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How to Stop Being The Bottleneck and Start Leading Your Business Like a CEO

By 30th March 2025May 13th, 2025No Comments

Mette Baillie,founder of Freja Dress Design, is an established bridal dressmaker known for her luxurious, custom wedding gowns. She had already built a successful, high-quality business, but Mette’s vision for the next chapter was to stabilise the unpredictable, seasonal nature of dressmaking and make her sewing course a core part of her business. She wanted to create a sustainable, scalable business model that allowed her to focus on creative work while reducing reliance on one-off client orders.

Like many business owners, Mette found herself constantly caught up in the whirlwind of day-to-day operations—client fittings, endless admin, and managing her busy atelier. She knew her online course could be a game-changer for her business, but freeing up the time to focus on it felt impossible.

So, Mette turned to my 30-Day Quick Win experience for a fresh perspective and to identify which areas of her business to prioritise to move closer to her vision of a streamlined, financially secure business.

Mette Baillie, Founder of Freja Dress Design - Sarah Connelly - Business Transformation and Small Business Strategy Specialist - Luxury Experiential Retail - Blog Edinburgh London Ibiza


The Challenge

Mette knew the potential to stabilise her income by growing her course business was there, but the constant demands of running an owner-operated client-facing workshop and showroom—fittings, client communications, admin—left no time for creative work or strategic planning.

“I knew there was an opportunity to balance out the seasonal fluctuations in my dress-making business by promoting my sewing course. But stretched between client appointments and stuck in endless smaller tasks—finding time to focus and freeing up space to work on things that actually move the needle for me seemed impossible and overwhelming.”

Despite knowing what she needed to do, Mette felt overwhelmed by the volume of operational tasks she was overseeing. She needed structure, clarity, and systems to create time for her big-picture goals—and she wasn’t sure how to get there. To start leading her business like a CEO, she had to find a way to clear the clutter and make space for the work that truly moved the needle.


The Quick-Win Framework: Inside the 30-Day Business Transformation

Together we dove into my 30-Day Quick Win Framework to create a streamlined strategy that would set Mette on the path to growth and help her take the first steps towards her bigger vision.

The goal? Start leading her business like a CEO, freeing up her time, automating daily tasks, and positioning her to focus on refining and  promoting her course business. Here’s how we brought it to life:

  • Clarified her core opportunity to promote the course and scale her income with a sustainable model
  • Implemented time-blocking to protect Mette’s most valuable asset—her time
  • Optimised her CRM system, automating client communications and follow-ups
  • Explored delegation, helping Mette plan for hiring the right support to scale her operations
  • Introduced strategic automations, streamlining tasks and setting boundaries to protect her creative time.

From automating admin to rethinking delegation, this 30-day framework empowered Mette to refocus her energy on what truly matters: her online sewing course offering and the longer term vision for the next chapter of her business.


The Results

Mette made incredible progress in just 30 days. Here’s a snapshot of the key results:

  • Time-blocked hours dedicated to course development, giving Mette space to work on her vision
  • CRM system automations set up, saving hours per week on routine client communications
  • Successful exploration of delegation, with clear plans to hire the right VA or OBM to handle day-to-day operations
  • Increased mental clarity and confidence—Mette now has a clear strategy and focus to move her business forward

But beyond the tangible results, Mette’s biggest win was the shift in mindset to start leading her business like a CEO:

“You helped me realise I was operating more like a janitor than a strategic business leader. Now, I’m setting better boundaries with my time and my team, and exploring specialised support to tackle the bigger challenges. This shift has allowed me to prioritise high-level creative work and do what I truly love. You gave me a renewed sense of determination.”


The Transformation

Mette’s transformation shows just how powerful it is to break through the clutter and create space for what matters most. With the right systems, support, and focus, Mette was able to break through the bottleneck that had been holding her back.

Now, instead of scrambling to juggle client work and administrative tasks, Mette is confidently moving toward her vision: a course-based business that allows her to focus on what she loves, while creating financial stability. 

In just 30 days, Mette moved from overwhelmed to empowered, and with a clear path forward, she is now poised to evolve her business into an exciting new chapter, and bring her vision to life.

And your vision is within reach too!

If your business is craving a transformation or you’ve got a brilliant idea waiting for its moment to shine—let’s talk. Whether you need a clear strategy, more visibility, or a fresh approach to grow with confidence, my Breakthrough Session will help you cut through the noise, identify your next best steps, and map out a plan that moves you forward with clarity and momentum.

Book your Breakthrough Session here.

Your personal Re-inventress.

– Sarah C


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Thank you so much for reading!

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Client: Freja Dress Design – Bridal Dressmaker, Edinburgh
Focus: Streamlining Operations, Digital Course Planning, Time Management
Experience: 30-Day Quick Win | Business Transformation Consulting

Sarah Connelly - Personal Lingerie Shopper | Small Business Consultant | Edinburgh London Ibiza
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