Never Give Up

There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it. For if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard. – C.J. Walker

I have to admit.  This month wasn't exactly what I had hoped it would be.  With only a couple days left not only am I not going to reach my goal of 6 shows but it is looking unlikely I will reach my goal of 3 shows to win the tote bag Stella & Dot is giving away this month.  And I would be lying if I didn't admit I am more than a little disappointed with myself.

As May 1st looms before me I had really hoped for more.  My expectations for May are even higher and I was really hoping to begin gaining momentum in April.

I have 3 strong shows already booked for early in May and a possible 4th on the horizon.  I am still working on my writing assignment and really enjoying the process of writing it and learning about business writing.  Getting a check will be a wonderful bonus at the end of the process.

I would also like to "launch" this blog in May.  Right now I am basically writing it to myself.  I have a couple friends and family members who occasionally come across it or check in but for the most part I have kept it a secret.  I was hoping to start promoting it when I was actually doing something worth reading about.  You know, gaining clients, making sales, bringing in money.  But, I suppose that is not really the point of this blog.  I did not start it as a "how to make $5000" blog but as a "how hard can it be?" blog.  As in, I do not have the answers but I believe I can do it!  I have big goals and I am committed to achieving them no matter how many months in a row I fail to reach them or how hard I discover it actually is to make $5000/month.  So if you are reading this blog know that I am writing it to chronicle the highs and lows, the success and failures, the chances and challenges of starting a small business while raising a family.

I also have a million personal things going on in May.  Some of the top things include, my son finally choosing which college he will attend in the fall, my husband finishing up his first year of college and launching into what is shaping up to be a very busy summer in his construction business, and planning for my son's graduation party.  Plus, my sister and her 4 children are coming home at the end of the month for a visit.  All of these things and more are distracting my mind and my time away from growing a business.  

I am trying to learn to balance my time working to grow a business with family time.  A big part of the reason I want to work from home in my own business is so that I can better prioritize my family so letting go of those commitments is not an option.  Full time work away from home, family and a small business are not easy balls to juggle but I believe running a business while raising a family is a natural combination.  So I keep pushing forward.

Remember the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks?  He tried to sail off but couldn't get past the big waves and out into the open water, he felt trapped.Then one day he found a "sail", mounted it on his raft and brought it up at just the right moment to push him past the waves and out to sea.  This is how I feel right now.  I can see the open water and I just need to lift my sail at the right moment, push forward and head out to the open waters.

I believe that my success will come. It will come because I will keep trying.  Has my failure thus far been my fault?  Probably.  I could have done more this month, made more calls, spent more time focused on the business than the distractions surrounding me.  But, I will not give up.  I will not let my failures define me.

On October 29, 1941, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. When he was invited to give a speech, Churchill stood before the students and said,


"Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." 

April Goals

OK it is already the 8th of April and in some ways I am a little behind on making a big goal for the month.  But I reason it is never too late to make a goal for the month.  I love goals.  I like to know what I am working toward.  So let's review:

The long term goal is to make $5000/month.

the short term goal is to make $2000/month by next fall.

Last month my total ended up being around $300 in Stella & Dot profit.  Which, considering I worked about 7 hours to earn it and my current outside job would take me about 25 hours, I think is pretty darn successful. 

So building on that success, this month my goal is to have 6 Stella and Dot Shows which based on last month's average means I will make about $900.  I have a minimum goal of 3 shows at which level I will win a prize from the company.  Turns out I am motivated by prizes.  Especially prizes that are so easy to earn.  I currently have 1 show booked and 4 people who have said they want to have shows I just need to get on the calendar.

I also have begun work on my writing assignment.  I have decided to give a very good deal to the company I am working with as I have no actual experience and am looking forward simply to having something to put on my resume.  Also, they are a smaller company that can't pay a ton but I am hoping will be a good referral/reference for future business.  So I am thinking $2-300 if I can finish it by the end of the month. 

That would bring this months total to a possible $1200! 

On the one hand this feels very doable.  I can totally make this happen.  Plenty of time.  I just need to make a plan and do it.  One of the goal ideas this month is to get 100 "nos".  I would need about 5 per day to get that this month.  Thinking about using that to achieve my goal.  How hard is that?

On the other hand I feel compelled to begin making excuses for why I can't possibly do this to prepare you for my likely failure of this goal.  I am afraid of what I might have to do to reach that goal.  And it just seems so amazing that I could achieve that goal so it must be impossible.  So therefore I really should just be happy if I manage the 3 shows and $500. 

But that is a long way from $5000 and if I am going to make that happen I have to believe in myself and my process.  And I have to just go for it.  So at the end of this month I will be reporting a $1200 personal income for my business.  Can't wait!

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible!'" -- Audrey Hepburn

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." --John Wayne