The 6 Things I Did on Repeat to Go From Stuck to Seven Figures in My Online Business

Introduction

If you have an online business and nothing seems to be sticking, you’re trying things, putting in effort, but the results just aren’t coming, I want you to know something: You are not alone! So many of us go through this phase, and I absolutely went through it too.

In my first two years of building my business, I made less than $1,000. I ran out of money, felt completely frustrated, and honestly couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. Then something shifted, and within two years I was generating seven figures a year.

In this post, I’m breaking down exactly what changed. The six things I started doing on rinse and repeat that created that breakthrough.

You can watch or listen to this episode of the She Means Business Show here.

Why Most Online Businesses Are Stuck

Here’s what I’ve seen after working with over 40,000 women building online businesses:

The ones who stay stuck aren’t less talented or less capable than the ones who break through. They’re usually caught in the same pattern I was caught in.

They’re going around in circles, trying a bit of this and a bit of that, never really committing to anything long enough to see results. They don’t have a clear picture of where they’re heading. They’re not putting themselves out there consistently because it feels scary. They don’t have a real system for selling. And they’re doing everything manually, which means the moment they stop, everything stops with them.

There’s a stat that really puts this into perspective: 42% of businesses fail because they put out an offer that there’s simply no demand for in the marketplace. That’s nearly half. Not because the person wasn’t talented enough, but because they skipped the step of actually finding out what people wanted.

I lived this pattern for two years. And I know exactly what it took to break out of it.

The 6 Things That Created My Biggest Breakthrough

1. Condition your mindset for success

So often we want to skip straight to strategy. But this is genuinely 80% of your success, because the thoughts you think determine the decisions you make, the decisions you make determine the action you take, and the action you take determines the results you get. It is literally everything.

For years, I had this mantra running on repeat: “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.” And guess what? I didn’t know what to do! That’s what I was focused on all the time. We brainwash ourselves with doubts and fears and then make decisions based on those things. We don’t put ourselves out there because we’re scared. We don’t sell because it feels uncomfortable. We don’t finish creating that offer because the voice in our head tells us it’s not good enough.

I had a quote on my wall that said, “Successful people hang on when everyone else has let go.” And I would look at that quote every time I felt stuck and tell myself to keep going.

Action step: Grab a notebook and write down the recurring thoughts that show up when you think about your business. What’s your version of “I don’t know what to do”? Maybe it’s “I’m not qualified enough” or “nobody will pay for this.” Write them down, then next to each one, write a reframe. For example: “I’m not qualified enough” becomes “I’m learning as I go, and that’s exactly how every successful entrepreneur started.” Put your strongest reframe somewhere you’ll see it every day.

2. Get really clear on your outcome

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll just go round and round in circles. This is what happens to so many people. They don’t have a clear goal, a specific, tangible vision for the result they’re trying to create.

Benjamin Hardy puts it brilliantly: your future is your operating system for how you show up in the present. When you know exactly what you’re building toward, you know what you need to do today.

But here’s something important: Clarity doesn’t come from sitting down and writing ideas on a piece of paper, it comes from taking action. You test, you try, and the picture gets clearer as you go. So define your outcome, get as clear as you can, and then start moving. Because “ready” is not a feeling, it’s a decision.

Action step: Write down one specific, measurable goal for your business over the next 90 days. Not “grow my business” but something tangible like “get 500 people on my email list” or “make my first 10 sales” or “launch my offer by [date].” Then work backwards: what do you need to do this month, this week, and today to move toward it? Keep it simple and just start.

3. Create visibility before you feel ready

This is where so many people stall because putting yourself out there is terrifying. You don’t want people to judge you, especially the people you went to school with that you don’t even know anymore.

But if your business doesn’t have visibility, you will never be able to sell anything. You can have the best offer in the world, but if nobody knows you exist, it doesn’t matter.

When I ask people how much time they’re spending each week creating visibility for their business, the answer is usually an hour, maybe two. That’s not enough.

When I got started, I networked like a crazy person. I did it online in Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups, and in person at every event I could find. I was building real relationships with the goal of just helping people and adding value. I started posting on social media even though it felt uncomfortable. I actually started running ads before I ever had anything to sell because I knew visibility was the foundation.

By the time I launched my membership, I had 18,000 people on my email list and over 50,000 fans on Facebook. That happened because I spent two years focused on visibility before I ever tried to sell a thing.

Action step: Block out three hours in your calendar this week specifically for visibility activities. Use one hour to post valuable content on social media. Use one hour to network in online communities where your ideal audience hangs out. Use one hour to connect with people one-on-one, whether that’s DMs, emails, or coffee chats. Do this every single week and watch what starts to shift.

4. Create an offer (and stop waiting for perfect)

I struggled with this so much. The imposter syndrome of “who am I to create something?” combined with the overwhelm of not knowing how meant that for two years, I had absolutely nothing to sell. And you cannot make money in your business if you don’t have anything to sell.

Think about your skill set, your areas of expertise, and what you could put out into the world. Then go research the marketplace. Is there actually demand for this? Would people buy it?

The best way to find out is to ask. Before I launched my membership, I surveyed my audience. I asked if they’d be interested, what they’d want from it, and what price point they’d be willing to pay. Those conversations shaped everything.

Then put out a minimum viable offer. Not a perfect, or even polished version – just the messy, good-enough version. Because when people put perfect offers out there, they got their offer out there too late. Once it’s live, that’s when you can test what works, what doesn’t, and how to make it better.

Action step: If you don’t have an offer yet, create a simple one-page outline this week: who is it for, what problem does it solve, what does the person get, and what would you charge? Then send it to five people in your audience and ask: “Would you be interested in this? What would make it irresistible to you?” Let their answers shape your next move.

5. Learn to sell (and reframe what selling means)

I was terrible at selling because it felt icky and uncomfortable. Then I ran out of money and everything shifted.

I realised that selling wasn’t about taking from someone, it was about being of service. I had to stop thinking “what’s in it for me?” and start thinking “how can I add more value to your life? How can I create something that makes things so much better for you?”

When I talk to people building businesses and ask how much time they’re spending on selling, they usually don’t have a plan for it. They don’t have a system. They’re not dedicating real time to it. And then they wonder why the results aren’t coming.

You need a system for selling in your business. Whether that’s a pipeline where people book calls with you, or a launch model you run consistently, you need something structured and repeatable. And yes, the first few times you launch might not go brilliantly. That’s normal. Keep refining, keep optimising, and the pieces will start to slot into place.

Action step: Write out your current “selling system” as it exists right now. How do people find out about your offer? How do you present it to them? How do you follow up? If you can’t answer those questions clearly, that’s your gap. Start by mapping out a simple three-step process: how people discover your offer, how you nurture interest, and how you ask for the sale. Then put it into action this week.

6. Set up automations (the biggest game changer)

This might sound boring, but honestly, this was the thing that made the biggest difference for me.

It’s 2026 and the technology available to you right now, even just on your phone, is extraordinary. And so many people are not using it properly!

You need systems and automations running in the background so that your business is generating leads and sales even when you’re with your kids, or asleep, or on holiday. Because the reality is, we’re human. We drop the ball- but systems don’t. They keep running when you can’t.

If your business relies entirely on you to create visibility, generate leads, and make sales, at some point it’s going to come crashing down. You need it set up so that someone can discover you without you doing anything. Someone can become an email subscriber and it all happens automatically. Someone can buy from you without you being involved at all.

That’s how you create consistency. And through that consistency is how you break through and scale.

Action step: Identify one thing in your business that you’re currently doing manually that could be automated. Maybe it’s sending a welcome email to new subscribers. Maybe it’s following up with people who enquire about your services. Maybe it’s posting content. Pick the one that takes the most time or the one you drop the ball on most often, and set up a simple automation for it this week. Start with one an then build from there.

Common Mistakes That Quietly Kill Your Momentum

Mistake 1: Waiting until everything is perfect before you launch

Why this is a problem: You spend months (sometimes years) tweaking your website, refining your offer, perfecting your branding, and never actually putting anything out into the world. Meanwhile, nobody knows you exist and you’re making no money.

The truth: The people who break through are the ones who launch messy and improve as they go. Your first version doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be out there so you can learn from real feedback instead of guessing.

Mistake 2: Building in silence

Why this is a problem: You’re working so hard behind the scenes, creating your offer, setting up your website, planning your content, but you’re not telling anyone about it. So when you finally launch, nobody’s there to buy because nobody knew you were building something.

The truth: Start creating visibility from day one. Build your audience, your email list, and your relationships while you’re building your offer – not after.

Mistake 3: Treating selling as a one-off event

Why this is a problem: You launch once, it doesn’t go as well as you hoped, and you either give up or go back to “building” mode for another six months before you try again. There’s no consistent selling happening in your business.

The truth: Selling needs to be a regular, systematic part of your business. Whether that’s ongoing outreach, a repeatable launch model, or an automated sales system, you need a way to generate sales consistently, not just when you feel brave enough to put yourself out there.

Tools and Resources to Help You Take Action

Here are practical tools that can help you start implementing each of the six strategies:

For mindset: Start a daily journal practice. Even five minutes each morning writing down your intentions, reframing negative thoughts, and reminding yourself of your goals can create a massive shift. Apps like Day One or a simple notebook work brilliantly for this.

For clarity: Use a goal-setting framework to get specific about your 90-day outcome. Map it out in a tool like Notion, Trello, or even a Google Doc. The key is making your goal visible and breaking it down into weekly actions.

For visibility: Social media platforms are free and available to everyone. Choose the one where your audience spends the most time and commit to showing up consistently. Use a simple scheduling tool like Later or Buffer to help you stay on track without it taking over your life.

For validating your offer: Use free survey tools like Google Forms or Typeform to ask your audience what they want. Even a simple Instagram poll or a question in your email newsletter can give you valuable data before you build anything.

For selling: Map out your sales process in a simple document. If you’re doing launches, create a launch checklist you can reuse and refine each time. If you’re doing calls, use a booking tool like Calendly to keep your pipeline running smoothly.

For automations: Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or MailerLite let you set up welcome sequences, nurture emails, and automated sales funnels. Start with one automation (a welcome sequence for new subscribers) and build from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to see a breakthrough?

There’s no universal timeline, but here’s what I can tell you: I went from making less than $1,000 over two years to generating seven figures within the next two. The breakthrough came from changing my approach, not from waiting longer. Consistent action on the right things will always accelerate your results.

What if I don’t know what my offer should be?

Start by looking at what you’re good at and what people actually ask you for help with. Then validate it: Survey your audience, have real conversations, and find out if there’s genuine demand before you spend months building something nobody wants.

How do I get visible when I have zero audience?

The same way I did: By networking! Get into groups and communities where your people already are. Start conversations and add value before you ask for anything. Post on social media even when it feels like nobody’s watching. Everyone starts at zero. The people who break through are simply the ones who start before they feel ready.

What kind of automations should I set up first?

Start with the basics. A way for people to find you and join your email list automatically. A welcome sequence that nurtures new subscribers and tells them who you are and how you can help. And a system for presenting your offer without you having to do it manually every single time. Those three things alone will change your business.

I’ve tried launching and it didn’t work. Should I give up?

Absolutely not! Your first few launches will probably underperform. That is completely normal and it’s part of the process. Each launch teaches you something. You refine, you optimise, you try again. The people who succeed with launching are the ones who treat it as a skill to develop, not a one-shot test of whether their business is viable.

Here’s What It Comes Down To

The difference between staying stuck and having your breakthrough is not about talent, luck, or having the perfect idea. It’s about doing six things consistently: conditioning your mindset, getting clear on your outcome, creating visibility, building your offer, learning to sell, and setting up systems that work even when you don’t.

These are the six things I did on rinse and repeat, and they took me from making less than $1,000 to building a seven-figure business. Not overnight and definitely not without wobbles. But steadily, because I kept going.

You can do this. Even if right now it feels like nothing is working. That’s not the end, it’s just the phase right before the breakthrough.

💕 Carrie xx

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