5 things I've learned in my first three years of business

As I'm three years in business now, I thought it was time I took stock of where I am and how far I've come. There are mountains to climb yet and I'm definitely a dreamer so I hope this is just the beginning!

Here are 5 things I've learned so far

1. If you look at everything as a learning opportunity, you're rarely disappointed.

Before I started my product business three years ago I only ever knew how to be a service provider. I worked solely as a music teacher in various forms and so if ever something didn't work out, which thankfully was rare, I took it personally.
With a product business, I have an entirely different view. Yes, it's still people oriented in that I am mostly creating with a customer in mind, but for the most part, I can be more objective in situations where something doesn't go to plan.
What went wrong?
How can I fix it?
What can I do differently next time?
Every interaction, each event, every product, every single part of my business is now a learning opportunity and is therefore of value.

2. Investing in yourself is hard, but it’s important to do.

I came to this business with nothing. Literally no knowledge of product business, even art - as I was self-taught. When you start off from that point, it can be hard to back yourself or see your value. I've taken lots of classes, short courses and I continue to do so. Every time I'm about to walk into a training room, I have that brief feeling of not belonging, so what I tell myself is that if I'm the least experienced in the room, I have the most to gain from being there, and therefore it is the right place for me to be.
So far, so good!

3. Art style is unique but it doesn’t mean it can’t change.

When I start drawing as a beginner in 2020, I fell in love with black pen illustration. When I started sharing my drawings online in 2021, people seemed to really like that my style was distinctive and loved the black and white aesthetic. I struggled with that a little in that I loved creating the black and white drawings, but I was personally drawn (pun intended!) to colour. I felt like trying colour was off-brand for my newly established brand, but I just had to try it. Lots of trial and error later, I've landed on a colour palette that is utterly me. I use my iPad to create a lot of my drawings, but still use my sketchpad, pencil and beloved black pens every now and then. Using the iPad felt a bit like cheating at first, but as a busy Mum, it means that I can draw while I'm waiting in the car, or on the move if I have to. I still think my style is distinctive, and I'm ok with it changing over time, as we all do!

4. You don’t need to be perfectly ready to be ready

If you only knew the amount of things I've said yes to without being fully or perfectly ready! Wow, there have been so many things, but similar to point 2 above, if I'm not fully ready for something, I have the most to learn and that's always a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I've never jumped into something that has really been out of reach - I know my limits, but I've also a great (and honest) support system so I know when to say yes, and jump in, and I know when to say no. But waiting for a perfect time? I've literally never done that!!

5. I should trust my gut more, it has brought me to some wonderful places and people

When you come to business like I have, with no expertise, no training, there is a huge amount of self-doubt, second-guessing, hesitance, and imposter syndrome. Time and time again, I've had nothing to rely on, only my gut feeling. Trust me when I say, it has never lead my astray yet. Has everything always worked out perfectly? Not at all, but (have you sensed the theme yet?!) there has always been something to learn that has benefitted me and the business. In lots of ways, because I have had to rely on gut feelings, instead of relying on a large background of business knowledge, I've ended up with a fairly good instinct.

I hope you've found this to be beneficial, regardless of your work situation. If I was to take one point from all of this? No.5, over and over. Trusting my gut has lead me to find my tribe and my community, and has hands down, lead me to every single one of my career highlights (so far). I hope there are many more to come!

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