October ABC: Review, challenge, and connect for a more sustainable business

Sarah Bolitho shares a monthly business reset built around three simple prompts: one action, one belief to challenge, and one meaningful connection to make. The episode uses the autumn season as a metaphor for reviewing what is working, releasing what is draining you, and making space for better-fit clients and opportunities.

In this episode, Sarah also challenges the idea that busyness equals success, and encourages listeners to treat quieter periods as a strategic advantage rather than a failure.

ey topics

• Sarah frames October as a season of reflection, harvest, and release, both in nature and in business.
• She asks listeners to review their diary, client list, and work commitments with complete honesty.
• The core action is to rank clients and work by profitability and enjoyment, then notice which relationships may have run their course.
• She points out that energy-draining work can block space for more aligned, ideal clients to come in.
• Sarah challenges the belief that you must be constantly busy and constantly growing to be successful.
• She suggests using gaps in the calendar for review, evaluation, recovery, and strategic planning.
• She encourages listeners to define success for themselves, instead of adopting the industry’s definition.
• The connection focus is on building a strong support network, especially for people who work alone.
• Sarah recommends mapping out your network visually, from family and friends to accountants, coaches, educators, and peers.
• The monthly connection challenge is to make one meaningful connection with no expectation of a sale, referral, or immediate return.

The Seasonal Shift Introduction

Sarah Bolitho introduces a new monthly podcast about building a business around natural rhythms rather than constant hustle. She explains the show’s ABC format—action, belief, connection—and sets up a practical framework for making work more sustainable, enjoyable, and aligned with real life.

Main topics

Sarah outlines the purpose of The Seasonal Shift: helping business owners work with their business instead of against it.

She explains her view of seasons as more than four fixed blocks, using nature to frame business rhythms, energy, and output.

Sarah shares how she has identified her own low-energy periods, especially December, early January, July, and August, and now intentionally protects those times for rest and planning.

She challenges the common business message of constant growth, launching, and marketing, arguing that rest is part of long-term success.

She explains how periods of reflection and quiet can produce better ideas and better decisions.

Sarah introduces the monthly ABC structure:

• • A for Action — one concrete thing to do
  • B for Belief — one belief, value, or assumption to challenge or strengthen
  • C for Connection — one meaningful connection to make, whether with people, offers, nature, or mindset

She emphasises that the goal is not rigidity but rhythm: noticing when you are busiest, when clients need you most, and when you need to step back.

Sarah frames success as sustainability and enjoyment, not just revenue or nonstop activity.

She shares her first action, belief, and connection for the show launch itself: create and publish the podcast, challenge the belief that nobody will listen, and connect with listeners who want a more seasonal approach to business.

Timestamps

00:00 — Introducing The Seasonal Shift and the monthly ABC format
00:31 — Why business seasons are more complex than spring, summer, autumn, and winter
00:58 — Finding your business rhythms instead of forcing constant output
01:28 — Recognising busy, quiet, and restorative seasons in business
01:58 — Setting intentional winter periods for rest and recovery
02:27 — Creating two quieter stretches each year for sustainable work
02:56 — Choosing rest over the pressure to keep hustling
03:25 — Why holidays often unlock the best ideas
03:55 — Planning launch windows around seasonal energy
04:23 — Matching offers and coaching demand to natural business cycles
04:52 — Rhythms over rigidity: knowing when to work, reflect, and rest
05:22 — Building a business that feels enjoyable and sustainable
05:49 — A for Action: one concrete step each month
06:41 — B for Belief: challenging assumptions, attitudes, and self-talk
07:35 — Reframing limiting beliefs in practical ways
08:04 — C for Connection: offers, clients, support, nature, and mindset
08:33 — How actions, beliefs, and connections create real shifts
09:30 — Working with your business instead of frantically sustaining it
09:57 — Redefining success as fit, happiness, and sustainability
10:27 — Sarah’s launch action, belief, and connection for episode one
11:25 — What listeners can expect from the September shift episode
11:54 — Closing invitation to try the ABC approach and share progress