FocusCopy Turns 7 Years Old (PLUS 9 Lessons We Learned In Our Seventh Year In Business)
Re-reading last year’s post makes me laugh. How optimistic and unprepared was I?
Did we launch FocusCopy 2.0 like we promised?
Heck no!
I basically scrapped everything I built for 2.0 anyway. It all came down to a simple realization: I never actually talked with prospects about it. Building an offer without talking to your market is the absolute worst way to build a business.
As I’ve been reflecting on the past couple of weeks leading up to our seventh year in business, I’m conflicted. On one hand, I thought we’d be way further ahead than we are today – possibly in an exit. On the other hand, I laugh because I’m building a business that fits what I need as a young mom of two and what the market actually demands. It’s refreshing, even if it doesn’t look like the version of success I originally envisioned.
So in a tradition I’ve learned to love (and honestly, I get way too vulnerable on these posts), here is our annual letter and lessons learned.
Want to see the other lessons we’ve learned over the years?
Read Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6
The Year 7 Mindset
Nothing happened this past year until the beginning of Q2 2026. Shortly after writing last year’s post, I realized it was okay to surf for a season and focus on being Mom – the most important role I’ll ever hold. That season was the biggest blessing. I learned how to make our house a home (including running the home like a business) and truly enjoy motherhood – something I missed out on with my first son while battling severe postpartum depression.
And it was amazing.
After my youngest turned one in March 2026, I put my nose to the ground and dove straight back in. I set out to connect with 500 new people in Q2. And it provided so much clarity.
Clarity on our value, offer, process, and the type of business that is both sustainable and scalable.
Q3 brought Focus. We signed our first retainer client under our new model. Instead of chasing the next sale, I paused business development to focus entirely on winning big for our client. We tested processes, built big wins, and got crystal clear on where we deliver the most value before going back to market.
We’re returning to our roots with the CFE (Clarity, Focus, Execute) Framework. Why I ever strayed from that, I’ll never know. But maybe I had to go through all this ache and pain, ups and downs to actually see how it plays out in real time.
This doesn’t guarantee a “best year yet”, but I do know that we’re moving in the right direction. We’re working diligently to build a company that serves our clients exceptionally well.
9 Lessons We Learned In Our Seventh Year In Business
The lessons we learned in our seventh year in business aren’t really about how to build a better business, but how to build a better you. When you’re in alignment, you’re primed to build a better, stronger business.
1. Get Rooted In Something Deeper Than You
When you’re rooted in faith, everything comes into alignment. Problems that seemed big and daunting suddenly become trivial. By infusing my faith into my business intentionally this year, the work feels deeply purposeful. For me, that looked like:
- Training my AI to keep me rooted in scripture.
- Organizing and hosting a church event series designed to build a ministry serving entrepreneurs and business leaders (watch the replays here).
- Posting scripture on my LinkedIn for the very first time.
All of it was rooted in faith.
2. Rally Support Around Your ONE Quarterly Focus
You know that immediate feeling after a chiropractor adjustment? Your brain goes into shock because things are finally aligned. There’s instant clarity. The exact same thing happens when you rally support around one clear target.
Starting in Q2, I realized I wasn’t thriving because I had too many goals. Well-intentioned, but distracting. So, I publicly declared my one goal for the quarter in our newsletter, on LinkedIn, and with every person I met.
What happened next was amazing.
People constantly checked in, supported the goal, and encouraged me along the way.
You cannot rally the support you need if you’re constantly multitasking. Multitasking is a lie that destroys excellence. Moving forward, it’s one goal per quarter. Period. I have a feeling that this time next year, we’ll be much further ahead because of that singular focus.
3. You’re Going To Confuse People Before You Get Clarity
Wait…Aren’t you a messaging strategist and copywriter, Lauren?
Yes. But confusion is part of the process. Over the last six months, I’ve confused people.
Part of that was because I needed to figure out what the market needs, where it’s going, and how we must position ourselves. I was confused myself – the market felt like it was shifting every few days.
Unwinding confusion and finding clarity doesn’t happen overnight. Strategic refinement requires iteration. There’s an awkward, messy middle that I avoided until this year.
Clarity is forged when you start asking the right questions and risk looking unpolished throughout the journey.
4. Find Your Inflection Points (And The Partners Who Point To Them)
During one of my 200 conversations in Q2, someone asked me: “What are your inflection points?”
That single question helped me figure out how FocusCopy needs to be positioned. Previously, I was focused on general pain points and transformations. But I neglected the specific triggering event that causes clients to say: “I’m done. I need help right now.”
Previously, all our strategic partners were in marketing. But through that one question, we uncovered an entirely new ecosystem of partners. These new relationships give us a direct line into what’s happening with prospects before they realize they need us.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22
When you surround yourself with wise advisors who see what you can’t, you pull the right strategic levers at the right time.
5. Show Up, Even When You Don’t Feel “Ready”
Obedience and presence beat perfection every day. One thing God reminded me throughout this past year was to obey with a willing, joyful heart. It didn’t matter that I didn’t feel ready to jump into a new networking group without absolute certainty on our offer or direction. The most important thing is showing up, serving with integrity, and doing it joyfully. Confidence follows action.
6. Get Back To Being Intentional (And Even Scaling Back Automation)
There’s a time and place for automation and AI. But with all of that technological development, there’s a desire for something more human. I had an amazing conversation recently with someone who challenged me to “un-automate” my networking follow-up.
Previously, after a virtual coffee, I’d tag a contact with a 3- or 6-month follow-up tag. That triggered an automated email saying: “It’s time for us to schedule another virtual coffee!”
She suggested removing that drip campaign entirely and setting a manual task every 17 days instead. (or something random like that). That slight, organic timeframe makes it genuine. During those follow-ups, I can send real, human notes like:
- I saw this article and thought of you.
- I had a conversation today that brought up a question about your process.
- Would you like to be introduced to this person?
- Call me crazy, but I have an idea!
She also suggested making direct, focused asks. For example, since referral partners know we love working with faith-driven entrepreneurs, send an email asking specifically for introductions to faith-driven business leaders that month. Pick a focus each month and make the ask.
7. Make Your Dashboards Manual (At First)
Speaking of scaling back automation, automation hides friction. I went on a kick to build automated dashboards, but I got lost and detached from the data. Plus, I was tracking the wrong metrics. Hand-entering weekly metrics forces you to look your numbers in the eye and steward every dollar and hour wisely.
8. Keep AI In Its Place – As A Tool, Not The Master
AI scales execution, but it cannot replace human discernment or strategic empathy. Dr. Jeff Frey summarized this best in The AI Revolution…Figure out where your strengths are, then ask yourself how AI can help you be more human.
AI is following the exact trajectory of the dot-com bubble and early social media marketing. It’s nothing new. The novelty will wear off. Right now, everyone is racing to see how AI can do everything, but that’s the wrong question entirely. You are the master. You control the strategy, direction, and heart behind the mission. AI is simply a tool to help you get there faster.
9. Return To Your Core (The CFE Framework)
Shiny object syndrome gets the best of us. Sustainable scale comes from doing your core strength exceptionally well, over and over again. It took seven years to come full circle back to the framework embedded in our company name – FocusCopy. Get back to the basics and do the honest work. There’s no need to add clutter just because the market claims you should.
Year 8, Here We Come!
I won’t predict what the next year holds, but I know we’ll be more intentional with our words, systems, automations, strategy, and heart. I’m excited to have you alongside us for the ride.
- Want to follow along with our weekly strategic insights? Add the Copy Roast to your Monday reads.
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