What started as a need for extra support has grown into a five-year working relationship, giving Natasha and Claire more time to focus on their training, community and the parts of their business they love most.
Natasha Johnson and Claire Bradford founded The Celebrants Collective to provide training, support and community for celebrants at every stage of their journey.
Since launching in 2017, the business has grown to support a thriving membership community, deliver celebrant training, host regular workshops and online sessions, and produce its own podcast.
When Natasha first contacted me in 2021, one sentence in her email summed up why they were looking for help:
"Claire and I really want to be able to concentrate on the juicy stuff that we're good at, enjoy doing and the things which people buy our services for, which is currently getting squeezed by all the other stuff."
I loved how she put that, because it's something I hear from business owners all the time.
Natasha and Claire had so much they wanted to do with The Celebrants Collective, but all the work involved in running it was taking up time they wanted to spend supporting celebrants and developing new ideas.
A partnership built on trust
I initially started helping with newsletters, webinars and marketing, but my role has grown and changed quite a bit over the past five years.
I've supported training launches, membership promotions, websites, email marketing, social media, workshops and all sorts of other things that need organising to keep the business running smoothly.
One of the benefits of working together for so long is that I now know their business really well. I understand how Natasha and Claire like to work, what matters to them and the little details that are easy to overlook when you're juggling lots of different things.
They don't need to explain everything from scratch or remind me about every job that needs doing. I can get on with the things I'm responsible for, ask questions when I need to and make sure everything is ready when it needs to be.
It's taken time to build that knowledge and trust, but that's one of the things I enjoy most about working with clients over the long term.
Growing together
The Celebrants Collective has continued to evolve throughout our time working together, and I've loved being part of that journey.
Over the years, I've helped with new training launches, workshops, membership promotions, resources and marketing campaigns. As their plans change, the support I provide changes with them.
Some months there are new projects to get off the ground. Other times it's about keeping the regular work running smoothly, making sure members receive the information they need and that everything is organised for upcoming events and sessions.
I particularly enjoy being able to spot what needs doing and get things moving without Natasha and Claire having to think about every detail themselves.
They know I'll check with them when a decision needs their input, but they can generally leave me to look after the things we've agreed are my responsibility.
And because we've worked together for so long, we can talk openly, share ideas and work things out together when something new comes along.
Behind the scenes
One of the things I value most about working with Natasha and Claire is that they trust me to get on with my job.
Whether they're developing a new course, planning a workshop, recording a podcast or taking some well-earned time away, they know the work I've taken responsibility for is being looked after.
I enjoy all those details that keep a business organised, from setting things up and checking links to making sure emails go out and nothing important gets forgotten.
It's work I genuinely enjoy, and it means Natasha and Claire can spend more of their time on the things they started The Celebrants Collective to do.
What Natasha and Claire say
When I asked Natasha and Claire to describe our working relationship, they chose three words:
Friendly. Proactive. On-the-ball.
They've also shared some lovely feedback over the years:
"Emma has been one of our best business decisions yet."
"Working with Emma has allowed us to hand over so many tasks and operations within our business that we never thought we'd be able to hand over to anyone else. It now means that we can concentrate on the stuff that we're good at, knowing that the things that Emma deals with are in good hands."
"Emma works her magic behind the scenes, keeping everything organised, flowing and fabulous."
One of my favourite compliments, though, wasn't written as a testimonial at all. It came with a Christmas pressie:
"Thank you for being the keeper-togetherer of all we do."
I don't think I'll ever tire of reading those words.
Could your business benefit from this kind of support?
Every business is different, and the support it needs will change over time.
That's why I prefer to build ongoing working relationships rather than offer a fixed list of tasks. I get to know how your business works, take responsibility for the areas we've agreed I'll look after and adapt my support as things develop.
If you're looking for someone who'll become a trusted part of your business, take the initiative and help keep things moving without needing to be managed every step of the way, I'd love to hear from you.
Book a discovery call and let's chat about what ongoing support could look like for your business.
Continue reading
Why consistency matters more than hours when choosing business support
If Natasha and Claire's story has made you think about what a long-term working relationship could look like, you might enjoy this article about why familiarity, reliability and consistency matter more than simply buying a set number of hours.
Support shouldn't create another job for you
Wondering how to bring someone into your business without creating more work for yourself? This article explores the initial investment involved in handing things over and why good support should become easier to manage over time.
It's been a real pleasure working with Natasha and Claire over the past five years. I love what they've built with The Celebrants Collective, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next chapter takes them.
You can also find out more about The Celebrants Collective and the work they do to support celebrants.
