Hope you have your coffee (pot) or wine (bottle) ready friends,
cause it’s story time…
I want to tell you a little bit about how I came to be doing work I (mostly) love, and to encourage you to create the work you want to be doing in your own business.
Ready? Here’s the backstory:
*In 2015 I started Winston & Main, nice and burnt out from over a decade in the film industry. Not the best way to start a business.
I got scared + felt broke pretty quick, and took another full-time TV gig for a few months.
And I was miserable.
*In 2016 we bought our house, and while I didn’t take any full-time film or TV work, I styled A LOT of commercials and took enough film work to help pay for this newly acquired debt, and so W&M still felt like a side hustle.
I was still pretty scared. Still pretty miserable. And while I could do my film job in my sleep (and do it well!) I felt like my soul was dying for 12-14 hours a day, (normal film hours y’all) and then at night I was too tired to really do much else. Except whine/wine. You know how it is. Or you can ask poor Gavin. 😉
Dramatic, but true. When something is not for you anymore, the universe really lets you know.
BUT money talks.
And I knew I needed A LOT more work to sustain this lil’ biz of mine and to recoup the massive pay cut I took when I left the film industry.
*So in 2017 I put on my big girl pants, committed to my business, and haven’t looked back.
Hahahahaha. What a lie.
I look back all the time and am SO damn happy I’m not still working a job I hate.
And I am happy to report that once I truly focused, invested, and had a little faith in this business of mine, it returned the favor. I’m on track to hit a six-figure revenue this year, and a six-figure personal profit next year.
So what did I do exactly?
I created the work I wanted to be doing.
Because doing work you don’t believe in, or are sick of doing, or bored of doing is the quickest way to burn out, and I’ve already been down that road.
My 3 Tips to Create the Work You Want to Attract
Decide What Work You Want to Be Doing
As an Event & Floral Designer, this meant getting clear with myself about: 1. What type of work I enjoy doing. 2. What type of work will attract my dream clients, and 3. What type of work I can make a profit from.
At the beginning of 2017 I really considered these questions and then deliberately created a few editorial shoots to add new work that fulfilled these requirements to my portfolio.
And it worked! The work I am most frequently asked to do now, is a direct result of these editorials.
Spend Money
Once you decide to make the work you want to be doing, spend the money to do it well.
If you’re a florist- this is where you spring for those fabulously expensive flowers you can’t get your current clients to pay for. The idea is to create work that your dream clients will pay for. Also, playing with the good stuff (whatever your industry) is just plain fun.
So, while spending money won’t make up for the lack of skill or biz savvy, it can elevate your offering and allow you to attract new clients. To run a florist shop, you will need essentials, such as fresh flowers, display cabinets, a work table, and delivery service, along with tools like clippers, scissors, vases, and buckets. You can get a few of these items, such as furniture, packaging material, art and craft supply, etc., online from websites like office monster or explore local service providers in your neighborhood. Overall, you will have to spend some money on setting up the business.
Challenge Yourself
Hopefully you have a unique style and your new work will end up reflecting this, but if you don’t have the skill set to make what you’re envisioning yet, then you need to learn.
Don’t create something that looks like everything else you’ve already created just because you don’t know how to create the thing you want.
Take a class or workshop. Watch Youtube videos. Experiment. Really challenge yourself to bring your vision to life, even if there’s some legwork to do first.
For me, this has meant lots of research, learning new mechanics, and plenty of failed experiments.
To Recap:
No one is likely to hire you to do work if they don’t see what they are looking for on your site/portfolio/social media, so get some knowledge on how to do digital marketing to promote your business. You can also provide home delivery facilities or online services, if possible, to expand your reach to customers. Furthermore, if you are trying to establish your business identity online, you may also have to look out for internet access that is reliable, steady, and can get you good upload-download speed. It can help you to share your content and promotional posts on social media without worrying about where you are working from.
When exploring internet providers, consider going through comparative resources like this starlink vs viasat internet plans to do thorough research. Additionally, you can get help with setting up your website by contacting a web designer for your businesses to list your products and services online as well as to share your work portfolio and other information. Lastly, no matter how much you can accomplish, don’t give up on your hopes and dreams. To have a successful business, you need to be consistent in your efforts instead of feeling dejected and quitting too soon.
Get Excited:
As business owners, we have the ability to create the work we want to be known for.
It’s magic. You just have to put it out there.
I almost didn’t publish this blog post, because it’s scary to be so vulnerable, and who reads these things anyway?
Did you? Did it help you? Do you have anything to add to the conversation?
If so, I’d love if you’d leave a comment below or shoot me an email and we’ll chat!