Ten years ago I ventured out on my own to help businesses optimize their social media strategies. I have been extremely fortunate to have great, supportive clients to work with and benefited from experiences that helped me learn, grow, and adapt to changing environments — both online and offline. While it hasn’t always been easy, I have to say it wasn’t always hard! After the first 5 years, you get better at understanding the ebbs and flows of business and not to stress (too much) about things you can’t control.
Looking back over the last 10 years, I’ve learned a lot about running my own business. Here are just a few lessons that stand out:
Stand for something: In the beginning, you’re afraid to say no to any opportunity. After a while, however, you realize that not every job is desirable or worth your time. Figuring out what you want to contribute to the world is a huge piece of making your business stand out. Lending your voice and insights to projects that make a difference, gives you and your brand purpose. Having a purpose makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
Work smarter, not harder. 8-hour workdays aren’t necessary. 5-day work weeks need not exist. You may not always get to take long vacations, you do have more flexibility to work the way you want. Once you find what works for you — whether it’s working early in the morning or late at night; taking naps in the middle of the day; or just finding time to take a break — the work becomes more enjoyable!
Get out of your own head. When you work by yourself, you have a lot of time to overthink things. Overthinking often leads to over-reacting to even the simplest of things. When in doubt, ask questions instead of making assumptions. Working remotely, as I do 100% of the time requires good communication skills. Rather than festering over a confusing comment, learn to ask questions for clarity. Most of the time, it’s something benign.
Advocate for others. Chances are you know a lot of awesome people who do awesome things. Tell people about them. I’m only one person and I can’t work on every project, so I refer clients to other amazing individuals doing cool stuff. Sometimes I have an opportunity to bring others onto my team, so I reach out to those whose work I admire or who can lend new perspectives to a project. It’s a great way to help diversify the talent pool, learn from others, and expand your knowledge network.
Mentor others. Watching others struggle to figure out what you already know is cruel. Reach out and help others who are coming up behind you. You’re not competitors, you’re allies. You know stuff that others don’t. Other people know things that you don’t. Share knowledge so that everyone can benefit. Let’s stop with the idea that we need to figure it out for ourselves or go it alone. We’re stronger together. Let’s start lending our support to others so we can all be awesome!
Big thanks to everyone who has helped the Strategic Peacock grow and thrive over the past 10 years!