Do you keep track of the wins in your pet business?

We can get so bogged down in the day to day running around that we don’t find time to celebrate the good stuff.

Or, we DO celebrate when things go well, but it’s soon forgotten when we become stressed or busy.

Then, when we’re feeling overwhelmed, or there’s been a bump in the road, rather than thinking about our achievements, we can dwell on the negative.

One of the things I’ve done to to stop myself doing this, and this is still a work in progress, is create a win folder.

In this episode I’m talking about why I believe every pet business should have one in their resilience toolkit.

You can listen in on the player link below or carry on reading as a blog post. 

Why I started a win folder and why you should too

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while or if you’re in my free Facebook group, you will have heard me mention a ‘win folder.’

This is something I started when I did the first version of my signature Get Your Pet Business in the Press course in 2019.

Because I was taking a leap of faith, and so were the people in that first group, I wanted to keep track of the wins.

So I would print things out, or make little notes and put them in the folder and when I was feeling wobbly, I had them to lift me up.

Then, in the first lockdown back in April 2020, when we weren’t allowed to leave our homes, the win folder really came into its own.

There were so many times when it felt like we were wading through treacle, but looking back on the wins was always there as a pick me up.

What is a win folder?

A win folder can be physical or digital and it’s where you store anything that you would consider to be a ‘win.’

This could be a comment on a social media post, a thank you card, a certificate, an award nomination, a message you’ve had on WhatsApp or a testimonial.

It’s there for you to reflect on when you have wobbles, and anything that’s in there should help you feel positive and that what you do is making a difference.

So when imposter syndrome and comparisonitis creep up, head to the win folder and it will kick them into touch.

You can have a physical win folder or a digital one, or both.

What else can you do with what’s in your win folder?

As well as dipping into it whenever you need a boost, your win folder can be inspiration for your social media posts.

One of the pillars of content I share is ‘social proof.’ This is something I’ve done for a while, and more so since being in Helen Pritchard’s Business Mastermind.

Helen encourages her students to share social proof posts regularly, and they are one of her four pillars of content.

(Click here to listen to her podcast on LinkedIn for Pet Professionals)

Each week, I will share social proof across my social media channels at least once. 

We can all say how great we are, but when someone else says it, it has more impact.

How do you build up your win folder?

Each time you get a testimonial, a thank you note, a nice review or even a comment on a social media post, take a screenshot of it.

This is called ‘mining’ social proof. Keep the screenshots in a folder and I would mark them up with the category they fit in with.

For example, I have them for my challenge, my programme, one to ones and the podcast.

Each time I want to share a post about the challenge, for example and how it gets results, I can go into my social proof folder and get an example.

How your win folder can help your marketing

Your win folder doesn’t just help you with your own emotional resilience.

It can be brilliant for your marketing too.

When you’re stuck for what to post, you can pick a win to share. 

When a potential client asks for evidence that your product or services works, you can use your social proof.

When you’re writing marketing e mails and sales pages, you can look at the posts and the exact phrases and language your clients use and work it into your messaging.

Get into the habit of mining your wins and you’ll never be stuck when it comes to showing the value you give.

Why I love my win folder – what pet business owners say 

When I was a working nurse I was required to keep evidence of my ongoing professional training and any positive feedback about the care I delivered

So I do the same with my win folder but this time I’m celebrating how far I’ve come with my small business. 

Starting something so new when you are at retirement age is quite a challenge. 

It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you work alone so it’s good to reflect on what I’ve actually achieved. 

The wins document progress and remind me I’m doing something right whilst taking a hobby sewing to a full time job in a pandemic! When I say full time I mean it! 

Some nights I’m sewing past midnight but I still get to spend time with my husband and dogs. The wins keep me positive and hopeful! 

Kim O’Donnell – Leo, Charley and Me pet accessories

A practice I benefit from is to send myself an email of WEEKLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS (plus the date) and keep it in a folder in my Gmail. It puts the information at one’s fingertips when creating a profile, CV, a bio, or seeking for accomplishments in a certain area—it’s easily searchable and it is GOLD!

Laura Millar – Animal Communicator

Although mines quite small at the moment it’s great to look through for positivity and inspiration.

Jo Milnes – Distinctive Pets

I have a digital folder for any photos that have won anything, such as Picture of the Day or competitions. 

Nicki Cameron – Dog Wall Art

We have a folder book with clear pages with all our press coverage for The Dog G8 Company

Julie Maxted – The Dog G8 Company

I have a win drawer in my office cupboard. All magazine articles, newspaper features, publicity stuff and when my dogs have been in something such as Merlin’s panto posters all go in the drawer!!

Joe Nutkins – Dog Trainer

When my pet sitting agency closed due to Covid, l still kept all the references we had received over a 23 year period. I just could not bear to lose them & it was a huge chunk of my life.

Starting again aged 66 is not easy, but every time l see that folder l see another chapter of my life beginning.

Nina Cole – Pet Influencer

I have them stuck on my office walls and on a shelve… And when I’m having one of them there days I look at them, and it’s like looking at the family photo album it brings you back grounds you and you can continue your purpose of why you show up to the world.

Kat Massey – Visibility Coach

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read How to get out your own way in your pet business with Osmaan Shariff, or How to deal with criticism from people in your industry