downs, successes and failures

• Fail fast- learn without guilt

• Celebrate every win- no matter how small

• Show gratitude to those who help along the way

• Think big, and make small tests of change

• Take care of you

Our celebration was quiet, reflective, and fun (with Champaigne and dessert, of course!). I celebrated with my inner circle of collaborators. I would not be here today without them, their friendship, their amazing skills, their thought leadership, and their belief in me when I didn’t believe in me. I’d like to publicly extend my gratitude to these three amazing partners:

James Helbling, Chief Technology and Marketing Officer

Dr. Jessica Nicklin, Chief Learning and Development Officer

Claudio Capone, Chief Financial Officer

In addition, thank you to all my new collaborators, friends and family for cheering me on. I am grateful, and the best is yet to come!