2. Perfectly Unperfect: One Month Down

So we are a month in. It’s been good and bad (as they are objectively defined). 

I feel like I am making red lights for myself sometimes. Like I am not doing enough and comparing myself to other brands and making me feel small and shit. Red light. However, that is all output focused thoughts. We are a process driven entity. And I have to be more patient with my growth. I was getting horny to grow and scale at a mad rate. I needed to pull it back a bit and grow steadily. Doing all I can consistently rather than having the mindset i need to do more, more, more. That mindset is one of fear and guilt (weird), and there goes an adage from the Monk world made famous by Jay Shetty. We do things from three driving forces: 

• Ignorance: Fear or guilt - driven by anxiety or a sense of inadequacy. 

• Passion: Wanting / desiring an outcome - seeking external validation.

• Goodness: For the love of it - act to serve oneself and the world. 

It’s funny because before the launch and at the start of the year, my only goal for this business was to enjoy doing it everyday - and I was really good at keeping that mindset. And since the launch (a moment I waited and worked 6 months to get to and thought about every day - ‘when I have the product ready’)…. I have actually been so much worse at that. I have been living in the ignorance and passion piece so much more than the latter. And that’s not how I want to grow my brand. Having goals and being competitive is important and can guide us in a sense, but for me… sticking to that daily process of enjoying the work. That is where I want to be. And whatever happens, happens - let go of the result. It’s a much nicer way to work and keep livin. 

Like a year ago I would have bit your arm off to be working on Sole in One full time. And if filming content and fear of what people think is the biggest problem in work and life then I am pretty blessed. What I have noticed though, was this in any video I posted when I am with other people I feel much happier and bring a much better energy on screen. I don't think this is a coincidence, I am a social guy at heart and I get energy from people (now I do enjoy spending time with myself and need that time to reflect and process stuff) however, too much time in my own head and I can overthink. That is probably the biggest challenge I have had since starting this. I came from a big company with an unreal office, filled with loads of people and strong friend group with lots of socialising. I have now been on my own working and it’s a lonely road. Not lonely in the sense that it's like I have no one (as I have a great cohort of people in my personal life as a support group) but moreso it can be boring working on your own all day. Like there is no craic - you're not laughing or playing. And there is no one else to bounce ideas off - like I overthink every tiny detail. Bouncing ideas off people is the way to go 100%. And I have people, friends and mentors who have been incredible listening to these problems, but it's not like having a partner to work with. I really miss that sense of connection in my work. Something to be cognisant of over the next couple months I think. Fun and Fellowship are in our values so it's a high priority for me. 

As I enter the growth phase of the business, it will inevitably involve selling, leads, code calling. Not something I enjoy too much. One thing I hope to focus on is prioritising Relationships > Sales. 

So yeah like I said, last week I have actually been struggling with that as well as the social media - I am so unsure whether I enjoy the social media side or absolutely hate it. Like outside of this I prefer not having instagram and never really used TikTok. I prefer that and feel like I am in a much better place when I am not on them. I can download them once a week and I will be fine. However, when building a business it nearly seems like a requisite. As a source of news, inspiration for content, contacting people and because I am posting everyday so the apps are on my phone. Has anyone else struggled with this? It's a real challenge I haven't got to grips with yet. An area for growth. 

Those were my thoughts after one month of starting my business. No structure, very little editing, throwing shit at a wall really. Very similar to the business itself. I am not going to majorly edit it or at a structure or concise conclusion. It is what it is. Reading this back now three months post launch is curious but I don't want to change any of it with the benefit of hindsight - so here it is. Perfectly Unperfect.