Type written page saying New Chapter

Making a better story

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I was chatting with a good friend of mine yesterday. We were discussing the art of reframing a challenge or negative occurrence in life into something of better use. In the case of my entrepreneurial path, I told her that I making a better story.

What do I mean? Well, there’s no doubt that the failure of my crowdfunding campaign has shaken my confidence a bit. However, if it was successful, then maybe others would have seen that success as something that no one else could duplicate. That perhaps I had more things going for me like education or experience or luck etc.

I purposely started writing this blog to share the ups and downs of starting a business because few seem to do so. Instead, they’re all looking at it retrospectively and the lows don’t seem so low. Well, I’m showing you a low right now, and truthfully it sucks!

It’s hard to continue to take chances when it’s so easy to go back to a high paying job. However, I know that my true calling is as an entrepreneur, not as an executive working for someone else.

Sometimes it’s easier to be a professional in a shadow career than it is to turn pro in our real calling. When we turn pro, we stop running from our fears. We turn around and face them. We will have to choose between the life we want for our future and the life we have left behind.

Steve Pressfield in Turning Pro

A good story doesn’t show the road map of a “lucky” person. In fact a true story arc shows false highs and the depth of despair before the “hero” comes out on the other side having faced their personal or metaphorical demons and winning. Of course, this only happens if they don’t quit first. Those stories never get published.

My friend gave me a useful reboot. She reminded me of what I’m good at and what I have done before. Now, I just need to get my mind back on course to move this business past this current low.

Here’s to the next chapter and making a better story.

P.S. For some reason, this Lewis Howe podcast about personal branding and being crystal clear on your purpose really spoke to me today.

5 Ways To Monetize Your Personal Brand with Rory Vaden by Lewis Howes

IS YOUR PERSONAL BRAND MAKING YOU MONEY OR COSTING YOU TIME? The last time Rory Vaden joined the show, he shared some strategies we could use to create influential personal brands – insight that helped me shift the focus of my business and scale it to the next level.

How to know if you need a day off?

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After working so hard on the launch for so long, I really thought that I was feeling pretty good despite it. However, two things have happened in the last 24 hours that tell me that I need a day off – a rest day.

First, I forgot I had groceries in the car yesterday and had to toss it all away. This happened a couple of months ago too.

Then I was scheduled to do a podcast interview today and had to toss the whole interview away because of way too many technical issues. Part of it was my fault, and part of it was because of the venue I chose to record the interview. I found myself stuttering with my questions way more than normal too.

I felt so bad afterwards for wasting my guest’s time that I offered to do some graphic design work for free that I knew they needed done.

So tonight, I had a massage and now have written a checklist to force myself to go through about 7 steps before starting each interview. I think I’ve also identified a better venue.

I’ve been working such crazy hours for so long now that I really don’t know how to switch off other than going to bed. Exercise used to be my other outlet, but I’ve been recovering from an injury since June which has limited my activities drastically. Hopefully the MRI on Monday will give me a way forward to recover.

Ultimately, I think I need a day off, and honestly I’m struggling to do that because I forgot how to turn off my business brain. I might just need a little bit of help from my friends once again.

Sweat, Tears and actual Blood

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The last week has been pretty stressful getting ready for my product launch and crowdfunding kick-off. I’m way behind schedule with a mile long list of tasks that can’t be delegated to anyone. Nevertheless it’s getting done, and after testing about a dozen ideas, I finally found a work-around for the prototype issue – but not before shedding some sweat, tears and actual blood.

Bloody injury
A little blood from attempted Fix #9 for the prototype

The most stressful part has been putting myself out there to invite people to the crowdfunding kick-off. If this business fails, I will be going down in massive flames along with the savings I’ve already put into this business, my reputation and perhaps a few relationships.

This self-doubt has probably caused me to procrastinate a few times. I suppose, it’s not necessarily self-doubt, but also concerns about the public’s reaction to my product ideas.

Will the product solve some of their pet problems as I had imagined? Can they overlook any deficits in the prototype knowing that these issues will be be fixed in the manufacturing process? Do they think it’s value for money? Will there be enough interest to meet the funding goal so that I can buy the moulds?

I’m at the pointy end of what I call milestone 1A. If we fail to get through this check-point, the entire business concept collapses, and I will be looking for a job sooner rather than later. Maybe the potential loss of a dream is actually what I’m more afraid of – the inability to see this business idea with an environmental mission through to fruition.

I can only hope that the potential customers can see what I can see – products that can help keep pets safe while protecting the environment at the same time.