We are 3/4’s of the way through the year, and although this episode will be relevant during any time of the year, I would love to focus on making one last final push in achieving some final goals before the year’s end.
A Look-Back
In past episodes, we’ve learned many invaluable tips and have had the opportunity to hear some time-saving shortcuts to apply to our journey. Although this will serve as your cliff notes version of some pasts episodes, you’ll want to hear and visit the artist that so graciously shared their time and offers with you. Remember to check the show notes to find the link to their pages, and if you visit marialaurin.com you’ll find a link to all past guests, coupons, and offers.
Unique Motivation
I love the notion that each artist featured is creating an income from their skills and passions. The motivation that drives each person to create is uniquely different. In episode 5, Priya from Kaya soaps explained that her journey in creating her business started from her childhood passion for lavender combined with the newfound time in being an empty nested. Priya soon realized that Etsy was the ideal platform for her products, and through a lot of trial and error, Kaya Soaps was born.
In episode 15, Eden explained how a gap in the market was all that she needed to put her ideas into motion. She found herself, along with two friends, wanting to fix the pain points that they discovered after giving birth.
The Secret Sauce…
I could go through each episode, but in the end, it boils down to this. To create a powerful and successful business, you need to create a product or service that speaks to an audience that is looking for your solution. From developing all-natural products to filling a need in the market, the thing that you find yourself wanting to change or wishing could be better may just be the thing that others are longing for two.
Embrace the Struggle
Although it would feel a lot better for all of us if things always ran smoothly, we find our strength during difficult times. When giving up isn’t an option, you force yourself to create a solution. During difficult times and times of uncertainty, businesses are born, procedures are refined, wasteful practices are banished, and a new level of endurance is forged.
In episode 14, we heard how Cornelia pivoted her business to include online teaching. Although she stared with a tangible product, she soon realized that teaching how to make macramé was another avenue she could explore. Throughout this pandemic, Cornelia has sold her kits and taught virtual classes.
Virtual Classes
Although this is a difficult time for everyone, it’s essential to recognize that the technology that makes virtual learning possible was not in existence just a few years back. There are more and more people learning through virtual classes, and it is becoming the fastest-growing market. If your idea can be translated into an online course, I’m sure you’ll find a niche in your market.
I recently interviewed Nancy in episode 27, and she explained how her digital print business’s success inspired her to teach others on YouTube. With so many interested viewers, she naturally transitioned into creating a course that has yielded her over six figures in just a few short months.
Forge a New Path
I can assure you that very few people can say that their businesses thrived during a time of crisis, but those that chose to find a new path have seen the rewards.
Goals
During the past two months, I have had a goal to create a few videos for my Etsy products. Etsy is now allowing sellers to create a short video to showcase their products. I’ve had video creation as a goal for the last two months. Once September rolled around, I realized that I was no closer to creating a video than I was two months ago.
Bite-Size Goals
In my haste to get my goals written down each month, and then each day, I missed one vital step; I didn’t break my goal down into small bite-size pieces. Let me break this down for you, and maybe you’ll see how easy it is to get derailed from completing a task.
The Process
My first step or goal needs to be to determine what item I want to film. I then need to create that piece along with any other coordinating pieces. Once I have made each piece, I then need to pick a good day, time, and location for my video. After having all of those things created, I can finally focus on making my video. Since most of my pieces are made to order, I don’t have them in my studio ready to be filmed. Each day that I was writing, create a video, the one thing that was stopping me was that I needed to make the piece first.
Aha
It seems obvious now, but sometimes the thing that keeps you from achieving your goal boils down to breaking down each step and looking for the hurdle. In my case, it was not having the pieces readily available to film. I hope you can use this simple break down in your own life to help you tackle some of those lingering goals. I’m happy to say that I should have 6 product videos created by the end of the week!
Printable Inspiration
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the legend himself, Martin Luther King Jr. I love that these words of wisdom are timeless; and they sum up how we ought to face each and every day. If we could hang on to these words during difficult times, we are certain to see brighter days ahead.
These powerful words make coming out ahead the only option. I’ll see you next time!
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