3 Steps To Letting Creativity Fuel Your Entrepreneurial Goals
Whether you're just launching a business or you're already in the thick of your time as a business owner, I've found a similar set of challenges to launching a passion project as I did when first becoming a founder. No matter the scale of your endeavors, these patterns repeat themselves when first starting down any creative path. Here are my three tips to overcoming the obstacles I encountered when first launching my business, as well as this recent season leading up to the launch of the podcast:
1) Don't Be Afraid to Ask For Help
Hi, and welcome to Control Freaks Anonymous. I'll be leading this group, as well as participating in it, and during the break I'll sell you your refreshments. Sound familiar? When we start out within our endeavors, we cling so tightly to our need to be everything to everyone. This is completely unrealistic, but even after founding a company that's now comprised of over 80 team members, I completely forgot the number one lesson on building anything: if you want to to fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
I spent a year working on this project behind the scenes, all by myself, carrying around the anxiety that I wanted to launch something, but I didn't have the time or energy to carry the entire thing. It was around the point I almost threw in the towel on this fun little endeavor that I realized the intersection between my project and the needs we have at Jetset to amplify our story and services well beyond the walls of the travel industry. If I could elevate my team and get my project off the ground, I'd be able to bring in more individuals to help, allowing me to focus purely on the creative elements of the project -- my sweet spot.
2) Address the imposter syndrome
A surprising truth: imposter syndrome never ends. From my experience, crazy enough, it gets louder with the more success you achieve. Even after founding a company that has blossomed in a way I never knew to dream of, I still found myself battling the gremlins in the back of my head: who am I to bring this new project to life?
The voices get louder because the stakes are higher. If you already have a success on your hands with a business and a team, you have more to lose. Plus, you're already defined specifically in your lane: how in the world can you go beyond the title that's currently on your business cards, that everyone knows you as? When you recognize these limiting beliefs for the shadows of imposter syndrome that they are, you can address them and move forward -- which, I've found, has been much easier this time around. Even though the voices are louder, you're more skilled at overcoming these concerns.
3) Hold plans loosely
The best part about a creative project is the way in which it will evolve well beyond your wildest imagination. I've seen this with my first creative project -- not Jetset. Not Epperly Travel. I'm talking about the very first iteration of the company I run today which was called, embarrassingly, Vacations by Lindsey.
And here I am claiming to be creative.
This little LLC-that-could was launched during my final year of college when I began imagining the type of agency I wished I'd been part of. Thinking back on this ten-year evolution is a beautiful thing and, much like looking at the time hop memories on Facebook, oftentimes a little cringe-worthy. I've found that with my latest project, I'm allowing myself to keep a strong vision while holding loose plans. This has allowed that vision to develop in an organic, fun way that can now serve a greater audience than what I'd first imagined, like back when I kept it all to myself before tying it in with the Jetset mission.