Let The Adventure Begin!

Recently I was asked to share three decisions I’ve made/steps I’ve taken to help my business grow with a group of women business owners. I thought I’d share them here, in the hope that they would encourage other entrepreneurs/solopreneurs or folks who might be considering taking a leap into something new.  I am a voiceover artist, and I use my voice as a tool for my clients to use to share their messages and tell their stories in a way that engages their listeners. But I haven’t always been a voice artist. I have a bachelor’s degree in toxicology, and am also a licensed physical therapist assistant. I practiced as a PTA for 19 years, and during that time I also taught in PTA program for 4. I’m the oldest of 3 kids, grew up in a rural community in a loving, Christian home, and, with few exceptions, I have always been the ultimate rule follower. If the sign says “exit,” you don’t enter that way. If the arrow points one way in the parking lot row, you don’t go against the arrow. In my life, the “rules” we were taught included that you work hard in school, you do what the teachers say, you take the aptitude tests and talk to the guidance counselor, and get scholarships. Then you go to college and get the degree that someone told you you would be good at, get a job, and work till you retire (or die). And that’s just what I did.  In other words, I was firmly planted in my comfort zone. In my mind, I sort of broke the rules in the 1990’s, and left my first career to go back to school and enter a second career. Then, a few years ago, when I heard God telling me that He had something new, different, and totally unexpected for my life, I prayed, I talked to family and trusted friends, and I BROKE THE DANG RULES AGAIN. Totally NOT in my comfort zone. And honestly, it freaked me out. Let’s face it. Some days, I still think to myself (and even ask God), “what in the world am I doing??? Am I crazy?” And you know what?  I’m not. It’s hard, and to be frank, it’s really not what I thought it would be. Actually, I don’t really KNOW what I thought it would be. But stepping out and taking that first leap of faith was the first step outside of my comfort zone. A quote that I’ve found to ring true is, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”  (Brian Tracy).  

Stepping out of YOUR comfort zone is the first decision I’d like to encourage you to make.   When I made that decision, it was scary and amazing at the same time! I discovered new things about myself, and new (or perhaps hidden/untapped) strengths I wouldn’t have believed I had. Of course, stepping out and taking that risk was just the first step; there were more uncomfortable moments to come! For example, I am an introvert who is able to “fake” extroversion when I need to, but for the most part, I REALLY don’t like being in crowds of people, and networking just was not on my radar. I figured I’d find my clients thru LinkedIn, Pay to Play sites, etc. When that wasn’t working I realized I had to step even further into the unknown of being a business owner and NETWORK; I also realized that I didn’t know how to do that well. I wanted to go, hand out business cards, blurt out what I did to a bunch of people, and hope for the best. So, I took a class, changed my approach, and WOW! I have met some awesome people!! And as my network has grown, I’ve found that I love to connect people within that network with one another. Yes, I need the business, and ultimately the idea is that I will get business through my network of people, but the process has been eye opening. Now, after about 2 years of networking, I’ve gotten some business, am beginning to see seeds that have been planted along the way push through the ground, and I can see fruit from my “labor.” Additionally, as a result of the networking I’ve done, I experience situations like the networking event I mentioned earlier,  in which I have been asked to speak, but don’t necessarily feel qualified to do so. It’s not that I’m afraid of public speaking. I taught in a physical therapist assistant program. I educated patients and their families on a regular basis. I presented continuing education courses to case managers. I’ve led Bible studies and have sung on worship teams in a couple of different churches. Being in front of people and Speaking isn’t the problem. It’s feeling a little bit like an imposter – at least initially – because I knew I’d be speaking to people who have been in business a good bit longer than me, and/or know more than I do. But part of my business’s mission statement is that I will encourage, educate, and inspire others, so I decided that I would say “yes,” in the hopes that that would happen as I shared with this group. 

This also brings me to my next point. Be flexible. This talk was about three things that have helped me to be successful. Of course, in my mind, that meant I needed to be where I wanted/needed to be financially.  But here’s the deal. I’m NOT where I’d like to be – YET. But because in the last year, I stepped outside of my comfort zone, and because I’ve been flexible in many aspects of how I present my brand and run my business, my income has increased significantly. And I mean SIGNIFICANTLY.   I’m not where I want to be, or need to be, but I’m excited about that!!  So what do I mean by being flexible as a business owner? Flexibility has meant allowing my brand and how I present it to evolve a bit, based on conversations with business coaches, branding and marketing experts, other business owners I’ve met as I’ve networked, and the networking class I mentioned earlier. It’s meant changing my mindset with regard to my idea of success, and realizing success for me is more than simply meeting a financial goal. Success for me means living within God’s plan for my life and truly beginning to live my purpose. It includes building relationships and learning new things about myself and about growing my business.  I’ve also learned to be flexible regarding my marketing, and marketing in ways that many voiceover folks may not think about, like making brochures and sending them out to business other businesses, or setting up a vendor table at an event. I’ve also looked at ideas like podcasting, and renting out studio space and offering my editing skills as a service to folks who might be doing some of their own amateur recording. And you know, when you’re flexible with what you think you can do and what you’re willing to do, even when it’s very different from what you imagined, good things begin to happen. 

Lastly, I encourage you to avoid “Performance Paralysis”. Now, the idea for this phrase came from another voiceover artist who I respect and admire, Marc Scott (https://www.marcscottcoaching.com/), who used “perfection paralysis” but I loved it and wanted to expand on it a bit.  Fear can be paralyzing if you give into it. I don’t know who said it originally, but “courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is the ability to act in the presence of fear.” I have often felt like I needed just one more class, one more coaching session, one more webinar, one more (you-fill-in-the-blank) before I could move forward. I have been afraid that I would fail. But, taking those extra classes, etc., were simply not in the budget, and if I want to continue to grow this business, I didn’t have the luxury of just not moving. And, let’s be honest. I knew in my heart that none of those would make me less fearful/cautious. I MIGHT fail. YOU might fail. But OH. MY. GOODNESS. What if we don’t? What if we move forward afraid and we SUCCEED?? That’s the million dollar question, my friends. Find those people in your life or those people you follow on social media who have done just that, and be encouraged, be inspired, be empowered, and do the thing that scares you. Step out of your comfort zone, be flexible, and avoid performance paralysis. Let the adventure begin. You've got this!!