Why I Made a Big Investment in My Business in a Pandemic
This time tomorrow, I'm going to be in front of a camera in a Barcelona photo studio.
I've scheduled a session with a photographer to take new photos for my business.
Sound fancy? Special? Fun?
It is.
Yet, right now, I'm still thick in the midst of preparation and feeling a bit nervous and stressed.
There's actually so much you have to do to prepare for a shoot like this: picking brand colors, outfits, poses, photo formats (horizontal, verticals, etc), props ...
It's been a lot more work than I expected.
The state of my home office -- clothes to iron, shoes to clean and small piles of props everywhere -- looks like I'm packing for a last-minute trip.
Maybe this, combined with my nerves, is why my daughter keeps saying, "Mommy going bye-bye?"
With any luck, yes.
Now let's just hope that none of the parties involved here get exposed to COVID. 🙏🏽
I've wanted to get new photos taken for a couple of years now. A lot has changed for me, and my business, and I wanted to reflect that.
When 2020 began, I was determined that this was the year.
Yet, back in February, when I first contacted this photographer to talk about her packages and prices, I wavered.
Was I ready for this big investment in my business?
Was it the right time? Would I make the most of it?
I couldn't make up my mind.
Then four weeks later, the world shut down and I didn't even know if I would have a business anymore.
This step means so much to me.
I survived -- and I'm showing up to this shoot stronger and more confident about my business than I would have six months ago.
What made the difference
I know that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the group of awesome women who have had my back ever since COVID hit and things got so crazy.
They're the members of a Mastermind group that I've been a part of since late April.
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I formed this group when I realized that I needed to surround myself with fellow entrepreneurs during this pandemic time.
The uncertainty and isolation had really shut me down. I didn't know how to approach my business or what to do next.
These fabulous women and their encouragement reanimated me.
Their ideas and suggestions have helped me to take steps to grow my business that I wouldn't have taken otherwise.
Like this photo shoot.
In late July, we decided to set our goals for the rest of the year.
I was surprised when my first goal popped out: New photos.
At our next meeting, we shared our goals with each other, and that was it. I had said aloud that I was going to do the photo session, and now I was on the hook.
Strength in numbers
I first became convinced of the power of groups last year.
By that point I'd had so many one-on-one calls with people who were not happy with their lives and work and wanted to do something different. But it was hard and scary to make a change and do something they'd never done before, and they felt really stuck and alone.
As the coach sitting on the other end of the phone line, I could tell them that they weren't alone, that many people struggle with the same issues. I could tell them that I personally had struggled with the same issues.
But how convincing could I really be?
Not as convincing as a group.
Groups are powerful.
This is why I've formed the Show Up Stronger coaching circle.
It's a group coaching program designed to bring people together who want to keep growing and moving ahead with their most important goals, pandemic or no pandemic.
What do you want to make happen with your life or career?
How great would it be to know that amid everything going on you always have people who:
Remind you that you're not alone.
Help you break down the big stuff into small do-able steps.
Inspire you with their own projects and goals.
Help ensure that you do what you say you're going to do! (Good ol' public accountability!)
Have your back when things get tough.
Offer new ideas, resources and possibilities.
Challenge you to try new things or stretch further than you would on your own.
Are a source fun and camaraderie.
Click here for even more benefits, and to join now.
What's really at stake
Here's what I'm remembering as I step out of my comfort zone, and in front of this camera:
I'm not giving up.
I'm going to navigate all the trickiness of being a mom of two young kids, living and doing business in a foreign country, in a freaking pandemic, because I have not given up on my dream of:
Leading a successful, location-independent, creative business that makes a big difference in people's lives.
I used to work in a cubicle.
I used to give everything to my job and go home to a lonely apartment.
I used to have a boss who called me when I was home exhausted and sick after two weeks of grueling work travel to ask me to hurry up with the editorial I was ghostwriting -- for someone more important than me who would get all the credit for it.
No way. I don't do that anymore.
Every new step I take toward my dreams is one step away from that unhappy place.
What new, more fulfilling life and work can we help you to move towards?
If you're ready to feel that momentum and support, this is where you need to be.
Come join us! Doors close this Thursday.
And now, friend, I'm off to get some rest before the big day! 📸
My kids are staying the night with their grandparents so I can actually get some sleep and not show up with my usual slightly haggard mom look.
What a holiday! 😉
xo, Lisa
P.S. Does this group coaching thing sound appealing but you've got some questions or doubts? Just send me a quick email and let me know.
