I had a conversation yesterday with an accomplished and brilliant business woman whom I'll call "Mary". She is changing direction from consulting with major corporations to a more entrepreneurial venture of working with individual professionals.
This move is by choice as Mary matures and her interests evolve. She is listening more closely to her passions than to the "have to's" of her younger professional life.
Mary called to discuss a decision about spending money on her new logo and corporate brand. The amount she was talking about is reasonable for professional graphic design. In her past incarnation, the designer's fee would have been a fraction of her anticipated income from corporate clients.
But now her income is not yet certain and her startup resources are finite.In this context the designer's fee represents a big commitment. She said, "In the past, I would have just spent the money. But now I want to make sure this is the best decision for me and my new business. I just don't want to look like a loser."
What I heard was, "Will I be a loser if I don't spend this money this way?"
In a word, "NO!"
I responded to Mary that finding another way to get a quality business identity would definitely be in her best interest at this point in her new business. We discussed her options, and she thought of some other options to pursue.
Our conversation reminded me how easy it is for a Creative Entrepreneur to doubt herself - to take her measure and come up wanting. I find this is a common theme for all the Creative Entrepreneurs I work with, including myself! What's the antidote?
Here are some simple suggestions:
- Back off the comparisons - with others and with "how it used to be"
- Remind yourself that you are creative and will find a way to solve the problem in front of you
- Realize that business is a progression of challenges - unless you've got them, you aren't in business!
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