Not that you were specifically looking for permission, I know…
But I’m offering it anyway. Because I understand.
Yesterday, at our Writing Workshop with Vanessa Carnevale, I was asked to do a free writing exercise based on a single word. The word I chose was “Freedom”.
I have no idea why I chose that word, it was just what popped into my head at the time. Maybe it was because we were sitting out on the lawns in a beautiful garden setting, listening to the birds. Who knows…
Anyway… here is a little snippet of what I wrote (remembering that this is free-writing, OK!)
“Sitting here in the gardens the world is at a standstill. No need to hurry. Listening to the birds… I wish more people could be here to experience this. I long to be able to share this with others – to help them understand what this freedom feels like.”
And so on…
Then came the interesting bit.
“I want to do my own thing – to listen to what I am being guided to do and build new models of business.”
And it hit me.
Recently, I had been struggling with creating the right “opt-in” to help build my email list. In fact, I had run the question past my Mastermind group only a few days before.
As a marketer, I know that opt-ins can be a great way to attract people to your business and give them a tangible way to get to know, like and trust you before they invest money in your offering. Many successful businesses have been built around the concept – in fact, whole business models are built around this concept. And yet, it just wasn’t feeling right for me. I didn’t want to create something small and simple just to lure people in. But I didn’t want to do anything too substantial either, because I want to retain my best ideas for my Members – the people who have actually put money on the line to receive these tools. An opt-in just wasn’t cutting it!
And then I realised… I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. There are other ways to build a list. Other ways to connect with potential customers. Other ways to get my message out there.
It was time stop and take a reality check.
I know that there are lots of marketers and business coaches out there telling you that their way is best. That you MUST be on social media. That you MUST invest in SEO. That you MUST build a sales funnel – whatever…
Sure, these things work. Some of them work really well, depending on what type of business you are running, who your ideal customer is and what your goals are. But there are no MUSTs.
If you’re feeling the pressure to do something that just doesn’t feel right for you – Stop! Take time to think. Look for another way that works for you and your business.
Go do that first!
You have permission to run your business YOUR way.
(Not that you needed it!)
PS. I know that blogging and story telling IS a really positive way for ME to build MY business, so I’m really grateful to Vanessa for helping me clear that block yesterday. Expect more on the blog soon!