2018 WAS A BUST
Whaaaaat?
I know what you're all thinking...
Author of best selling DIY book and a few prestigious projects on the chart, fabulous Galas... Nevertheless, my yearly earnings went down the hole big time.
My head was literally spinning with tones of new and creative ideas, but at every turn I was hitting walls...tall, thick walls. I came to the realization that I desperately need help from experts.
But how to afford Expert help when revenue is way down?
Anxiety and insecurity were following my every steps and over-looking every things I did.
I entered one of those infamous roundabout and didn't know how to get out of it...(can you picture it?) ya...I got dizzy and numb until I was faced with the cruel reality: I'm responsible for the fall of my own empire that I worked so hard to built. Now what?
First, I had to stop comparing myself to everyone else, and compare myself to MYSELF.
From that perspective, things started to change. I became way more proud of the things I accomplished, the questioning I’ve been put through, and the personal messes I’ve survived.
When I compare myself to who I was 5 years ago… you wouldn’t even believe it was the same person. So back to comparing myself, which is really easy to do in this online world, where everyone is shouting their successes from the rooftops and no one is really talking about the failures or the mistakes.
It wouldn’t be right for me to just talk about what went well this year…but to admit that...it's another pair of pants! I didn’t reach my sales goals this year. By a long shot.
Yes, the last half of the year was amazing both personally and professionally, but the first half was- well: not so great. It started with me thinking I had the competence to be my own book Sales Rep.
I spent money and so much energy to promote my wonderful book which turned out to be a total waste.
(the spending...not the book of course...)
Not only I lost precious time at NOT doing what I excels in and enjoy the most which is creating and designing. I lost my creative juice doing so.
BLAH....
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| My beautiful book! |
A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about my 2019 "word of the year" and I picked "FULFILLED" which means: satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character -
to do what is required by (something, such as a promise or a contract) : to succeed in doing or providing (something) : to succeed in achieving (something) : to make (something, such as a dream) true or real.
With that in mind...what now?
An email from a "Visibility Strategist and Coach" hit close to home and here's what I learned:
Mindset and energy is everything
No matter what marketing and strategies you have in place, no matter how big your goals are and no matter how good you think you are, when your mindset is negative and your energy is off, people feel it and they don’t buy (it or you).
Stop dating down
When you are around people - (even friends and clients) who are not on your level or above, they are actually a hell of a lot better at bringing you down than you could ever be at rising them up.
There really are no rules
It’s so funny how we prod along, trying to do this or that, looking for ways to validate our ideas, searching for formulas and magic pills - when the answers are and always will be inside of us. In this crazy entrepreneur world- there are no rules- except for the ones we create for ourselves. Stop trying to fit in someone else’s box and design the business and life YOU want.
Business debt is not bad debt
At first I was scared to talk about this, but no successful business on earth has completely self funded themselves without a little help from the bank, credit cards or family. Investing in yourself is the BEST thing you can do with borrowed money, especially when you bet on yourself and know you will make it all back and THEN SOME. Sure, you can bootstrap yourself to the six figure mark (if you’re lucky), but when you are ready for real growth, you need capital - plain and simple. Knowing how to get it and use it wisely is key (but again, another lesson for another day).
When you think this way, you are acting from a place of lack and anti-abundance. You are thinking, doing and being from a place of scarcity and it reeks! When you think that the money in the bank is the “last $XX you have”, you’re basically telling, “I’m full. Don’t give me any more. This is it” You are basically saying that YOU don’t have the capacity to MAKE or GET more money with your talents and your gifts. And frankly if that’s your belief, then you’re in the wrong business (there I said it). You don't need money to start; you just need to start.
The struggle is NOT real
This year, my lovelies, I totally debunked this myth. The struggle is a CHOICE. Yes, things happen in life and in business - with finances and with relationships, but it how we play the hand we’re dealt that makes all the difference. If you believe the whole world is out to get you, then that will be true for you (I was so stuck in that rut for a while). But when you believe in abundance, positive vibes, wonderful things can happen (and fast!)
Well my sweets, I hope that by sharing my story and these lessons, can inspire you to be bold and unstoppable.
There are some amazing things I'm looking forward to share with you in the new year...For one, I collaborated on a prestigious project/product back in 2017 and it will finally be released in a couple months! (Ooooh...I'm dying to spill the beans here...lol)
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| TV segment with the lovely Heidi on CTV Morning Live Atlantic |
One thing I can share now is starting January I will offer a monthly affordable "Forever Bloom Bouquet" in very limited quantity - With each season in mind, I worked really hard to come up with a collection of handmade paper bouquets that will make you gasps in awe each time you'll open your very own Paper & Peony's Forever Bloom box! Brighten your home or treat someone you love with our Forever Bloom Bouquet that will NEVER wilt! Imagine: "Monthly Forever Bloom Bouquet - Handcrafted with love - Carefully curated and delivered to your door, or as a gift." WOW!
Until our next chat my sweets, live life in full bloom!
If you wish to join our Blooming Community,
please CLICK HERE!
BRAVO! For being brave enough to write this because soooooo... many of us were NOT! Everything you talked about, hit home 110% for myself too. However, I was NOT brave enough to write or talk about it publicly. It's funny how you can see everyone's beautiful pictures and their success but never their vulnerability. I think being vulnerable is something everyone should practice once in awhile. Its actually a freedom that makes us release some built up negative energy. Too much can actually cause us NOT to be successful because there no room left for positivity to grow. Chantal, I admire you even more for writing this. I absolutely connect with you on different level now, thank you for showing us that when we go through this we are NOT alone!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anna. I appreciate your words soooo much! For obvious reasons, I hesitated to share this post. But you are so right: sharing our weaker, more vulnerable side totally releases major negative energy built-ups! I feel lighter. I'm ready for the new year, a fresh start. HUGS xx
DeleteI have learned this over and over. No matter what happens in our life it is up to us to make it a learning experience or continue to fumble.In 2004 I make a bad business deal and lost everything I owned including my home. I became homeless and lived in my car for over 1 year. I made sure I had what I needed in my car. I even had my desktop computer so that if I stayed a night in a hotel I could plug it in and send out my resume, contact friends etc. I slept on the street for awhile because my purse was stolen with my car keys in it. I was assaulted and struggled but never gave up. I got offered jobs in other states and drove there just to find out the businesses were not real or closing. I had been a graphic designer and kept copies of work I had done. I happened to show a job counselor my work and he said he knew someone who could use me. I met with the man and showed him my work and he hired me to design websites and marketing materials. It was only a 1 year contract but I was paid $3000 a month. I rented an apartment and slowly got furniture but eventually the contract ended. I was looking for work again but because of my experience being homeless I got a job as a case manager for a Homeless program. I was there 6 years then started my own homeless program. My mother had passed and I got her home. After a couple years I had to stop working because of health problems. I sold the house and bought a new mobile home in a cheaper area and that is where I am today. I decided that I could not just sit around and started making paper beads to use for jewelry I wanted to sell but it just wasn't the right fit. Then I saw paper flowers and I knew that I could do something with that. I spent time learning how to make them then learn how to make SVG files etc. I just started an Etsy shop and working on that and also a blog on my website. What I am trying to say is no matter how hopeless things seem it will get better but it takes faith in yourself and hard work. Also never take what you have for granted it can be gone in a second. So good to see you are doing the same.
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