Nailed it: Year 2 Lessons in business
730 Days of Figuring it out
As a storyteller, I feel obligated to give you a ‘peak behind the curtain’ of my process. I operate with a full open-door/open-book policy because I firmly believe the only way we can help others succeed is to be transparent. It also allows for hilarious permission-giving and breaks down the stigma that we all have it all figured out. Newsflash, we do not.
My undergraduate degree in Hospitality & Tourism was technically from the College of Business. I took economics and pricing and accounting. I minored in Journalism, giving me the background in interviewing, writing, and story-shaping. Despite formal education, I knew there were soft skills and unwritten rules for self-employment that mattered more.
I’ve worked with coaches and mentors, followed reputable influencers, and read books. I asked questions to other creators and mirrored processes from people I admire.
But often, my work days felt like an episode of ‘Making It’. Watch the clip below for reference, but in essence, it’s like seeing a picture-perfect recipie on Pinterest and then trying to make it yourself. Ultimately it’s a huge and hilarious flop that looks nothing like what was presented to you. You’ve got the confidence going in that you can do it, but your end result just isn’t it.
Year 1 was a whirlwind. I loved the flexibility and freedom of a laptop lifestyle. Finding clients and making connections was a thrill. My first invoice was for $75 and I almost cried because I felt like a kid at a lemonade stand — I had made that money all by myself from a service I created on my own. The absolute best advice someone gave me for Year 1 was this: simply start. Things won’t be perfect. The branding, the services, the pricing and the client experience will not be exactly how you envision. But you have to just start.
Year 2 was for refining. I took everything offered in Year 1 and slimmed it back - big time. I got crystal clear on what I wanted to offer and who I wanted to work with. This led me to a full rebrand and full revision of how I showed up online. I now had experience working with multiple clients and I knew what worked and what didn’t. I built sustainable ways of working that made me enjoy the day-to-day. As I wrap up Year 2, I know I’m running my business more authentically and delivering a more professional client experience. Whew - thank goodness for growth!
Just like the ‘Michael Scott Paper Company’ episode, there’s great respect in shootin’ your shot. We take our goals and dreams and try. That’s the entrepreneurial/freelancer/self-employment spirit! However, we have to know shit will happen, we’ll have to adjust, we’ll have to dust off any embarrassment or imposter syndrome, and just keep moving forward with our dreams.
This is what I thought running a business would be like in the first few years:
Do all the things! Be good at everything right away!
The more the merrier, the more offerings the better! The more clients the better! The more hours the better! The more services the more impact!
Have your shit together for your audience and yourself. You professional businesswoman, you. Look, be, act like a boss. Do not mess up. Everything must go perfectly.
What actually happened:
Slimmed, refined, consolidated (ugh these words are so hard for me). Narrowed my scope.
Got real about what I could do vs. what actually needed to be done. Focused my efforts.
Leaned hard on other professionals, asked for help. Realized self-employed does not mean self-isolated.
Be sustainable. Like new blogs twice a month? Cute idea Linz, but not practical when you've got clients. Saying “no more”, especially to yourself, is the secret sauce.
