3 Wins & Mistakes From My First 90 Days In Business
January 29.
I chuckled when I looked at the alignment (one of my 2021 words). Since my godfather passed, I’ve taken the 29th of the month off to rest and reflect. Earlier this month when I asked my Alexa what’s 90 days from October 31, she told me January 29 and I was straight up shook. The 7 month anniversary of my godfather's passing would be my 90th day in business. Needless to say, today has been bittersweet. I woke up and cried twice and then I eventually put it together. I really did want to celebrate today but I needed to get out of my head first. I was upset because I couldn’t tell him on this earthly side that I was really doing this. I couldn’t show off pictures of the work I produced and it just really sucked. But in true monthly fashion, when I went to sleep on the 28th, I had a dream he was in, and I interpret that as him checking in on me. I needed it and can’t wait to talk to him in my sleep again.
I also recognized that I had never explicitly said to a lot of people the inspiration behind my business’ name, 21Twelve Creative Co., and to no one’s surprise, I chose it to give honor to Jerry.
21: My birthday
Twelve: Jerry’s birthday. The inverse of 21. I followed his lead so much... As y'all see in my fav photo of us below.
I’ve been trying to be him since I was a jit! lol
The days are still hard but it’s my hope that he is watching me in the sky with Big Homie and is proud. I do this work to amplify my clients and I give it everything I have in me to honor Jerry. Now, let’s get into these wins and mistakes I’ve learned in my first three months.
The Mistakes
1. I set my original prices up like a punk.Let’s take a minute to sit in this. I was doing exactly what I was angry about in my other life to myself. Not paying myself my worth. You know who got me together and said I was screwing myself? Two of my clients. I was tucking my tail in between my legs and I was selling myself short, for real. If you know me, you know I will hype you up in a second, but when it comes to me, crickets. Why is it so effing hard for us to believe in ourselves?! Why can’t we be the cheerleader for ourselves like we are for others?! Is there a second? I was really setting myself up to have to work even harder just to make a profit. I am forever grateful for the clients that bumped up my hourly rate without me even asking and for “kindly” getting me together to never do that to myself again. So, if you are reading this, raise yo’ prices. And when someone objects, kindly remind them that the price is the price. I am not for everybody, and that is okay. I’ll find my people and they will find me.
2. I screwed up some leads because I didn’t have my systems in place.Girl. How many times did I say that when I realized I dropped the ball. I am truly my hardest critic and when I checked some previous “message requests” on Facebook or email drafts I actually never sent… or those emails that I somehow overlooked, I had some major face palm moments. Thankfully, I’m starting to groove with workflows in place and while all of my systems aren’t 100% perfect yet, they are much better than they were 90 days ago.
3. I didn’t start earlier because, fear.We have got to stop calling people, particularly women of color, “too [insert adjective here]'“. We are already dealing with a lot and the most. I was so fearful of adding something else to my plate or putting myself out there because I was worried about what people were going to say. If I was really so great, why hadn’t I gotten [X] position? It was a real mindf—-, y’all. Thankfully, my network had enough confidence in me to push me to get out of my own way. That’s a word and you probably need to remind yourself of the same.
The Wins
1. I actually enjoy each of my clients.Courtesy of social media, I have heard horror stories about how some entrepreneurs have that certain client they hate hearing from or the ones they have to chase to receive a payment. So far, my clients have been the best part of this entrepreneurial journey. They push me and motivate me on days when I am feeling low. I am genuinely excited to chat with each of them during our check-ins and I’m lowkey psycho about seeing their brands succeed. Had they not been such a dream, I’d probably be questioning why I started doing this work in the first place.
2. I got over my fear of self-promotion.I think a good chunk of marketers, at least us introverted ones, do not enjoy the art of self-promotion. I am someone that hates verbal affirmation in group settings and I am a much better hype woman and cheerleader for others. However, scared money don’t make no money, right? It’s still awkward to me when I put up promotional posts for my services, but thankfully, I have tools like Buffer that allow me to schedule in advance so I can plan some content and run away. I am continuously learning that promoting yourself is okay, necessary, and to be expected. If I am ever “too” ___ for someone, they simply are not my people.
3. I’m projected to meet my 9-5 income after 90 days of operations in February.I really cannot believe that even though I priced myself too low in the beginning, I am going to meet my day job’s income after three months. I am incredibly grateful for the blessing and the momentum 21Twelve is taking. My big girl goal is to get a CPA sometime before Q2 of 2021 ends because I know my ministry, and finances & accounting ain’t it! lol
I’ll tell anyone that my business was birthed when a door had closed. I had been so hopeful for an opportunity and it wasn’t in my cards. Silver lining? I decided to do something about it after a little bit of convincing. I wasn’t rejected, I was redirected. Shoutout to Real Talk Kim. But the more I do this work, the more I know that I am starting to lean into my purpose. I am clear about my capabilities and I know that what I do, I do it very well. I have the receipts. I have the support. I have the drive.
Cheers to my first 90 days and the next 90! And from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone that has encouraged me, referred me, advised me, and just been there. When this pan dulce is over, drinks on me when we fly out to Vegas.
P.S. Interested in hiring me? Let’s talk.
