#31: How to Identify What Truly Strengthens Your Business

In this episode of The Jeweler's View, metalsmith educator and creative business strategist Courtney Gray delves into the subtle but crucial shifts that drive long-term growth for creative business owners. Courtney shares her personal journey, emphasizing the importance of small, grounding adjustments over flashy moves. She introduces three 'energy insights' to help listeners identify sustainable practices within their businesses, and offers practical steps to turn these insights into actionable data points. With a mix of personal anecdotes and strategic advice, this episode encourages entrepreneurs to build a business that energizes and supports them. Listeners are invited to reflect on what strengthens them versus what drains them, and to focus on what truly builds momentum.

Transcript

 Welcome back to the Jewelers View. There's this subtle pressure that creeps in for creative business owners, the idea that unless you're launching or selling something, overhauling everything or making a big move, that you're not really evolving.

But in my experience, the most important shifts are often the quietest ones, the ones you feel after a client call or a studio day, or delivering a project that you just loved working on. When you realize you're not tired, you're clear, you're focused, maybe even a little more certain of where you're headed.

 That's the kind of work that I want to build from, and that's the kind of work that I want to help you Notice. This episode is not about goals. It's about grounding. It's about checking in, especially if you're restarting, refining. Or simply wondering what comes next, what's the next best move?

Because sometimes the next best step isn't a big move. It's a small adjustment towards something that actually supports you and helps your business grow at the same time.

For me, that kind of clarity started showing up during coaching sessions. Way back at the school, i'd have a student come in eager and excited to have a private consultation.

We dig into questions like, where do I even begin? What do I need to learn first? What's actually working and what's worth letting go of?  Where do I focus? My job became to simply listen. Ask questions and offer structure where things had gotten messy or over complicated and by the end, they weren't just more organized, they were more confident, clear about what they already knew, but hadn't named yet. I would feel it too. It was like a light bulb, I wasn't drained, I wasn't in my head. Afterward, I was steady, I was focused, and I was energized.

That's when I knew this is the work I wanna keep doing. Not because it looks good on paper, but because it works. It reinforces something in me, not just in them. That's what I want to offer you today, a new filter for what belongs in your business, based not on appearance, not on social constructs, but on energy.

Let's get into a few places you can start noticing the truth of what's really working, not what's trending, not what you feel obligated to maintain. What's actually building momentum quietly, consistently. In ways that last. So here's energy insight number one. What leaves you more grounded after it's done?

As simple as that, not just relieved that it's over. Think about the past two weeks. What tasks actually gave you more focus, more clarity. Or even a second wind. That's not just a feel good moment that we should celebrate those two. That's a data point.

If something reinforces you instead of draining, you pay attention. That's gold. It's usually pointing towards something sustainable.

Energy insight Number two, where are your strengths being reflected back without you trying to perform? What do people keep thanking you for? Where do they say things like, you made that easier than I expected, or, I didn't realize I needed this until now.

These are quiet signals that you've hit something valuable, and often it's not the thing you're trying to sell or what you think it is. It's the part of your process that comes naturally to you. That's where your strongest foundation usually lives. If this is already making you think differently about how you might be working. I'd love to invite you to go a little deeper. You can head to Courtney gray arts.com. Sign up for my email list. And that's where I'll share more tools, short trainings, master classes, both free and paid, and updates about when transform my six week course opens.

Again, there's no pressure, just good resources If you're ready to build a business that actually supports how you work best, now back to it. Energy Insight number three. What do you keep thinking about but haven't made space for? Maybe it's part of your process you used to love that, used to light you up.

Something that you set aside when things got busier or life changed. Maybe it's an idea that keeps showing up in the back of your mind, even though you haven't had time to act on it. Maybe it's a different way of working, something that feels more natural, but less strategic.

So you've been second guessing it. You do not need to chase every idea that crosses your mind, but if something keeps circling again and again. It's worth asking why that repeated nudge usually means something is asking for your attention, and here's the other side of it. The same internal check-in applies when something does not feel right.

If you're dreading a client, call hesitating to say yes to a project or feeling a little off after certain opportunities come your way, that's not noise. That's your clarity system.

Sometimes the best move you can make is choosing not to move forward with something that feels misaligned, even if it looks right from the outside. So whether it's a green light or a red flag, trust, what keeps showing up? Your job is not to rationalize it, it's to just pay attention. If you wanna turn these insights into something more tangible, here is a tool that you can use this week. I'm all about the tools. At the end of each day, write down three things. One task that gave you energy, that lit you up, second wind, one that drained you, and one idea or observation that came up even if you didn't act on it.

Keep this simple. This isn't about journaling. It's about paying attention. By the end of the week, you'll start to see patterns and those patterns. That's where the clarity lives. Now, if you're someone who wants more structure to work through this,

that's something I offer to my VIP transform students. They get full access to my full coaching framework.  A guided step-by-step process to assess every part of their business, what's working, what's wearing them down, and what it actually looks like.

To rebuild or build around their strengths. It's simple, clear, and made to be actionable. So that you're not stuck in your head trying to figure out what to fix next. One of my students, Jeanette Caines  from Jewelry Arts New York, an amazing school  where she teaches Goldsmithing techniques.

I love it because you can go in there, work on what you want, and she'll show you anything and everything. No gatekeeping here.

Jeanette just finished the course and said, where was this 30 years ago when I started. Then she laughed and said, it turns out I've been working my ass off in my business for decades. Totally forgot to work on it. That stuck with me because it's not about how long you've been doing the work, it's about how long it's been since you've really stepped back and looked at it from the outside.

That perspective changes everything in a good way.

If today's episode gave you something to reflect on, just start there. You do not have to overhaul anything. You just have to notice what's strengthening you and what isn't. Track it, protect it, then build around it.

If you want more support along the way, I've got you covered. Visit courtney gray arts.com. . You'll  ways to reconnect with your own rhythm without losing your momentum or overcomplicating the process. Also, if you haven't yet, be sure to follow the show

i'll be back next week with more grounded strategy and honest conversation. Until then, build in a way that strengthens you, doesn't drain you   onward and upward. I'll talk to you soon.

  Thanks for listening to The Jeweler's View. If today's episode gave you something to think about, consider sending it to a friend or share it on social and tag me at Courtney Gray Arts. You'll find tools, coaching resources, and the transform course@courtneygrayarts.com. And if no one's told you this lately, remember you're not behind.

You're becoming exactly the kind of maker your business needs and that kind of depth. It takes time. I'll be back next week, same time, same tough love, onward and upward. I.