A Peek Behind the Curtain Part 1: Reviewing and Renewing My Own Business
January 2026 is not about launching something shiny or reinventing my entire business overnight. Instead, this month is about something far less glamorous and far more impactful: laying the groundwork by honing the systems I already have up and running.
As a consultant, I regularly encourage private practice owners and clinical leaders to pause, review what’s actually working, and make decisions based on data rather than pressure or assumption. This January, I’m taking my own advice and inviting you behind the curtain to see what that process looks like in real time.
This is a case study in refinement, not reinvention.
It’s About Time!
One of the reasons I became a consultant was because I saw many of my fellow private practice owners struggling with the business side of their practice. Which makes sense! We were taught about taking notes and creating care plans, not structuring an honest to goodness business. This happens to be an area I excel in.
But being well versed in an area of business does not mean I am immune to the mistakes other people make. While originally plotting out Q1, I had the (very well intentioned) idea to continue hosting workshops on a regular basis while tweaking my website. My virtual assistant firmly pushed back on this. Her reasoning was that I am so passionate about the content of my workshops, that my website and inner workings of my business end up on the back burner every time. And since I have been talking about refining my website for the two years we have worked together, maybe it is time to make that happen!
Here is how I am doing it.
Step One: Hiring a Consultant
Yes, consultants need consultants, too! So, the very first thing I did was hire one. That might sound obvious, but it’s also one of the hardest steps for many business owners, especially those of us who are used to being the guide, the strategist, or the one with answers. You know, the one who does it all. Even when you know your work deeply, you can still be too close to it.
A fresh pair of eyes matters.
I hired Kate from Phyche Digital, and we got to work at the beginning of January! Together, we started by reviewing my website analytics. Not just surface-level numbers, but real patterns. What pages are people actually visiting? Where are they staying? Where are they dropping off? What content is quietly doing its job, and what content is simply taking up space?
This part of the process was both affirming and humbling.
There were areas of my website that were clearly doing exactly what they were designed to do. Messaging that resonated. Pages that reflected alignment between my values, my work, and what visitors were looking for. Those moments were reminders that the time and care I’ve invested over the years has mattered.
There were also places where things didn’t land the way I had hoped.
Some offerings I was proud of didn’t get the traction I expected. Some pages I assumed were essential turned out to be less relevant. That doesn’t mean they were failures. It simply means the business evolved, and the website hadn’t fully caught up yet. Or the pages haven’t been optimized for SEO, but that is a whole other blog.
Step Two: Letting the Data Inform the Direction
Once I received the data report from Kate, I realized this was going to be a project that took up the entirety of Q1. Originally, this blog post was slated to tell you the exact services and offerings I was reworking my website to highlight. Get a report, make the changes. Simple, right? But the report that I got back was anything but simple. I was immediately struck with an overabundance of information and the overwhelm set in. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The importance of getting some outside eyes is that they will see the little things that you won’t. Kate saw, and outlined, not only the overarching areas of growth, but the step by step suggestions on how to get there.
A good consultant should listen to your business goals, help you analyse the data, and give you a short list of suggestions of what to tackle and in what order (or at least order of urgency). If your consultant isn’t giving you these things, you may need to look into finding a new consultant.
I am still in the process of mentally processing the report for my business, but upon first blush, the takeaways are:
• Home Page needs to be optimized for usability
• Meta Descriptions are missing
• Missed Opportunities for Blog and Email Marketing Content
Clarity comes with time and honesty, so this list may evolve the more I digest the report. It has been my goal to revamp my website for a while, so these action steps do align with my original plan, but that may not always be the case! Follow the data!
Step Three: Honoring What Worked and Releasing What Didn’t
One of the most important parts of this process has been naming both success and misalignment without judgment.
There are pieces of my business that have grown beautifully. Workshops that resonated deeply. Consulting work that expanded in ways I’m genuinely proud of. Relationships and collaborations that have shaped my professional identity.
There are also initiatives that didn’t unfold the way I imagined. Offerings that made sense at one point but no longer fit. Messaging that served an earlier version of the business but feels outdated now.
None of that is a failure. It’s evidence of growth. The best thing we can do for our business is to learn from what didn’t stick to inform how we move forward.
This website refresh isn’t about erasing the past. It’s about honoring it while making room for what’s next.
Why This Work Matters
What I’m doing this January is exactly what I encourage my clients to do: work on the business, not just in it.
This kind of foundational work doesn’t produce immediate applause or instant results. But it does create clarity. It reduces friction. It ensures that the systems and structures supporting the business actually reflect reality.
Most importantly, it allows the website to become a tool that works for the business, not something that quietly drains energy or creates confusion.
As the quarter continues, I’ll be sharing more about this process, including how decisions evolve and what changes get implemented. For now, January is about slowing down enough to choose intentionally.
Sometimes the most powerful business move isn’t adding something new. It’s refining what already exists. And that’s exactly the work I’m doing right now.
Always in your corner,
Francisca
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