Lessons learned from watching you.
Before I created this for you, I had the best stage on which to test my thoughts and ideas, concepts and challenges. I am so grateful (and lucky) to have refined it all before our online school came to be. What a pleasure it has been to witness your journey and to continue to share little this’s and that’s unfold from here. So, just before we depart, here’s one last dose of frank advice about what makes a successful grad — which, of course, is absolutely already you. !!
TIP! Grads who do well take a deep breath, go back to the start and take it all step by step. They don’t jump ahead and are honest with themselves, knowing they’ve really done the work.
TIP! Grads who run into problems look at it as a whole, living beast. They know that sometimes they need to go back to a certain step, revisiting things, evolving, growing. After all, some wheels need to be greased again, some gardens need tended, and some mouths may need fed.
TIP! As your skills, accounts, and fame grows, you will be approached online by people who want to attach themselves to you — maybe wanting a few small things, maybe wanting to use you as a billboard of sorts for themselves. Know that everything is up to you —- you are the captain, remember? — and it’s your choice who gets something for nothing, and ‘you’ get to decide! Win-win, mutually beneficial relationships are beautiful and life-giving, but don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to people who don’t fit or only seem to want something from you. I use something along the lines of, “I’m so sorry, all our press spots have been filled this year, but I am really flattered.” Be generous and gracious (because you are!) as you never know when the work you are both doing will suit a collaboration.
TIP! Be honest with yourself and get help for the bits you need help with. Think critically about what you spend on who (and what). Ask if it is a good investment for your business —- in key areas of your business, I always recommend being smart about if a stylist, someone to help name, a little help with social media, etc. would be disproportionately beneficial.
TIP! You are more than capable. I know I just said to get help when you need it, but I already know you can do it. I have seen so many who didn’t think they could go forth and achieve such great things. Always have a go first. Just promise me that.
Your secret weapon is failure. Really.
I can’t tell you enough, welcome failure. When a problem arises, fix it forever and move on. Something f’ing up is the best thing that can happen so please think about it that way. One day you’ll be laughing at how easy this biz is.
Let go.
The biggest, most crucial, work is to let go of your home as your baby and to instead see it as your business. Damage and loss are part of your incomings and outgoings so don’t lose your cool about it, just see it as part of the bigger whole. All businesses know loss is part of making profit so find peace with that. Set your expectations for 5 - 10% outgoing, part of which is loss —- towels, sheets, a bit of paint, maybe a new towel rail. You get my drift? When it happens, don’t freak out, everything will be fine. Don’t lose sleep and don’t make it your guests’ fault. There’s nothing worth ever getting nasty over. Just pay for a new whatever and get back to your holiday in France.
Build your own tribe.
No one does it alone, no one. I have such a huge group around me and everything that has happened here has been because of them. Reach out for support in your own lives, use and explore the hashtags we have so you can begin to connect with those you feel aesthetically, energetically, and locationally drawn to. Grads have started styling homes together, bouncing house stories off one another, sharing influencers, successes, frustrations, and more. It’s so beautiful to watch and I encourage you to connect, maybe just seeing where it leads to. I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Stay connected.
So you made it this far, you are now invited to join our graduate mailing list for updates, new tips and tools, news, face-to-face classes — anything new we find and would love to share with you.
