We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves. – Lynn Hall
I just came back from an eleven day trip that took me to Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I spent some much needed time with family in San Francisco. I had a chance to step back from my work and see where I was headed. I was getting frustrated not at my clients but with myself.
Each week I try to share a lesson learned. This week I learned the power of clarity. When I stated my business a few years ago, I really had no clue in the direction I wanted to take. I had this great notion that I wanted to be of service and basically that’s all I really understood. I started managing social media sites for clients that needed help building their audience. I did not have any set price or service plan in mind. I worked hard on building a relationship with my clients and I can honestly say that it worked for me in the beginning.
I would say it took about a year for a frustration to set in. I felt like the clients were taking advantage of my kindness, but I would never address this concern. It wasn’t until recently that I realized it wasn’t my clients that were taking advantage of me, it was that I didn’t value myself to raise the standard.
Lessons Learned:
- Be clear about what you will or will not do.
People are not mind readers. They will not give you more of anything unless you ask. In the same token, it’s their right whether they choose to continue to work with you or not. It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.
- It’s ok to say no.
Sometimes people will respect you more for being honest in what you won’t do instead of saying yes and botching it up. If you know in your heart you don’t want to take on a particular project, just say so. You have the right to say no in the beginning.
- You can change your mind.
It’s ok to change your mind. It truly means you are growing. There is nothing that says you can’t change your mind. Figure out what works and change what’s not. Don’t beat yourself up!
Not everyone will like the change, but the empowerment you will gain is priceless.
Quote source: http://www.quotegarden.com/change.htm
It was December of 2011, I was listening to Katy Perry’s “Firework “on my way to work and was balling like a big old baby. I knew I had to make a change in my life but I was a wife and a mother of three with financial obligations. Something said you can’t keep living like this, you are miserable with you job. I finally got the nerve up to go into Human Resources and put my two weeks’ notice in. I had no real idea what I planned on doing but one thing for sure was I was not going to keep working the same job I had done for almost 25 years through the military and private sector. Many people offered their opinions about my actions but for some strange reason, I felt I was where I needed to be doing exactly what it was I was doing. At that time I didn’t know that some people would call that a “calling”. My life hit some rough patches during 2012 through 2013. It wasn’t until 2014 that things started to fall into place. By now, I had my social media business for 2 years with no real growth. You may be asking yourself, how is that falling into place? Let me explain.
During that time we both were in a transitional period of our lives. He signed on with me in 2013 as a client. He had asked me to trust him and that he would do all that we could do to make his dreams come true and that if he made it, we both would make it. I committed myself to support his dreams by doing what I did best, helping him with his social media presence.
I know I am not where I want to be in career but I can honestly say I’m enjoying the journey.
Sweet N Social 