I can’t believe I did that!
I started my second business, Seven Stones, in January 2023. (I say second business because in the early 2000’s I had a finance consulting/interim CFO business). So, I am not afraid to take risks or do new things. However, Seven Stones has stretched my skills and allowed me to use parts of my brain not used for accounting and finance. Why am I telling you this? Because you can do the same, you just need to get out of your comfort zone.
There are two major areas where I have stretched. In the technical area, I have always worked in an organization with an IT help desk (which often reported to me) and, at home, had a husband who served as my “go-to guy” for all things PC-related. So, here I am, on my own, with numerous calls to Outlook support to fix my email and calendar. And guess what, I did it! Then my website launched. The website is hosted on Squarespace. My branding and website consultant, Nic Banting, told me “Squarespace is easy! There are tutorials!” I was way out of my comfort zone, but I watched the tutorials and successfully set up my mailing list, published growth stories, and set up Acuity scheduling to track my client appointments. What it took to do this was a few things. First, determination to figure it out and comfort using the tools at my disposal. I also needed to change my mindset from, “I am not good at technology” to “Why don’t I try this and see how far I get?”
In preparing to launch a business in life coaching, I understood that what I communicated was important in telling people about myself, developing useful information that readers can utilize, and explaining what coaching is to drive business. I also recognized that I was leaving behind an old life and starting a new one. So, I tapped into my creative side. In his article “Feeling Stuck? Five Tips for Managing Life Transitions,” (The New York Times, July 16, 2020), Bruce Feiler identified through his research that many people turn to creative outlets during a life transition. This adoption of writing was a great bridge from my old life as a CFO to my new life as a coach. What was so surprising was how much I enjoy writing, no matter what the topic. This new practice of writing took a willingness to be uncomfortable and sit with a topic until the words came. I needed to be patient.
No matter what stage you find yourself in life, it may be time to try some new things. All you need is the openness to change your mind about yourself and also a willingness to get a little uncomfortable while you are doing it. May you find success in your new adventures!