Aaah procrastination… we all fall victim to it every once in a while. If you’re like me, perhaps more often than you care to admit to. For me, procrastination falls into two categories… laziness and fear. Let’s take about the fear one.

Since finalizing the deal with a printer to outsource my product production – and please don’t slam me for this – my work on this project has come to a screeching halt. Admittedly, once all the negotiating was over, I was exhausted and needed to step away for a few days to decompress and not think. My printer was also on vacation so things were on hold, but of course, there was/is still work to do. Anyways, enough of the rationalization.

Over the last week or so, this overwhelming fear has set in. From the outside it looks like procrastination, but I know it’s fear. It’s fear of entering a whole new printing world I don’t know much about. It’s fear that there’s a design error within my files and I won’t see it until I have 100s of products printed. It’s fear I’ll simply forget something important. It’s fear of a myriad of things.

Of course, I have no choice but to break through this fear and I am. Like most things we fear, once we face it head on, we often realize we’ve amplified the fear to silly proportions and we go on to wonder what we were so worried about. Reminding yourself of that when you’re “in the moment” isn’t always easy though. So my suggestion to you (and myself!) is to feel that fear and be aware of it. Make those you turn to for support aware so that they can help you face them rather than berate you for procrastination.

By internalizing your fears, you just continue to feed them and then they become greedy buggers. Starve the fear my friends, starve it!

Does fear throw you into procrastination mode? How do you deal with it?

Image Credit: She Believed She Could So She Did Print by Valentina Design

Call me a nutbar but the innocent flowers below reminded me about something I think we all tend to forget here and there. No, I’m not a flower whisperer but let me explain.

See, I had a bad day on Monday. It happens. We all go there. I actually think it’s good to go there once in a while. Keeps you humble and aware of your weaknesses. It reminds you of the things you need to work on as well as things you just need to accept are part of your personal make-up. Anyway…

James knew was I was at my wits end that day and picked up these flowers at a subway stop to cheer me up (he did a doubly nice thing as the proceeds went to charity). Well, as we didn’t get home until late at night, I neglected them until the next day. Oops! By mid-morning the poor things looked like there was no hope for them. They were as limp as could be and had no strength to hold themselves up. Wanting to give them a chance, I put them in water anyway.

Later in the day, I went on a mission. I’d caught wind of another potential printer I could work with. So, rather than call/email, I just walked right in to their office with print outs of my products and laid in all on the line. I was nice but firm. I was confident but not arrogant. I was not willing to walk away until my hope was restored. It’s restored. I won’t say anything else just in case I jinx myself but I will say I may not need a Plan B. Wish me luck!

When I returned home, I was prepping for dinner and happened to look over at the flowers. They had bounced back strong and confident. Sure, they had a moment of weakness but with a little nurturing they found their inner strength.

So, those flowers reminded me of the importance of nurturing myself. To listen to what I need. We all have days were the hurdles seem too high to jump over. Eventually we bounce back. We always do.

So, about those new products. While technically I could go ahead with them, I’m having a hard time navigating the pros and cons of going ahead now vs waiting. If I go ahead and print them digitally, I CAN’T wholesale them, BUT I can test them. If I go ahead with off-set printing so I CAN wholesale, I run the risk of having a large inventory that I CAN’T move at a reasonable rate. Of course, they aren’t the only pros and cons, but they are the ones weighing most heavily on my mind.

My biggest goal here is to set myself up for wholesaling. Realistically, I can’t justify running modernemotive another year without it. This isn’t just for financial reasons but also a need for me to justify why the heck I’m here. I feel as though I’m losing that vision with each week that passes.

While some may argue I’ve already seen some success, I can’t sustain myself or my business at the rate I’m going. I say some because in the grand scale of things guys, let’s face it, it’s minimal. In part, this is my fault. I’ve been in and out of my business since January 2009 for personal reasons and I need to either commit to it 110% now or quite frankly, get out.

While I am looking at a Plan B, I invested so much time and energy into these new products I can’t see it. Did someone turn the lights out? I was already nervous about introducing these new products and this spanner in the works is allowing the self-doubt to take on a stronger hold. I’ve barely done a thing in the last few weeks. My tip of the day – this isn’t how you move a business forward.

Ugh, it’s days like today that I regret being so honest about the “behind the scenes” of modernemotive. I feel as though I’ve built such a “buzz” around my relaunch and I’m not sure how to move forward. I stepped away in January promising “big things” and 4 months later I’m at a complete standstill. I’m none the wiser than I was back then. Ugh, there I go being honest again.

When you’re at a standstill, how do you get yourself moving again and keep yourself looking forward?

Photo Credit: B Tal

The concept that technology and social media is making us anti-social isn’t a new one. Just Google it and see. There is no denying that social media is opening up the doors for communication and providing us with opportunities that may otherwise have been impossible. It certainly has for me. However, I’d hazard a guess that many of us aren’t taking those relationships and/or opportunities offline in order to seize their full potential.

While I have benefited immensely from social media, it some ways, it’s also hindering my business when it comes to my communication skills. Though many are surprised to hear this, I can be a pretty shy person in real life. Until I get to know someone, I’m often the quietest person in a room. This isn’t because I’m guarded or intentionally anti-social, plain and simple, I’m just shy. Nothing wrong with that. However, if technology is allowing you to avoid dealing with that shyness/self-confidence/whatever, I do believe you’ll begin to see the effects trickle over into your business where a lack of confidence isn’t invited to the table.

Think about it. It’s far easier to exude confidence in an email or online situation. We have all the time in the world to script a typed communication that’s laced with conviction and self-confidence. Yet, ask yourself this… could you do that via the phone or face-to-face? If your answer is no, you may want to assess how your reliance on online communications is effecting your business today and potentially in the future.

Often when my cell rings, I’ll let it go to voice-mail and later respond via email. Rather than set up an face-to-face meeting with someone, I’ll drive all communications through online venues. When talking in person with someone about my business, a quick exchange of URLs/email addresses will occur. While all of these scenarios are certainly convenient, I do believe this convenience can manifest into a problem overtime. If we are constantly by-passing face-to-face interactions in favor of online interactions, is it safe to say that for many our communication skills in person will begin to deteriorate?

Case in point (and this is one of many I could share), James and I were in a very high-end store here in Toronto a little while ago. Amongst other things, this store offers stationery – primarily for weddings – but also other paper goods. While I chose to walk around the store as inconspicuous as possible, James being a very outgoing person, walked up to a chap sat at a desk and plain out asked for the buyer. Turns out, he was the buyer and I was suddenly forced to communicate face-to-face about my business.

Did I have the same confidence/conviction as I would have via email? No. I didn’t have the time to “script” the perfect pitch and so I fumbled my way through the conversation. Sure, I walked away with his business card, but did I do my business justice? No. While that awkward interaction may be forgotten when I approach him for a possible wholesale opportunity, if I overlook the fact that I’m relying too much on online interactions and my communication skills in person are deteriorating as a result, I will continually fumble my way through face-to-face interactions and eventually it will be remembered.

Therein potentially lies the problem. The strategies and confidence we play out and display online need to extend offline too. The time we invest in building our “online presence” and relationships needs to be invested in our offline communications/personalities also. Both are equally important and combined can significantly drive the growth of your business. While you can certainly play in the online world with great success, if you can’t play face-to-face with the same confidence, the only person you’ll exclude is yourself and ultimately your business.

So, my question to you is this… while you may be navigating the world of social media with confidence and conviction are you doing so face-to-face as well? Or are you relying too much on online communications and becoming a technology recluse?

Photo Credit: aftab

Aaaah, you gotta love that wee emotion called self-doubt huh? There you are blazing along, confident in the path you’re taking and then – BAM! – self doubt rears it’s ugly head and pays you a visit. It’s like the friend or relative that overstays their welcome yet their presence forces you into silence and you just roll with it.

Thankfully my moments of self-doubt are few and far between as of late, but oh it’s there, it’s there. In business, heck in life, self-doubt can be debilitating. So severe it can stop you in your tracks and force you down paths that are not true to your heart. It can be hard to overcome. Hard to ignore as it can be so loud that the “what ifs” consume you and it becomes an exhausting one-way conversation with yourself.

Of course, I expect my self-doubt to be rampant over the coming weeks. With my launch approaching I can’t help but think…. will everyone be disappointed in my new products? Will they be expecting more? Is re-launching with 8 products enough? Should I wait and make it 16? What if nothing sells? What if… what it… what if?

See what I mean about that one-way conversation? With so many questions running through your head it’s often hard to hear the answers. The answers spoken from your gut. Your inner confidence telling you it’ll all be okay. Eventually you begin to hear them, but damn, someone needs to tell self-doubt to leave already. It’s noisy in here!

How do you deal with self-doubt?

Photo Credit: Daniel Y. Go

So outsourcing my printing is proving to be harder than I thought. While it’s still early May, I’m getting slightly nervous about hitting my June 1st deadline to have them all ready for retail. If I have to shift my deadline, so be it. While not ideal, I’m not willing to just  “get ‘um printed” for the sake of hitting that deadline.

The printing world is hard to navigate. It’s a whole new world of terms, specs, paper options and sometimes limitations. It’s making my head spin. Throw the ecofriendly requirements in there (FSC Certified, 100% post-consumer content which I’m pretty rigid on) and say hello to even more headaches.

Anyway, I’m somewhat digressing here as the above really isn’t the point of my post. I just had to vent it out loud briefly. Over and out on that one. :)

So, my point… I’m really surprised at how unresponsive I’m finding some printers. I’ve had printers not respond period and some drop off the face of the earth during the quoting process. Obviously, this means that particular printer is not for me, but it’s still quite surprising. Do they not care about new business? I realize I’m probably small fry to some of these guys but you’d think they’d at least respond.

It is so important for me to find a printer I can grow with. I’m looking for a partnership. Someone that gives a shit about my products and sees the potential for BOTH of us. You’d think it would be easy to find, it isn’t. Perhaps my expectations are too high.

As a result, this has really made me look at my own customer service. I’m sure it hasn’t been 100% perfect. So, I’m thinking of putting together a little private manifesto surrounding my intentions for great customer service. Even small things (such as acknowledging an email even if only to say you’ll be in touch within x amount of time) really do make a difference. I don’t want interactions with my company (regardless of who you are) to feel automated. I want/hope to provide a service that feels personal. In a nutshell, I want anyone that interacts with my company to know I give a shit. Yah, I probably could of written that last sentence with a bit more class, but sometimes you just have to throw an expletive in there. ;)

Often, especially when things are hectic, we can easily let those small things slip to the wayside and the impact on your business (and how it’s perceived) can be greater than you realize.

There are countless blog posts talking about the fine line of blogging when it comes to sharing personal matters on a blog that is also considered a communication outlet for your business. It’s a topic I mull over in my head often.

I’ve been pretty honest on my blog and if were to put it a sliding scale, I’d say some of it has slid towards the very personal level. I consider myself a pretty open person, though obviously I keep some cards hidden and wouldn’t consider myself an open book either here and in person. Yet as the “author” and “editor” of that book, the content is mine to write. Like any book, it evolves with each chapter and it’s characters.

Though for the most part my opinion on this is clear to me, like anyone, I sometimes sway and re-evaluate that opinion. But for now, here’s mine as it stands today.

Would I ever go on a public rant about a customer? No. A client? No. A copy cat? No. I’ve personally drawn that line for myself and my business. The saying “If you’ve got nothing good to say, don’t say it” comes to mind.

But am I afraid to share my ups and downs of starting a business? No. Do I wonder if sharing that I’m unmotivated, confused, going through self-doubt either personally or professionally will be read by potential or existing clients/customers and viewed negatively. Of course. Yet that’s the risk I’ve chosen to take for the sake of wanting to be true to myself and not being afraid to share that truth. It’s these truths that are the building blocks of both me and modernemotive.

Now some might argue that the saying “If you’ve got nothing good to say, don’t say it” comes into play again here. Yet based on the feedback I’ve received via comments/emails, the sharing of my up and downs has resonated with others. It’s given them hope. Made them feel less lonely in navigating their road to self-employment and business ownership. This “connection” in return empowers me and is one of the reasons why I chose NOT to close myself up and put a smiley face on everything.

With each experience I go though I always try and look for the positive spin or lesson. I view them as way to learn more about myself. With this I garner the confidence to keep pursuing my dreams, make better decisions and build some cushioning into any falls that I will inevitably make. Why would I hide that if it can help someone else?

Where’s your fine line?

Photo Credit: Yukon White Light

If you’ve been feeling passionless or confused about your business/art/craft as of late, I really recommend you watch this video with Sharon Montrose of Sharon Montrose Photographs.

I can really identify with how Sharon felt when she was no longer digging her career. I’ve been there. For those that don’t know, I used to be an Art Director in the agency world. After 10 years, I was completely burnt out and the last thing I wanted to do everyday was design. The resentment/bitterness that had built up was too strong to ignore, yet I felt completely lost as it was the only sellable skill I had.

It wasn’t until I started designing for myself again that I began to feel I had a place in design once more. I wasn’t sure if people would respond to it, but I had to try and I’m thankful that they did. I’m still not entirely sure where I’ll go with this and hey, one day I may wake up and realize I want to do something else, but I do know that I’m in a place right now where everyday is driven by a passion you’ll only ever feel if you’re doing what you truly love.

I hope that you’re able to do what you love too. Are you?

There appears to be this collective relief out there as we say goodbye to February 2010. For a short month, it seemed so long didn’t it?

Despite it’s up and downs, February taught me a lot. I don’t know about you, but whenever things aren’t going so great, I always need to find a positive in there in order for me to move forward.

Now that March is upon us it’s time to start setting up my goals for this month. If I were to look at what was achieved in February in terms of tangible goals, I could easily feel as though I failed. Yet I now realize I didn’t.

February may of driven me to some personal lows but it also forced me to take an honest and hard look at what the hell was going on. As a result, I came out stronger and happier than ever. That my friends was the best thing I could ever of done for my company.

So as I set up my goals to grow modernemotive this month, I’m going to make sure I nurture myself too. Sure, I want my company to be running at it’s best but I need to make sure I am too so that we bloom together.

Hello March. I’m ready for you!

Are you ready? What are your goals this month?

Photo Credit: StevenBrisson

After announcing last week I was going to rebuild some foundations over here, Silvia of Silvia Reitsma Creative Photography asked some questions that got me thinking:

“When you say you have to do some foundation work, what do you mean exactly with that? What do you consider the foundation for your business, in a practical way? Do you have any idea, plans? How to start building the base?”

Truth be told, these questions left me stumped for a few days but eventually the answers started to reveal themselves. Bare with me as I try and show you how they are all intertwined.

“The foundation of modernemotive is my creativity.”

Pretty simple declaration huh? So why did Silvia’s questions leave me stumped? The answer to that is simple too – I stopped being creative and lost sight of everything. I truly think this is why I have been so unfocused and disoriented lately.

Creativity fuels me and allows me to keep going. So, as sales increased and orders began taking all day to process, there was no longer any room for creativity and I ran out of steam. In essence, this shook my foundation and cracked it. That’s why it is in need of some work.

How am I going to fix it? I only have one choice and that’s to make “creativity” the driving force behind modernemotive again. Not sales, not delivering product lines because they are working for others nor worrying about (and sometimes envying) my competition. With creativity back in the driving seat, those sales will come, I’ll deliver product lines true to me and one day I’ll be able to share the same successes as those I admire in the stationery world. I just need to believe in my creativity, my foundation.

So, how do I start building my base? By listening to myself. Yesterday, Michelle of Holley & Gill asked this simple question of me:

“What at this point in your life would you be the most happiest doing on a daily basis?”

Again I was initially stumped and my response was scattered. But now that I’ve redefined my foundation – my creativity – I’m able to respond with a more clear and defined answer.

If my answer to this is to simply be creative as much as possible, I need to eliminate anything stunting that creativity. Here’s what I’m currently considering:

1. Outsourcing printing and production – not only will this allow me to expand my line beyond greeting cards, but it will also expedite order fulfillment as everything will be ready to ship.
2. Discontinuing personalized stationery as it stands today – more on this another time.
3. Focusing on wholesaling my product line rather than being the direct point of sale myself - As much as I love working with my customers, as one person, the effort needed to make those sales can be a full time job in itself. While I am truly honored with every sale I get, in order to take modernemotive where I want it to go, I need to generate revenue that allows growth at a faster pace than it’s at today. Therefore I need to focus on moving 100s of product units at a time rather than securing a sale of one card. Make sense? This doesn’t mean I won’t sell direct to the customer too, just that my primary focus needs to shift.

Of course, all of the above requires more thinking and will not happen overnight. For example, I know I’m not in a place right now where I can outsource my whole product line. However, with small, deliberate steps it all seems achievable. I just need to keep leaning on that foundation whenever I have any doubts.

As many of you commented that you too were going through an identity crisis with your businesses, I hope sharing my thought process over the past few days helps you redefine your foundations too. To end, I’d like to share some advice inspired by one of my favorite quotes:

“We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails.”
Author Unknown

Think of your business as a sailing boat out at sea. Elements are going to come along that will unexpectedly take you off course. You have a few options. You could turn the boat around, return to the habor where it’s safe and go nowhere. Or you could trust in your sailing boat (your foundation), adjust your sails (to compensate for the elements rocking your foundation) and keep going towards your destination. Once reached, you’ll have the confidence to get back out there and keep sailing to new destinations.

Photo Credit: S@ilor