Messy Humans and Milestones

Today is one of those special days that entrepreneurs mark on our calendars and celebrate. It’s my foundersversary. The sixth anniversary of the day I officially started Literary Symmetry.

There have been so many moments of pure joy and deep despair. Creating something out of a dream and then having to adjust, pivot, and learn is a process that takes place not just in one’s brain, but in one’s soul.

Six years ago, if you had told me that one of my goals would be to disrupt an entire industry, I would have believed you, but I would have had no idea what that could look like.

I also thought I would always be in the publishing realm, and to my surprise, it seems as though I’ve circled back. The only difference is that now, instead of working mainly on romance or contemporary fiction novels, I spend half of each week writing and refining business nonfiction books as a ghostwriter and editor.

And I get to use the other half of my week to get my clients huge wins by helping them be curious through the lens of value-based marketing.

My journey hasn’t been a linear one. And because of that, today I want to challenge the idea of pragmatism in business.

The idea we’re obliterating today:

That running a business takes a predetermined amount of steps dependent on traditional theories and that to run your business the best way is to learn from following someone else’s game plan.

The remake:

Humans are messy and doing business with humans reflects that. In the same breath, though, it is still worth it to try to change the world one business decision at a time.

Here are three things I’ve learned by allowing my human messiness to shape the way I show up as a business professional.

?? 1. Mistakes WILL happen. Last year, I spent an intense amount of money and time investing in a program with an organization that swore they would help me scale my business to seven figures. They laid out this whole plan, and I followed it, convinced that I could never scale my business by myself. But, when it came time for them to deliver on the first round of leads, they went silent. I never heard from the person assigned to my marketing campaign again.

Now, I can beat myself up because I had an instinct that what they were promising was too good to be true. Or, I can accept that even though they didn’t deliver, their intense process caused me to push myself and learn more about my field than ever before. I decided to work with them in the first place because their process seemed daunting and I knew it was an opportunity to grow. And grow I did.

?? 2. Messiness means plans get changed. I can’t tell you how many challenges and frameworks I tried when my business was starting. I honestly don’t even remember everything I built or tested. I gained so much knowledge from those challenges and frameworks, but I also spent a lot of money for promises that never quite worked out for me.

At the same time, I’ll never regret any of those choices because I was learning. Now, I know that the best value I can find to work ON my business is by working with a reputable coach who can help me customize and test offers and products. And I’ve had to find my own way to work IN my business. No framework was able to help me see the results I wanted until I was willing to break the mold and trust my gut. That’s when I finally started to see real results.

?? 3. Being honest about outdated business practices is vital. Just because other people are still using outdated methods in their businesses and succeeding doesn’t mean I am limited to using only those methods. And, in fact, I was able to create my super high-value offers by embracing the messiness of humans and rethinking the way we approach marketing.

This week I was on a call with a client and she said, “I’m not usually speechless, but I’m speechless right now.”

Why? Because when we looked at her high-value skills and her offers, I gave her permission to remove the things she didn’t like. The clouds parted and she gained clarity in a way that made her pause to rethink the possibilities that are out there for her in the professional realm.

Humans are unique creatures. And I have learned that entrepreneurs and business leaders are unique in that they often care so deeply about others. When we look to build our success in order to make the collective world a better place, we’re compelled to keep going, no matter how many pivots or messy moments that takes.

One Lit Moment:

“Believing in something greater than ourselves isn’t crazy. It’s proof we’re sane. Look how vast the galaxy is.” –Claudia Gray, Star Wars: Lost Stars

What Kristin is Writing/Thinking About:

This week has been a whirlwind for some exciting reasons I’ll be able to share publicly soon. But the fact that so many amazing things are happening just as Literary Symmetry’s 6-year anniversary came up is a reminder to me that while we work hard toward certain goals, we never really know what the outcomes will be.

Do you need help clarifying what you really want to work toward in your human messiness as you endeavor to believe in something greater than you and me? Let’s hop on a consultation call and build the confidence you need in a professional adventure you’ve been wanting to test and refine.

Talk soon,

Kristin N. Spencer

About the Author:

Kristin N. Spencer is an International Bestselling Author, Writing Consultant, Value-Based Marketing Expert, and Speaker who has worked as a Ghostwriter on the bench of Forbes Books. She is the owner, lead writer, and big boss lady for Literary Symmetry, LLC where she helps companies and entrepreneurs craft language through copywriting that make sales easier and faster with her proven, contrarian approaches. Kristin has hosted two top 5% podcasts, including Your Business Story, and is always excited to help business professionals share their strategic stories.