6 Lessons I’ve Learned During My Most Successful Year of Business
Let me start by saying this is not a clickbait moment. I’ve actually experienced moments throughout 2021 that forced me to learn these lessons…some of them the hard way. Before we get into it, if you didn’t know I own a creative agency named Leda & Co., where we specialize in bringing your vision to life. We offer a variety of services including event production, social media strategy and public relations. We also just added an event rental service. I started my agency in 2018 and just 3 years later, I’m excited to say 2021 was my most successful year yet as far as revenue generated, the range of clients, getting an understanding of how I want to run my business and so much more. With COVID still running rampant in these streets, my most requested service in 2021 became social media management (which has been updated to just social media strategy!) Entrepreneurs and businesses wanted to make sure their social media was intact since a lot more people would be home scrolling on social media more than usual. That’s where we came in to help them improve their presence on platforms and to show up consistently. So now that you know a little about who and what my business is, let’s get into these lessons.
1. Imposter syndrome is a hater. …Probably the biggest hater out there. We’ve all had days where we may question our capabilities, should we even be in the room, etc. Listen, here’s your reminder, you’re great…act like it!
Imposter syndrome tried to hate on me big time this year, from trying to accurately price my services based on the value I provide to being shocked I received certain opportunities but I couldn't let it stop me.
Sitting down and looking at what I've accomplished throughout the year helped me kick it. Now, that doesn't mean I don't experience it anymore but I've learned to ignore it and to keep reminding myself of how great I am.
2. Set your boundaries & stick to them. People will learn to respect them and if not…🤷🏽♀️ In 2021, I made sure to set boundaries to improve my work/life balance. I used to work all day every day. Working on weekends. Working at 5am. Working at 9pm. Just doing too much which resulted in me being burnt out. Now, I only work Monday to Friday. Sometimes not even Fridays lol. My Fridays I tend to save for more admin related tasks or any errands. You know, simpler things. Oh, and Mondays? I try (keyword: try) not to schedule any meetings or calls. It’s a great way for me to catch up on emails and really just ease into the new week. Another boundary I set was actually following my office hours. Now I’m an early bird so the hours may change but the point is I’m not working late into the night. Always working late is so 2 years ago! I’m telling you, set those boundaries. You’ll thank me later!
3. Not every opportunity is the right opportunity. We’ve all taken on projects that looked fun then once things get started, BOOM! You’re burnt out or the work you’re doing doesn’t equal what you charged, or it doesn’t truly align with who your company (or brand) is…the list can go on. Don’t do it to yourself!
Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn this the hard way, but it comes with experience and really learning how to successfully build your business. Now that I realized this, I know what projects and clients I’ll accept, and which ones are not suitable for where I am. 4. Brag about your business, services and/or products. People gotta know what you offer, right? You can do this through reviews, incorporate them into a newsletter or blog, showing off your work on your socials, behind the scenes content, etc. When I tell you I suck at doing this…OMG but in 2022 just know I’m bragging about my merch, my company, our services, my event rentals. All of it! And you should too. Let’s get booked, paid, hired, all the above! But of course, get your rest too. Which brings me to my next lesson…
5. Rest. Rest and more rest. We can’t show up fully if we’re exhausted & drained, right? If you gotta schedule time in your calendar for rest, do it. The overworking, no sleep culture is not it. It ain’t healthy and it’s definitely not fun. You need your sleep! Everything will be just fine.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m still working on this, but I’ve gotten so much better and it shows. It shows not just in my work but in everyday life. How I show up with friends, family, for Imani…just everywhere. 6. It’s okay if you don’t get it all done in one day!!!!
No really, it’s okay. Like I said everything will be just fine. It was such a relief when I realized this. I felt a real-life load fall off my shoulders. That to-do list will be just fine tomorrow or the day after that. Of course, that doesn’t mean just go about life with a bunch of incomplete tasks but that’s why you need to prioritize what’s important, assign deadlines and be realistic. Here’s to learning, growing and, most importantly, resting in 2022. Happy New Year!🥂