Almost 2 months ago, I left the corporate life. The corporate world of which I have been a part for over 13 years. More than my entire school career. So, pretty much the biggest chunk of my life so far.
I took a risk and decided to do something brave. I decided to give it a go. With one hand in my husband’s I took a leap and decided to dedicate myself, fulltime, to Fresh Brew Marketing. And here I am – still going.
Sitting at my desk, while pondering my short journey so far, in between Social Schedules and event plan layouts, I, for some strange reason, started scrolling through my friend list on Facebook and it dawned on me just how many there are of us who have taken the same leap of faith – and given it their best shot. Believed in a cause so much, that they dedicated their lives to it.
Some made it. Some are making it. Some didn’t quite get there. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. What had me pausing over my cup of Alta Rica, was the fact that we’d all done something so brave – which many people never, in all of their lifetimes, get to attempt. Who cares if we make it, or if we don’t? Who cares whether we become the Next Big Thing or not. What matters is that these people have stood up and said, “I believe in myself enough to put my life into my own hands, and give this a go”.
And so for a minute, I was filled with such pride to be among peers who have demonstrated bravery, determination and a sense of self-belief that has taken them to the other side of the employment table. For a minute, I was completely overwhelmed by the strength that we as an unintentionally-united group share, and I realised the power that I hold in my hand – to be able to share, spread the word, encourage and support – these brave men and women who are not making a fuss, but just getting on with life and doing what they have dedicated their lives, and some the lives of their family, to doing.
So – next time you see one of us share a blog on our Facebook wall, or a photograph of what we’re getting up to, or we ask you to “spread the word” – know that it’s not just something we say to sound hip and trendy. We genuinely want you to help us grow and develop. We genuinely want you to tell people about what we do. We genuinely want you to think about how YOU can help US in your own business.
And to those amazing customers and clients who have believed in the ability of Fresh Brew Marketing, and the ability of Katy Roberts – I am forever thankful.
So – in the spirit of sharing and spreading the word – next time one of your mates shares a post from their business blog – just click share.
To all you self-employed superheroes, my hat is suitably doffed.
This week, while having the fantastic opportunity to work on a new customer account and exploring the wonderful platform that is Quora (a Q&A social media platform) a little more to promote new business avenues, I came across a question which started the thinking juices.
The question was, “What are some common beginner mistakes in content marketing and how does one not get pointed at and told “you’re doing it wrong”?
Dripping with insecurity, this question floored me.
We (by “we” I mean “us marketing folk”) are social people. We like to share – but it’s also about drumming up noise. Noise to direct traffic to a point. Noise to get people to know about us (or our brands). Noise to make a point. And sometimes, noise, just for the sake of making noise. We’re all guilty of it.
And for a few minutes, I thought back to the starting block of my own career in Marketing – the overwhelming intimidation I felt by all these GREAT resources, top tips, 10 facts, Quick Start Guides, 5 rules, 7 insights that you see in the social hemisphere. And then there are the inspirational, 2 minutes with Richard Branson, the “One thing my mother taught me”, the influencer thought processes, the 30-second thought-provoking video – also aiming to direct traffic, shout about your brand, make a point etc – but in a slightly more passive aggressive way.
Make no mistake – I am a massive fan of the Top Tips and 5 rules content – but at the point of starting out – and taking my first step into the world of representing a brand publically – it was exactly these pieces of quick-fire content that overwhelmed my thought process. Yes, it quickly developed my sense of discernment in terms of who I want to listen to and who I choose to unfollow – but the daunting thought that I was about to leap into the super fast swimming lane alongside professional athletes who live in an “eat-or-be-eaten” marketing world was more than I could bear.
So – looking at my Quora Question-Poser – I took a slightly different approach to the 93 other people answering the question. I was a little more real.
You don’t HAVE to be the best at what you do, when you’re starting out. You don’t need to be. You find just 1 or 2 people that you consider to have great advice and tips – you take what you like, you learn as much as you have the capacity for, you dip your toe into the water…. followed by your ankles, then your knees… and when you’re ready – you jump into the kiddies lane and paddle your way around, until you’re ready to swim under the lane separator and speed up.
There’s no Complete Marketing Degree that will teach you everything you need to know. There are good ways of doing things, and there are bad ways of doing things – but there’s no 1 thing. Marketing is ever-changing. Don’t be scared of it. Embrace it.
Just find the lane that suits your speed, and when you’re ready, you find a buddy, and then you speed up.
Working for yourself does allow some perks. Non-location-specific working. So this morning, I headed out to one of my favourite haunts in Bridport, Dorset and made myself comfortable at The Bull Hotel – with their great coffee, smooth tunes, and roaring fire. It’s April, and it’s freezing.
But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.
This wasn’t a purely social outing – it was a business meeting with local well-known photographer Faye Neal (check out her Facebook Page here). With both of us heavily involved in the annual Buckham Fair event that takes place in Beaminster every year, it was time to get together to talk about all things Marketing – and how we can raise the profile of the event even more.
It didn’t take long and we were blasting through ideas and jotting down lists of things to do / setup / create / talk about.
But what struck me, is that once again – I was sitting across from a professional who had decided to take the leap, and do her own thing. And as we shared ideas and tips together (her with photography tips for me, and me with social media tips for her), I realised that so many of us sit with a very similar thought, at some point in our lives. The thought that we’d like to one day do our own thing. But very few of us take that step. We like the security. We like the routine. We like the safety.
I’m still new in my game – but so far, I can only say that, albeit sometimes hellishly scary, it’s just pretty damn exciting.
Don’t get me wrong – I find myself working twice as hard as I ever did before – establishing my own routine, giving all my clients and commitments the time I’ve promised, thinking ahead to the next avenue of business when this project comes to an end, not getting drawn into those moments when business isn’t forthcoming. But, just like Faye, I knew I had a talent somewhere. And forming that into a business that people would actually want to pay for was the key. Once I’d done that – I was on my way. I still am. I am not 100% there yet – but I’m moving. And that’s all that counts right now.
I’m so incredibly thankful.
Perhaps working for myself wasn’t as hard as I thought?