steady parade field notes
I think I’ve been measuring success all wrong.
I’ve had glimmers of truth, reminders that there’s more to life than what’s in the bank account, but alas, the solopreneur world is obsessed with revenue: $10k months and 7-figure years are typical milestones that those who’ve "made it” brag about (no judgment here, you’ll be hearing from me when I hit that $10k milestone).
My goal as a business owner is certainly to generate revenue. That’s what keeps this thing sustainable (and steady, if you will).
But I’m finding that the more I focus on money, the less effective I actually am. Part of this is my personal relationship with money — I’m constantly reminding myself that money is energy and getting paid is an energy exchange.
It’s easy to accept payment when you’re trading the best hours of your day as an employee. It’s a completely different mindset as a consultant to:
a) figure out what you’re going to offer
b) price that offer
c) successfully get someone to pay you for that offer
Honestly, it’s still a mindf*** for me, and I’ve read a ton of books and taken numerous courses on sales and offers.
I’m working on it.
In the meantime, I continue to focus on my values, the principles that hold true regardless of someone else’s response to my offer.
At the top of my values list is growth 🌱. It means embracing every opportunity to learn rather than holding tightly to a need for certainty.
The best part about being self-employed is having the freedom to follow your curiosity. As hard as it can be to get stuck or encounter challenges, it’s also an opportunity to flip to a different page, like a Choose Your Own Adventure book.
I want to measure success by building a business that’s aligned with my values. Every day, that means providing excellent service to my consulting clients, refining the Steady Ads Cohort, and investing in my learning.
This is a continual journey, and money won’t do me any good if I dislike who I become in the process.
MARKETING MINIS
touch grass
Marketing Minis is the part of the show where I invite you to take some action. Sometimes marketing related, always illuminating.
In the spirit of curiosity and adventure, make some time this week to just be.
be more like ernie
Gif by muppetwiki on Giphy
this week’s mini: If you had a time block dedicated to doing anything, without a required output, what would you do?
Whether you’re catching up on reading, going for a walk without your phone, or picking up that crochet project that’s been collecting dust on your side table, do something for the ✨ soul ✨ this week.
THE BOOKSHELF
instructions before visiting earth
I’m going to get a little ✨ woo on you, but I hope it’s a welcome break from being all business. A former client of mine sent a video of someone reading this poem. At first, the message felt a little bit random, but now I know that it was meant for me in this season.
This poem, written by James McCrae, was first posted to Instagram last year. Although I’m only just now discovering it, I know that it’s the right time. If you feel so inclined, read it here:
Instructions before visiting Earth
In the event that you wake up
and find your soul separated from source
and manifest into material form, don’t panic.
Your condition is only temporary.
You have been selected for the opportunity
of human incarnation.
This 3D simulation is designed
to break up the monotony of eternity
by giving you a fully immersive experience
as a distinct ego identity.
Your body will serve
as your physical avatar
as you navigate a dense and dramatic reality.
There will be many distractions
causing you to forget your true nature and origin.
You will experience a range of emotions
from joy to loneliness to despair.
But remember – no matter
what trials and traumas you encounter,
your soul remains perfectly safe.
At times you may feel lost or afraid.
This is totally normal.
If you ever need guidance,
simply slow down your busy mind
and bring your awareness
to the quiet place
inside yourself.
On this planet, nothing is permanent.
People and things will come and go.
You will fall in love and form sentimental attachments
only to lose everything you hold dear.
So cling to nothing too tightly, even yourself,
and when it’s time to let go, let go with grace,
for nothing is owned, only borrowed.
As you walk among
the people on the planet,
try to be a good guest.
Tread lightly. Remember
that you are only visiting.
Don’t make a mess.
Listen more than you speak.
Give more than you take.
Don’t keep your soft heart
locked inside a glass cage,
protected from wear and tear.
You’ll never make it out alive
and time passes quickly.
So come back with some battle scars
and good stories to tell.
I’ll give it a sec to sink in 😌
This poem has inspired a perspective shift for me, going about my day as a soul having a human experience. Honestly, it helps to not take things so seriously when I can zoom out a bit and realize that this day, this week, this month, is just a tiny blip on the timeline of my existence. It helps to shrink my stress about cash flow or how I’ll respond to a tricky email.
I hope you get a chance to zoom out this week, too.
If you feel like you’re just coming up for air in the post-summer season, don’t worry, we’re all feeling it.
This is the time to come back to yourself, and remind yourself what success looks like, not the way others define it, but in a way that’s true to you.
Stay Steady,
Molly
P.S. What does just being look like? Reply and lemme know!