One chilly March morning while staffing a booth at a sleepy farmers’ market, I started listening to the Have Company podcast (if you don’t know anything about Have Company or Marlee Grace, the woman behind it, go check it out now!) and felt the first tingle of excitement and opportunity that I’d felt in a long time. The first episode I heard was about owning a small creative business. I was thoroughly inspired by the entire conversation, but I was primarily interested in what Marlee and her guest (Sarah Schulweis of Anchor & Orbit [link]) referred to as the “woo” in business. This is the idea that there are some intuitive intangibles that drive creatives in their business practices. I’ve always been a pretty rational person whose comfort zone is centered on facts, logic, and peer reviewed work. That being said, there have been a few times in my life that I’ve abandoned major life plans and taken leaps of faith based on little more than a feeling. Learning to trust my intuition has been an interesting journey, but I think it has helped to guide me towards the life wanted for myself. 1. Notice your feelings, especially the bad ones. I chose not to attend graduate school a month before departing — something I’d been working towards for most of my life — because it felt wrong. I had a stomachache and was stressed to the point I could hardly sleep, until I finally made the conscious decision that I didn’t have to attend and that was okay. As soon as I let go of that plan, I felt lighter and more calm than I’d been in months. I’ve struggled with extricating my goals and needs from those of others for most of my adolescence and young adulthood — I tend to imagine what people expect of me and try to live up to those expectations, rather than figuring out what I want and letting my own intuition guide me. I am still learning how to surrender to the feelings I have and trust my intuition. 2. Trust your ability. About 20 years ago, I was in my Mom’s friend’s pool with my little brother cooling off. I’d been wearing water wings all summer, but that afternoon I felt it click inside me — the feeling that I actually knew how to swim flooded me. So, I pulled the wings off then started paddling around the pool on my own. Of course, I’d been taking lessons all summer and for years before, but at that moment I believed that I could do it and I did. The idea to start Southside Vintage also emerged from a feeling — as I meandered through thrift stores, I found myself itching to share my finds with others. After listening to the podcast, I realized that I could just try, that there was little to lose and a lot to gain from attempting to sell rad vintage online. I have worked in a brick & mortar vintage shop before (@shopoldgold), so it wasn’t a completely novel venture for me, but it was my first time buying and merchandising my own shop. Of course, I experienced (continue to experience) the usual fears — what if no one wants the pieces I buy? What if I can’t build an Instagram following? Still, I was guided by a feeling, rather than economics or a business plan (both of which I am currently trying to get a handle on), to purchase product and open up shop. In the ensuing four months, rather than encountering unsurmountable challenges, my business has grown every month and I’m in a place where the opportunities seem endless. I am more excited about my career than I have been in a long time because I can see where its headed and I know it’s going to be great. 3. Practice, practice, practice. I have started engaging in creative mapping, a practice inspired by the work of @softpractice, to plan out a vision for my business and future. I began by identifying inspiring business women and business models. From there, I am working on setting goals for myself and my business — both in the present and the future. Some goals are more immediate (write a new blog post every week), others have already been realized (quitting my day-job and going full-time with the shop!), and others are long-term stretch goals (write a book, own an AirBnB property). By continuing to return to my goals, I can maintain the woo in my business and be sure that my own intuition is guiding my life path. 4. Express gratitude. I’m grateful to have such a strong support system as I’ve pursued this venture — my family, my boyfriend (who has dealt with an intense amount of crazy stuff since I started a business in our small apartment), my customers, and Instagram buds — because you guys keep me going when the orders are slow to come in. You have all helped to inspire me, push me, and prove that I can trust myself. How do you put the woo in your business and/or life? Are you good at trusting your intuition, or do you allow yourself to be swayed by the expectations of others? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email ([email protected]).
1 Comment
Nancy Brown
8/26/2017 05:23:28 pm
I love #4, express gratitude. Thank those around you or just whisper it to the cosmos but feeling gratitude is key in drawing positive energy and happiness. 💕🙏🎋
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