There were certain aspects of marketing I had been avoiding… namely the learning about it and doing it parts. I love organizing and helping others, I approach running TLC Home like I ran a large household, but getting the business has been, well… an annoyance. There is not one marketing task natural to my skill sets. With no prior training or natural talent, I have been slogging through this essential part of business building from the beginning.
This September and October were designated a marketing season for my business. I’ve gotten assistance, a mentor, and taken classes. I’ve begun writing, upped the advertisements and developed a trade show theme and presentation. Hopefully, all this work will result in lots and lots of calls. But somewhere in these past months, I had the most amazing “ah ha” moment. I’m calling it my Fish-out-of water Enlightenment.
Everything I developed this Fall turned out very well. So… why the stress? Why has it all felt so hard? Answer: the fish- out -of -water syndrome. I was a mom first. I ran a household efficiently and with pride. I was completely out of my element in the marketing world and it felt strange. Learning something new is hard… satisfying… but hard, giving up feelings of confidence and control…even harder.
The “ah ha” moment: I realized what I was experiencing was the same (but in reverse) experience as several of my clients- Moms that have decided to quit working and stay home with their kids. They are overwhelmed with the struggle. They are women that had been at the top of their game for years and can’t figure out why just staying home is so hard. They feel they weren’t cut out for staying home.
Now I can do more than help them organize their homes and family life. I can empathize with them. I can urge them to keep trying and to push themselves. Most importantly, I can offer them hope that, one day, they will feel like what they are developing is turning out very well.