My Business Isn’t Flourishing Right Now (but I am)
My business isn’t flourishing right now and cash flow is minimal. There’s no sense in pretending that my business is raking in millions of dollars a month when the reality of entrepreneurship is, some months you win and some months you lose….but they don’t teach you that in their $37 entry to learn their 6 Figure Secrets. I’ve come to expect leaner months and have been able to notice when they appear (for me: January-March & September) and I’ve been working hard to get out of scarcity mindset -meaning that when these slower paced seasons come along I am grateful for them and instead of panicking (like I used to!) I use that time to do business audits, take a look and see what’s working what’s not, and most importantly see where I can show up in other areas of my life.
Switching out of being a highly requested photographer to being a jill of many things: writing, speaking, teaching, creating was bound to come with its ups and downs including an upheaval in the financial department. I’ve gone from getting paid a few times a week to getting paid essentially once a month at the very beginning and because I’m still relatively new to the speaking/writing/keynoting arena, I am doing a lot of building again - this sometimes = less money come in and more money going out. However, while I may have less and more sporadic income, I have received abundance in a lot of other ways that I want to share with you here. We tend to tie our success as humans to our financial assets alone, but I am here to tell you that there are other areas where we can show up and feel like we’ve done a good job at being a human for the day.
(Obviously, this is said understanding that I have no children and I have a partner who doesn’t rely on me solely for financial support).
Being there for friends & family when they need me
In the past, I feel that I was the one always being supported. I had friends cheering me on, picking me up when I’d fall down, or lifting me up and watching me get my wins. Since I’ve entered this slower pace of life, one of the things I’m proud of being able to do is reciprocate that support now. I am the one doing the cheering, the picking up, the lifting and watching of my friendlies get their goals. I feel like I have been running a marathon and now I can pass the baton to my friends while I take a breather. Whether that’s inviting them to do crafts and talk when they’re having a hard time in their relationships, their businesses, or just life in general. Making time in the middle of the day to help them at their markets, events, or workshops. Flying across the country to visit them when I know they might not have the financial/time capability to do the same. Taking the weekend to go to my niece’s birthday party or attend a soccer tournament. Stuff like that.
It’s interesting because it’s hard - transitioning out of being the “go-getter” of a group of friends because your brain convinces you that they only reason they keep you around is because of the goals that you achieve, so when you switch up your “role” in the eco-system it can feel a bit shaky at first. If I’m not XYZ, then what I am to people? Well, to the ones love you unconditionally, it turns out you are just you! And that’s enough. So, I’m glad that I have the slow paced life right now that I can be the cheerleader or shoulder to cry on when I’m called.
2. Being there for my husband
When I left for Australia, my husband started training for a new position at his work and it has been incredibly stressful for him. It involves a lot of study and exams and he learns really well by having someone help him study. Because I’m no longer working 18 hour days that means I am home and available to be able to help him with studying, being a partner for working out to keep his brain fresh, or to just give him someone to process his days with. I think about the energy I used to bring home - high stress, frantic, continuously moving forward, rarely giving him any of my attention, because when I did slow down I would fall asleep as we watched tv together. Now, I’m able to be present and my calm, relatively regulated self is capable of holding space for HIS frantic/stressed energy. At first, I felt bad that I wasn’t contributing as much financially, but I realized that in a partnership it is an ebb and flow and right now is my turn to flow. His success is my success and therefore, I can help him by ensuring the house is tidy, we have good meals to eat, and I am present and capable of helping him study to get him through this challenging phase of his career. When I was frantic, he was calm - now it’s my turn to be the calm. (I never thought I’d see the day!)
3. Being there for me
With this slow season I have been able to write and edit Homecoming - my next book without stressing about it. I’ve scheduled time in the morning and time in the evening for writing and editing and because of that I’ve been able to complete my manuscript. In addition to that, I’ve been sewing, doing pottery, reading, building out presentations for upcoming talks, planning my tour and doing self portraits. Spending time with myself in creation and percolation mode, while slow, has reminded me about the joy of being instead of just doing. I’m getting messy and growing my brain while connecting with myself in the process. I’m having fun and doing the things that light me up, because what is life, if not to do the things that light you up!
4. Being there for causes that are important to me
I’m not going to lie - when I used to be bringing in all the money, the way I’d show up in support of most of the causes I cared about was by throwing money at them or sharing content on the internet. While those methods are important, I always said “I don’t have time” to show up and be present and active for the causes that mattered most to me. With finances not flowing as swiftly in the moment and time being my available currency, I’ve been able to attend protests, rallies, talks, and craftivism events. I’ve been able to show up for small business openings and supporting my fellow business owners in their events. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to spend money on things that are important to me (and some things that aren’t!), however, it has been incredibly refreshing to remember what it’s like to be in community with others that rally around a central cause or mission and not just throw money at it. Regardless of how busy I get as I move forward, I will do my best to make time to be present and show up.
5. Being there for my students/coaching clients
Because I am no longer splitting my time between photo sessions and teaching I have been provided a lot more time AND energy to spend with the students that want to invest in the content that I offer and since the content I offer tends to be a little more on the soul discovery side of things (yes, even when it’s a photography course!) it requires time, attention, and care. I love being able to show up to my classes and devote 100% of my attention to my students or give 100% to my recordings when I make them. Previously, while my courses were good - I sometimes felt frazzled, rolling into class after doing a session and a reveal. I love my intimate groups of like minded individuals and being able to go deeper because I am there physically, mentally and emotionally - and they probably appreciate it as well. I realized that being able to hold space can only happen if I have space available.
It’s hard not to feel good about the work that I am doing even if it isn’t bringing in large chunks of cash flow - it will come eventually. Right now I am in the planting season and harvest will be here soon enough. Two years ago, I would have written a completely different blog post relating to scarcity, fear, and the unknown, but due to the time and space I’ve allowed myself I’ve been able to see it with fresh eyes and a new perspective. In fact, I would have kept myself with “busy work” to avoid the discomfort that came from not having so much work to do. Success isn’t just your monetary income, my friend - it’s also your time, your relationships, your joy, your presence, your contentment, your peace, and yourself. When I first started the journey of entrepreneurship, this was the freedom that I looked forward to - yet this is the very thing that we are taught to feel bad about and then work excessively hard to avoid.
So, if you are in a season of slowness, right now, my friend - I want you to see if you can imagine the bigger context. Here are some questions to get you started:
What is the time and space you currently have, allowing you to do in the world?
How can you reframe the scarcity and fear that you are feeling?
What thoughts do you have about supporting others or allowing yourself to be supported?
