TCMBA #28 - Count your wins! (They matter) Plus, two free gifts!
Count your wins. They matter!
Read time: 5 minutes
Congrats on making it through another tough year.
To boost your spirits a bit, we have two free gifts! Here’s the first…
My husband’s amazing holiday playlist called Holiday Log. It’s sure to become your favorite, especially if you’re not typically big on Christmas music.
I can hardly express how grateful I am for you support during 2023. It’s literally been life-changing and that’s all because of you. ❤️
I hope your transition into 2024 is full of peace and love!
xo, Miranda
(Okay, keep scrolling for your second gift— a major support for your business from Heather!)
Need new merch for 2024? Enamel mugs are a beautiful addition! emalco’s quality is completely unmatched and is a family run business in Poland. They are graciously offering our readers a 5% discount on your next order! Check out their work here or use code COFFEEMBA5.
They’re now offering faster production for select products, so check it out!
It’s the end of the year and it’s been crazy!
As in, hold-on-to-your-teenie-weenie-beanies-and-coffee-mugs-because-there's-so-much-to-do, crazy.
Marketing had projects to close up.
Sales has to get a few more orders.
Production is still cranking out and shipping.
E-comm is bananas with the website.
Customers expecting reimbursement for a package damaged by the shipper on Black Friday.
Plus, everyone is taking days off or coming in tired from holiday parties or getting that awful bug that's been going around.
And holiday shopping! (Oh, shoot, I forgot a gift for my brother!)
It’s all a lot… but we recommend adding one more thing to the list…
…for right when you return in the new year.
Put it on your calendar now so it’s safe and protected!
A Year End Review with your team!
Before you panic, here’s why you and your team need this:
You all FEEL how hard you’ve been working.
You’re all hustling in your departments and roles of responsibility.
You’ve all achieved a lot, but every completed project leads to another to dive into.
So here’s the question: Have you ever put all your activities into one document to review?
Can you put them up against any numbers and data you can pull from total year results?
Can you point to specific wins that moved the needle this year, and specific areas of improvement? (based on DATA not feelings)
“But what if we already know our results aren’t what we hoped for this year?”
You especially need this activity.
The dirty little secret:
Lots of companies are coming in soft on sales this year. Even if they’re showing sales gains, it’s not as much as forecasted.
But there’s still so much to learn, acknowledge, and yes - even celebrate.
It’s important for:
Team morale - A little recognition can provide a big morale boost
Mental health - Science suggests that your brain releases dopamine when you feel a sense of achievement. Humans crave the dopamine response.
Future planning - It’s hard to plan for the future when you don’t acknowledge the present.
It’s all about progress
“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.” C.S. Lewis
So here’s a holiday gift from the Coffee MBA to get you going!
We want to thank you for being on this journey with us!
As a year end gift, we’re giving you a practical tool for capturing and measuring your accomplishments this year.
Here’s how to use it:
Schedule a date for your team meeting / presentation. Work backwards from this.
Assign one person to assemble the slides.
Make a copy of this template in Canva (or use it as a guide to make your own in your preferred platform).
Ask each team/department to fill in their slides, and give them a deadline for turning them in to the slide assembler.
Assemble the slides (again, a deadline helps).
Present to the team - take turns presenting your slides!
A note on “Areas of opportunity”...
Take a moment to address them and capture them, but be careful not to let morale slip. Redirect the conversation toward the opportunities (basically, the silver lining). Less-than-optimal moments can be used to drive future change and growth! Discuss how to use these learnings to positively impact results in the upcoming year.
We suggest planning to do this in the New Year so that people can freely enjoy the holiday lead up and come back with fresh thinking. We’ll keep this link totally FREE until January 31, 2024.
You’ve worked so hard! You deserve to celebrate your effort!
〰️
You’ve worked so hard! You deserve to celebrate your effort! 〰️
Life-Affirming gif Moment!
Friends and friends of friends.
Anna Gutierrez
Director of Brand Development
Music you want to hear in a cafe…
Upbeat but chill like Telepop or Hipster BBQ Radio are vibes I love. I can enjoy it in the background but can still carry on a conversation.
Music you work to…
I love Tycho or Lofi during the day.
Film that inspires you…
This might be cheesy, but a go-to of mine is The Devil Wears Prada. Ask me why next time you see me, it’s a good story!
Coffee you're drinking right now…
I’m a black coffee drinker every day and love Dillanos’ Midway Blend. However, during the holidays, I like to add a little eggnog or a splash of cream with a little Barista 22 Peppermint syrup to my drip for an indulgent touch.
Podcast you’re binging…
I love Smartless and getting to know more of the personal side of different guests’ lives and their backgrounds. I’m also a sucker for My Favorite Murder for shorter stories. Lastly, a more guilty pleasure, Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald where she covers hot topics in the media.
What you’re cooking…
A couple of my favorites are chicken pot pie, beef wellington with a red wine reduction butter sauce, mushroom risotto, butternut squash ravioli with a browned butter sage sauce, shepherds pie, carbonara, birria tacos and I’m working on perfecting my cacio e pepe recipe too. I also love making all kinds of fresh pastas. Dang…this made me hungry just listing these!
How you’re exercising…
Mike (my hubby) and I just got a dog after having a fur baby-less household for the last eight years, so we love taking our girl, Ivy, for walks together every day, rain or shine. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and movement into the day without much prep and we really enjoy our time together talking and catching up on things without the distractions of our phones and emails.
Product you’re obsessed with…
A product I’m really obsessed with right now is my Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker. This time of year, I get on a major martini kick and this is the BEST martini shaker you will ever own! The lid doubles as a measuring glass and it’s sealed so you won’t have any dripping of your drink when shaking and it’s fully insulated so you won’t freeze your hands! Worth every penny.
Self-care routine…
I try to take one day a week to have nothing really planned, ideally a weekend day. I like to let myself sleep in, relax on the couch and enjoy my coffee while watching Food Network and getting inspired for something to make for dinner.I’m realizing more and more that self-care can literally just be unplanned time and really reveling in it.
Fave business or COFFEE tool…
In both business and my personal life, a great scale is a must! Not only do I use a scale for measuring my drip coffee at home, dialing in espresso shots in our Test Kitchen or at a trade show and weighing out ingredients for consistency in tastings we hold in product development, I also use a scale daily when cooking at home.
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