BUSINESS 101
It's funny, because Driven Day started four years ago about, and even still only recently did I consider myself a true "Business Owner". Maybe it's because there were certain milestones I felt I wanted to reach and hadn't yet.
Maybe it's because I was comparing myself to other businesses. But now here we are, and everyone but their mother has become a business coach, which made me hesitant to write this in the first place. And you know what they say, the stuff that scares you is the specifically the stuff you were born to do. So let"s have at it.
The reality is I pride Driven Day on showing people how balance is possible with a little thought and prioritizing. I couldn't only discuss health, family, and travel. My career and work schedule is also a large part of it.
So here's some basic random thoughts that I hope will be helpful to you all.
1. YOU BY DEFAULT HAVE A NICHE
By definition YOU ARE UNIQUE and so you have a built in niche. Niche is such a buzzword when it comes to a business. "What do you offer that's not already out there?" "What can you bring to the table that hasn't been done already?"
I believe I actually read this idea first in a Rachel Hollis book (pre Divorce and elitist mentality, but still want to give credit where credit's due). But your personality, viewpoint, approach to the business, even choice of color design and more will by default create something new.
You're not the first person or the last to create, planners, hats, homemade cookie jars. But because you are unique as a person what you create will be too. You don't need to reinvent the wheel.
2. IT TAKES TEN YEARS TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
No one made it big overnight, and if they did there's more to the story that you don't know. The people you see that you strive to be like? They put in tons of work, that sometimes paned out and sometimes cost them thousands or even millions. They worked hard even when they saw no immediate result. Like basically everything in life, consistency is key, and it takes a lot longer to build something than you may think.
3. SELL THE IDEA NOT THE PRODUCT
Sara Blakely, the owner and founder of Spanx once said "I didn't sell people Spanx, I sold them a flat tummy." This is a marketing approach that I live by, and that I credit a lot of Driven Day's success to. A planner is just a paper. I don't sell calendars. I sell time with your family, fun travel experiences, hours to devote to your favorite hobby. Don't sell what you make, sell the lifestyle that can be achieved with it.
4. DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TO SERIOUSLY! IT PREVENTS INNOVATION AND GROWTH
There will be a typo in your first post, a messed up transition in your first TikTok, and a customer that complains a button fell off the second she put it on.
Don't let that stop you from making the super cool button detail, that first funny video, or post. NO ONE CARES. As long as your able to laugh at yourself, have good customer service, and fix your mistakes NO ONE is analyzing things as much as you do. And you don't look fat in the picture.
5. KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBERS
Just like your weight on the scale, it doesn't determine your self worth, or how good or bad you're doing, it's just data like anything else. But it IS important to know how much money youre spending and on what, as well as how much your bringing in.
Sometimes you're just getting started and not making money. That's okay, but what's not okay is being clueless about your finances.
6. TAKE THE COMPLIMENTS
Can we please normalize women being complimented without the "oh, yeah just something random from target?" Or "Yeah it was a total fluke!"
Now you don't need to go bragging, but as woman let's own our successes. For myself personally I find it much easier to take a compliment about my appearance or cooking ability than about business. I tend to downplay when people say "Wow this Boss Babe is rocking etc.." way more than when someone says my chocolate chip cookies are the best, and they "must get the recipe."
7. YOU HAVE TO ENJOY WHAT YOU DO.
And for all those single girls out there that want a family I"m going to share something harsh with you. No job is perfect or easy to have as a mother and wife. There will be days when your kid is home sick and you need to decide what to do even if you even WORK AT THEIR SCHOOL. But what make it easier is when you enjoy what you do. I'm not saying you're going to love your boss, or find every aspect fulfilling. But let's encourage each other to wake up excited for a job that utilizing our skills and abilities to enhance the world in some way. You will always have to make concessions or have mom guilt. But if you're happy with your job it definitely makes it easier.
8. MY ONE SECRET FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE.
First of all, it's a myth. Second of all, and this I learned from my husband, is always include them. Kids love being "in the know", or helpful. My kids get a BTS look at cover design, see the excitement in my eyes when we launch something knew, and love making fort planner boxes. It's helpful when their mommy is on the phone, and they know she's handling a layout design, than just thinking she's gabbing with her friend.
It also is an opportunity to teach them so many things. How to handle it when an employee drops the ball, or that one time I made a mistake and shipped around ten January planners to September customers. It gives them the tools when they will encounter those same scenarios as adults.
9. DON'T BE SCARED OF FAILURE
There's always leaps you make in a business, from launching a new design, to utilizing a certain percentage of your net profit for marketing. Sometimes those decisions are brilliant and other times you really screwed the pooch. Learn from it, own it, and move on.
10. IT'S ALL IN G-D's HANDS
Recognize there is a greater plan for you. You may work months on a deal only to have Trump bill your company a large terrif that deeply effects your profit margins. You can have a huge deal come from a small comment you left on someone's instagram picture. Regardless, we are not the ones running the show. Our job is to show up, try our best, and move on.
Read below for some books on business I truly loved. Comment below with your favorite business tips, good reads and more