Posted on by Camellia's Cottage

Struggling? I get it…

Hello!

It’s been a while… hope your summer has gone well…in fact where has it gone? I’ve been back at work and some days it’s a real struggle! There’s been overwhelm and pressure.. still for the most part I love what I do! I’ve been updating my online course… done! Lots of additions, lots of good information too- if you’re already signed up? You have lifetime access so guess what? You can go back through it now! And I hope you will.

It’s back to school time! A good time to learn a few things yourself! And It’s the best time to sign up to learn new things and guess what? If you have new products, September is said to be the best time to launch new products! So, you’ll want to do that!

What I really want to talk about is Struggle. There are so many things we struggle with, yet also some things we can let go of and stop struggling with, then there are other things that we just will have in our lives that often create struggle. Struggling is a part of life. I’d love to share a story with you-

‘As a child, I loved to go to the County Fair- I particularly like the Incubators in which the eggs were struggling to become baby chickens- it was messy. The shell would be slightly cracked or you could see part of a baby chick. The shell was restricting the little bird’s progress, the egg would roll around.. a little kick, and the crack would become larger. I could see damp feathers, and perhaps little feet. I admit it was a struggle to hold back- I knew I could help the baby chick. Why I could break the shell open myself if I could get inside the incubator!

The baby chick wouldn’t have to work so hard. The chick wouldn’t have to struggle breaking the shell that it had outgrown. One of the instructors at the show explained- ‘If you break open the shell, instead of letting the baby chick do it alone, the little legs will not be strong- the baby chick’s whole body is being strengthened by the struggle to get out of that shell.’

‘The Problem of the Eggshell’ is a lesson, it’s the ‘Power to Become’- the struggle strengthens us. Without it, we will not be strong… ‘ This is an excerpt from my Book: Four Days the Lazarus Principle.

Here’s the Thing- I know it might seem obvious- Life is messy. We won’t understand all of anything when we are living in the midst of our life. So? What to do?

For me, it’s getting quiet. It’s listening to my Instinct…that Godgiven gift. It might say- Do this, or Wait. Don’t go there. or even this: Take the Next Best Step

.Instinct is what makes the baby chick keep kicking. That’s really all its little life knows to do. The shell might not crack according to plan. It’s definitely messy. It might not even make sense. The chick could get it into its head that Things aren’t Going Right.

As good as Goals are.. and they are. The Next best step might be to just keep on going… or kicking as the baby chick! So how do we know if we’ve reached our goal? For the chick? It is when it’s released from the confining eggshell! With a mess all around it- the baby chick stretches its little wings, walks on wobbly feet and a new goal is set!

Again, when you’re in the middle of something or some sort of work or business you may not think you’re making a difference. Or maybe you don’t think you’re making progress. Here’s the thing.. No matter where you are, in the long run if what you do- helps someone else, improves the lives of others, enriches the life of yourself, your family and friends.. well, it’s worth the Struggle.

And remember this, As good as it is to plan, sometimes something comes along you didn’t expect. Good or Bad. It interrupts the plan. So? Instead of giving up. Go back to your Instinct. Listen quietly. Allow your Intuition to inform you of what your Best Next Step should be… and remember, the Struggle is making you stronger, if you’ll allow it.

And that’s the point of it… Struggle often makes us stronger. Pressure when we use it for good- is like coal becoming diamonds or combined with heat? This southern girl knows heat and pressure make Biscuits Rise! oh yes it does.

The Problem with Overwhelm is that we aren’t really taking care to take care of ourselves. We need breaks, we need to decide the importance of what needs to be done- as we take frequent breaks and it’s then we need to let our minds go blank. Break the cycle of overwhelm. Take deep breaths, get out in nature. This will help us regain our strength and creativity. Realize that we’re sometimes our own worst enemy. We need to ask…

What’s holding you back? Is your mind asking- ‘What if I’m not good enough?’ Yet- ‘What if you are?

Don’t be afraid to try, to struggle or even fail. Let the ‘Problem of the Eggshell’ help you grow stronger…

​

My struggle in the last few weeks has been Creating Content! It wasn’t that I didn’t have Ideas! Too many and my Mind is boggled and I’m trying to Stay on Track! I’ve struggled with it.  Is it the content perfect? No it isn’t. Here’s what my goals were when I wrote the course in the first place-

I was going to keep the cost as low as I could. The price of the platform had to be factored in and a few other expenses, yet, I wasn’t going to buy fancy equipment. I wasn’t going to have it professionally recorded. I wasn’t going to add all the bells and whistles. I was going to create a valuable product, with valuable information at a Reasonable Price! Courses with 30+ videos, a 50+ page downloadable Workbook and Lifetime access – including All updates are usually quite an expensive investment- I didn’t want it to be out of reach for the average person to pay for.

Here’s the thing about online courses-

I’ve have developed friendships with those who’ve tested my course, and who’ve purchased and taken my course. These friendships are sooo valuable to me! And currently a special group of folks I’ve coached or who’ve taken my course are participating in a Private Group Chat right inside Instagram! Sometimes I pop in and give a quick tutorial or share insights or even a few new things to be aware of on Instagram (I don’t teach it, but we All need to Know stuff like that! And We’re having fun too!

That’s the thing about online courses that isn’t talked about enough! I took lots of masterclasses, bought small courses and one large one that was reasonably priced. I do believe in investing in lifetime learning!

I met so many wonderful people in that online course! We are cheerleaders for each other! Some I have made purchases from, some I have coached along, some are friends and mentors too! That’s another benefit of taking an online course that isn’t talked about enough! And there’s this: Taking an online course gave me the confidence that I had something to share, to teach… there’s no dollar value on that! However… if you don’t truly take the lessons in courses, interact with others in the courses, you miss out on a wonderful bonus! Here’s the downside of online courses…

Some online courses cost well over $1000 or more! I’ve been tempted by them. I couldn’t justify the expense. Here’s the thing: Folks often can’t afford to make a $1000 investment in themselves. They know they need the knowledge, they’re just not ready for a large cash outlay. So when I wrote and produced mine, that was a goal to make it affordable.

My course is actually 5 mini courses in one! The breakdown is less than $20 per mini course. I’ve checked with the platform that hosts my course- they’ve told me that my price is too low. Well, not for me it isn’t! Why? Because most affordable online courses don’t have this much information and I want folks to be able to afford to invest in themselves! I want to serve others and that includes making sure they get value and it’s at a reasonable price.

I want to show up to give- give you something that will help you and your business. I Love to See Your Progress, Help you when you’re Struggling, Watch you Succeed! And one more thing- whether you sign up or not? I plan to keep showing up for you, showing up to give you value. I hope it’s worthwhile for you to stop by. I thank you for it. It is one of the things I don’t ever struggle with… Thank you for being here! You are the Best Folks anywhere!

Love y’all. Brenda

I have a Marketing Newsletter too! If you’d like to sign up- it’s Free!

If you think Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing would be for you, Here’s the Link to information about my course: Be Unforgettable- Guide to Visual Marketing

Read more: Struggling? I get it…

Posted on by Camellia's Cottage

Struggling? I get it…

Hello!

It’s been a while… hope your summer has gone well…in fact where has it gone? I’ve been back at work and some days it’s a real struggle! There’s been overwhelm and pressure.. still for the most part I love what I do! I’ve been updating my online course… done! Lots of additions, lots of good information too- if you’re already signed up? You have lifetime access so guess what? You can go back through it now! And I hope you will.

It’s back to school time! A good time to learn a few things yourself! And It’s the best time to sign up to learn new things and guess what? If you have new products, September is said to be the best time to launch new products! So, you’ll want to do that!

What I really want to talk about is Struggle. There are so many things we struggle with, yet also some things we can let go of and stop struggling with, then there are other things that we just will have in our lives that often create struggle. Struggling is a part of life. I’d love to share a story with you-

‘As a child, I loved to go to the County Fair- I particularly like the Incubators in which the eggs were struggling to become baby chickens- it was messy. The shell would be slightly cracked or you could see part of a baby chick. The shell was restricting the little bird’s progress, the egg would roll around.. a little kick, and the crack would become larger. I could see damp feathers, and perhaps little feet. I admit it was a struggle to hold back- I knew I could help the baby chick. Why I could break the shell open myself if I could get inside the incubator!

The baby chick wouldn’t have to work so hard. The chick wouldn’t have to struggle breaking the shell that it had outgrown. One of the instructors at the show explained- ‘If you break open the shell, instead of letting the baby chick do it alone, the little legs will not be strong- the baby chick’s whole body is being strengthened by the struggle to get out of that shell.’

‘The Problem of the Eggshell’ is a lesson, it’s the ‘Power to Become’- the struggle strengthens us. Without it, we will not be strong… ‘ This is an excerpt from my Book: Four Days the Lazarus Principle.

Here’s the Thing- I know it might seem obvious- Life is messy. We won’t understand all of anything when we are living in the midst of our life. So? What to do?

For me, it’s getting quiet. It’s listening to my Instinct…that Godgiven gift. It might say- Do this, or Wait. Don’t go there. or even this: Take the Next Best Step

.Instinct is what makes the baby chick keep kicking. That’s really all its little life knows to do. The shell might not crack according to plan. It’s definitely messy. It might not even make sense. The chick could get it into its head that Things aren’t Going Right.

As good as Goals are.. and they are. The Next best step might be to just keep on going… or kicking as the baby chick! So how do we know if we’ve reached our goal? For the chick? It is when it’s released from the confining eggshell! With a mess all around it- the baby chick stretches its little wings, walks on wobbly feet and a new goal is set!

Again, when you’re in the middle of something or some sort of work or business you may not think you’re making a difference. Or maybe you don’t think you’re making progress. Here’s the thing.. No matter where you are, in the long run if what you do- helps someone else, improves the lives of others, enriches the life of yourself, your family and friends.. well, it’s worth the Struggle.

And remember this, As good as it is to plan, sometimes something comes along you didn’t expect. Good or Bad. It interrupts the plan. So? Instead of giving up. Go back to your Instinct. Listen quietly. Allow your Intuition to inform you of what your Best Next Step should be… and remember, the Struggle is making you stronger, if you’ll allow it.

And that’s the point of it… Struggle often makes us stronger. Pressure when we use it for good- is like coal becoming diamonds or combined with heat? This southern girl knows heat and pressure make Biscuits Rise! oh yes it does.

The Problem with Overwhelm is that we aren’t really taking care to take care of ourselves. We need breaks, we need to decide the importance of what needs to be done- as we take frequent breaks and it’s then we need to let our minds go blank. Break the cycle of overwhelm. Take deep breaths, get out in nature. This will help us regain our strength and creativity. Realize that we’re sometimes our own worst enemy. We need to ask…

What’s holding you back? Is your mind asking- ‘What if I’m not good enough?’ Yet- ‘What if you are?

Don’t be afraid to try, to struggle or even fail. Let the ‘Problem of the Eggshell’ help you grow stronger…

​

My struggle in the last few weeks has been Creating Content! It wasn’t that I didn’t have Ideas! Too many and my Mind is boggled and I’m trying to Stay on Track! I’ve struggled with it.  Is it the content perfect? No it isn’t. Here’s what my goals were when I wrote the course in the first place-

I was going to keep the cost as low as I could. The price of the platform had to be factored in and a few other expenses, yet, I wasn’t going to buy fancy equipment. I wasn’t going to have it professionally recorded. I wasn’t going to add all the bells and whistles. I was going to create a valuable product, with valuable information at a Reasonable Price! Courses with 30+ videos, a 50+ page downloadable Workbook and Lifetime access – including All updates are usually quite an expensive investment- I didn’t want it to be out of reach for the average person to pay for.

Here’s the thing about online courses-

I’ve have developed friendships with those who’ve tested my course, and who’ve purchased and taken my course. These friendships are sooo valuable to me! And currently a special group of folks I’ve coached or who’ve taken my course are participating in a Private Group Chat right inside Instagram! Sometimes I pop in and give a quick tutorial or share insights or even a few new things to be aware of on Instagram (I don’t teach it, but we All need to Know stuff like that! And We’re having fun too!

That’s the thing about online courses that isn’t talked about enough! I took lots of masterclasses, bought small courses and one large one that was reasonably priced. I do believe in investing in lifetime learning!

I met so many wonderful people in that online course! We are cheerleaders for each other! Some I have made purchases from, some I have coached along, some are friends and mentors too! That’s another benefit of taking an online course that isn’t talked about enough! And there’s this: Taking an online course gave me the confidence that I had something to share, to teach… there’s no dollar value on that! However… if you don’t truly take the lessons in courses, interact with others in the courses, you miss out on a wonderful bonus! Here’s the downside of online courses…

Some online courses cost well over $1000 or more! I’ve been tempted by them. I couldn’t justify the expense. Here’s the thing: Folks often can’t afford to make a $1000 investment in themselves. They know they need the knowledge, they’re just not ready for a large cash outlay. So when I wrote and produced mine, that was a goal to make it affordable.

My course is actually 5 mini courses in one! The breakdown is less than $20 per mini course. I’ve checked with the platform that hosts my course- they’ve told me that my price is too low. Well, not for me it isn’t! Why? Because most affordable online courses don’t have this much information and I want folks to be able to afford to invest in themselves! I want to serve others and that includes making sure they get value and it’s at a reasonable price.

I want to show up to give- give you something that will help you and your business. I Love to See Your Progress, Help you when you’re Struggling, Watch you Succeed! And one more thing- whether you sign up or not? I plan to keep showing up for you, showing up to give you value. I hope it’s worthwhile for you to stop by. I thank you for it. It is one of the things I don’t ever struggle with… Thank you for being here! You are the Best Folks anywhere!

Love y’all. Brenda

I have a Marketing Newsletter too! If you’d like to sign up- it’s Free!

If you think Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing would be for you, Here’s the Link to information about my course: Be Unforgettable- Guide to Visual Marketing

Read more: Struggling? I get it…

Posted on by Camellia's Cottage

Everyday won’t be Your Favorite Day…

caption for image

Hello!

I hope your week is going well! Can you feel the shift in seasons yet? When the temperature dips a few degrees, I think- Oh, it’s almost here!’ Fall is one of my favorite seasons. So is Spring. Yet, not every day of those seasons turns out to my ‘Favorite Day’. I read an article in Inc. com by Joe Procopio entitled ‘This is What Startup Burnout Looks Like’

Am I Burnt Out, no, I’m not, yet I have experienced these things. What Joe talked about was profound and true. He said:

It had stopped being fun a while ago… Not Everyday is Going to Be Your Favorite.’ Joe Procopio

If you have a business or are dreaming of one. This will always be true. Mr. Procopio continued his story. One thing he said made so much sense.

‘After every success, big or small, in business or otherwise, there’s an immediate period of letdown equal in proportion to the magnitude of the work it took to get there.’ Joe Procopio (emphasis is mine)

It took a year to create my online course– even though folks ‘who knew’ said it would only take 90 days! Nope. I had to learn more technology than I ever thought it would take. I’m a Plodder when it comes to something I believe in! And believe in my course? I certainly do! I also know my ‘Why’. I love small businesses, artists and creatives. With 30+ years in Retail, doing everything from running my own shop, selling at wholesale, working with trunk shows and with large corporate stores in fashion, fragrance and even Home and Garden Shops- I Knew I had Knowledge to share.

Then, came launch time… the success of an actual finished course was followed by the dread of getting it off the ground. I had a plan. And the plans couldn’t begin until I started posting about the Course! I am thrilled some folks agreed to become Founding Members and the first ones through were testers. Incredibly helpful people, I’ll be forever grateful to them! For the time they’ve taken and tips they’ve given me to make it even better going forward. Still, that part was harder than I had expected. Why? Because, I had focused so long and hard to get it written, videoed, uploaded and the framework it takes to develop an online course- when it was done? It felt sort of like a letdown.

And, this- We count the cost of doing business in terms of the outlay of cash it takes to do business. That’s a Known. What is almost never counted in the cost is the mindset, the emotions, the errors, the commitment, the underlying feeling of doubt- even the ‘heart and soul’ it takes to keep things going. Truth? That’s part of the real Cost of doing business.

What about you?

  • Have you created a painting, a piece of jewelry, a course or created something else you’ve invested your heart in? Then, thought –
  • I’m not liking what I have to do now? To put myself out there.
  • Or Doubts arise. I’m too old, who will listen to me? I’m too young, I don’t have enough experience. U don’t have enough followers. Then…
  • Letdown occurs. This is what I’ve been struggling with? Is this all it is?

Now that my course has Students going through, it’s a thrill. Still, my course is just now in Launch. As I was about to launch, I knew the drill- the first order of business was to get my mindset in the right place!

Then, I was asked to participate in a pilot program- basically about Mindset. This was extremely important for me. One suggestion was to make a Vision Board, something I hadn’t done in years. Was the board about my goals for my course- actually there was only one portion on the board about that. Most of the rest? was about creating jobs. Yes, you read that right! Add in a few were personal dreams. And one was to make sure-

I surrounded my inner circle with Balcony People (another time, another newsletter). I also went back through some updated segments of an Online Course I began in 2019. And! I stepped up how many podcasts, newsletters, masterclasses I took. In case you’re wondering, I truly believe in Online Learning, Podcasts and more!

Why? because I get to share some of that with you! This week, I realized some things I could do to define myself better as a whole and not just part of what I do. I hope you’ll do that too.

Finally, Joe Procopio says: ‘..I was free of the remorse of tying my self-worth (to his business). ‘…I was now doing it for the reasons I started doing it in the first place… and to launch that rocket as high as it would go.’

What great advice! We aren’t Human Doings- We are Human Beings after all. If you’re struggling now, go back to your ‘why’ and make a list of your ‘reasons’.

It might not be your favorite day everyday- yet I can attest to the fact that the Favorite Days are there and if you know and see the Letdown Days creeping up on you? You’ll be better at picking yourself up, dusting off your list of the ‘whys’ and ‘the reasons’. After all, those are your best tour guides.

Love y’all Brenda

I hope you’ll take time to check out online learning while you’re doing your unique kind of business, and of course, I hope you’ll take a look at my Online Course –

Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketinghttps://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/about-course I’d love to have you there!