I went to Italy last month for a conference with the Profit First Mastery (Australia) members. We spent a week together, and it showed me that when you are committed, you show up as the best version of yourself.

All the Mastery members came from Australia, and we cheekily chose Tuscany as a venue after finishing our Mastery meetup in Melbourne in 2022. For some, it was an "oh wow" moment, and for others, it was a surprise - they never dreamed of going to Italy, let alone spending a week there with peers.

We had over 18 months to plan everything. Personally, I didn't book flights until five months out and didn't start looking at accommodation and sights until two months out. Finally, the time came, and my husband joined me. We ended up spending two weeks in Italy, visiting Rome, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Milan. We did lots of research via YouTube and knew what to avoid, what to look for, and even some special places to eat from TikTok recommendations.

By the time we met up in Tuscany, it was time to get into family mode. I have been in the Profit First Mastery group since 2021, so I call this group my business besties. We usually meet online once a month, plus additional training and learning sessions, and often hang out with Mike Michalowicz, the author of Profit First. Since we are based across Australia, it's pretty special when we get to hang out in person.

Tuscany was a special experience to share with people I consider family. With this group, I cry, share things I never tell anyone else, use them as my sounding board, and get cheered along by them. And I do the same for them, holding space, listening, and asking questions to help them understand themselves and their direction better. We had hours of formal and informal discussions to further our understanding of each other and get to know each other better. For some of us, it was also an opportunity to meet and hang out with partners.

Some of our adventures included hot air ballooning (with an interesting forest landing that we didn't believe until it happened), a walled city tour of San Gimignano, a 28km e-bike tour of the hills, valleys, churches, and countryside views, and pasta making. We also toured a local truffle factory, where they process, grade, and ship truffles worldwide, followed by a four-course luncheon featuring truffles in every bite. It was delicious, but by the end, many of us were done with truffles. Each morning started with a relaxing yoga session, which set up the day.

Our more formal conversations covered improving customer service and experience, what to look out for when selling your business, the 10x moments that have turned your life into something better than expected, and how to show up more authentically in your business.

Everyone who attended the conference fully committed to being there, in the moment, and taking in as much as they could. I wanted to give, take, learn, share, and immerse myself in all the conversations, so the trip was not wasted. I returned to Australia with a love for the food, the culture, and even more love for the people I was with. I'm now re-committing to show up as the best version of myself, so I can share more with my clients and team, learn more about myself to better cope with life's ups and downs, and be happy.

The last time I fully committed to Northwest Accountancy, we experienced growth and improvement. I was invested in the outcome and did my best to impact the business positively. By committing, I showed that I could go all in and dedicate the right amount of time to the right activities, rather than just doing the same "busy work" as before.

Can you commit to something and go all in? What will that be?