Today is the 3 year mark for working for myself. And while it’s been 36 months of working out of my home, my first office space and now back home again, this is the first time I’ve felt like I have a business.
That might sound crazy, but it’s true.
To be honest, the first 6 months or so, I was really keeping my head above water. Then, I started teaching monthly masterclasses and started making great money. However, I had no idea how to manage it because I never did my research on how to manage funds when you have your own business and it wasn’t something I was taught. For the next 2 years, I would pretty much live check to check off of my own business. Not because I wasn’t making enough money, but because I wasn’t managing it properly.
Fast forward to now and I’m finally handling (managing) my business instead of it handling me. Brand partnerships are consistent enough that even if I don’t sell a masterclass or workbook, my income is stable and overhead + payroll is taken care of. I’ve taken the time out to organize every single file of my content (whether it’s a Google doc, .png or .mp4 file) and I’ve been doing lots of ongoing research on how to run a business. Finances are such a small part of being a “boss.” (Yes, I know that word has been overused, but stay with me here.) It’s about intentionally setting yourself up for success, it’s about being disciplined enough to the work even when you don’t *feel* like it, it’s all about consistency.
As I wipe sleep tears from my eyes and write this post, I have an enthusiasm for my business and blog that I haven’t had before. I’m confident not because of the number of followers I have but instead because of my capabilities. Lots of admin and correspondence work goes on behind the scenes that you my readers will never see and in the past I used to avoid that work because I wouldn’t be applauded for it. But now I’ve grown to appreciate the results more than the credit.
Am I exhausted? Absolutely.
I’m literally pumping as I type this while researching topics for upcoming content and organizing content files in Dropbox. It’s a little over midnight, but with a family with two kids under the age of 4 the only moments I get to myself are usually after 11:30p. I should be sleeping, but I’m so excited about the things in store for my business this year and committed to getting the work done.
I write all this not to brag or toot my own horn by any means, but to encourage you to stay the course. Your dream is worth it. The work won’t look like you expected it to, but it will feel better than think. Just don’t miss out on it because it looks like a lot of hard work.
The dream is real. But the work is too.
This most definitely was an encouragement. Thank you. I can relate to you being up and working on your business when you know you should be sleeping. I am starting to get to the point where I am recognizing my own capabilities and just getting so excited about my future that I can’t even sleep! Cheers to success for all! <3
I so needed this today! Thank you! I blog life is hard….I’ve started, stopped, and now started again 🤦🏽♀️ Keep this blogging sister in your prayers!
I commend you for sharing so much about your blogging experience. It does not go unnoticed and I am thankful. I always end up taking “Mattie Notes”! This post spoke to me at the right time. Sometimes you gotta stop and ask yourself , “What the heck am I doing?” I really had to take a step back and reevaluate myself and my brand. I don’t regret it and when I come back, I will be much more prepared with a solid plan.