Is January over? Wow! That went by fast! I hope you’re doing well and the New Year is kind to you already. Here? It’s been sort of crazy, the kind of crazy that’s left me feeling grateful, anxious and my inner perfectionist reared its head several times. Basically, I believe that Procrastination has its roots in Perfectionism, I’ve felt stuck, and overwhelmed more than once! Not to mention a few other personal things going on- that needed to be seen about!
Anyway… first of all, to those Mentors who’ve made wonderful suggestions- thank you and please know- that my high anxiety and perfectionism delayed implementing your suggestions! Getting back on track now!
Now- the Gratefulness has to be told! I put out a Free Pro Tip Masterclass and! Almost 300 have checked it out! Unbelievable for me. Why?
Well, the first announcement was sort of crazy. I didn’t like the way it looked- not my style. Then, I did another one… Yikes! I misspelled the word Marketing– ha! Ditch that one! I redid it and that one has been deemed Ok. However, the Pro Tips Masterclass had been released in Beta Format and to be honest- to me? It just wasn’t pretty. Ok I cried. A little. Now, the Masterclass has been redone and if you’ve gone through it (thank you!)
Still. If you signedup before last Friday January 27- you may want to go through it again! You have unlimited access!
Now, about that Quote- I used it almost 4 years ago! Someone new to my site- took the time to read it, I thought – ‘Maybe I need another look at it too! ‘
You don’t have to know Everything to Get Where You Want to Go’
Brenda Wyatt
Here’s part of the post-
‘Life is my favorite adventure! And the beauty of it is this- ‘You don’t have to know ‘everything’ to get where you want to go.’
A Caterpillar has a good plan… Eat all the Leafy Greens you can without knowing how to spin a Cocoon, until the time comes to attach itself to a stick and bit by bit- spinning a Cocoon seems the most natural thing in the world!
The Caterpillar does all it knows to do- living its purpose, without knowing one thing about Flying!
The Cocoon knows nothing about Color Schemes, flight engineering or spreading it’s wings- living in cramped quarters and all…
The Cocoon might look like it’s just hanging around, not doing much of anything- yet inside- an amazing transformation is taking place!
There’s always the struggle to do more, be more than the Caterpillar ever dreamed or planned. The Cocoon looks like it’s doing nothing- It’s all happening in the Dark!
Ultimately the Cocoon’s shell cannot hold the Butterfly back as it’s Life’s Plan unfolds… Without ‘knowing everything’ the Butterfly Soars! A Flower in Flight!
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Nope, Life isn’t perfect, yet hopefully it’s better than when you started, right? Every step along the way has a purpose! I believe that!
And here’s a little tip: You’ve written lots of content- even the Big Brands use and reuse their content! Just rearrange it a bit to suit the moment! I tend to forget that myself!
Again, if you would like to take a look at the FREE Pro Tips Masterclass –
It’s full of Color Tips,
has some Design Tips,
talks about Props, Images and Materials,
an easy Writing Lesson,
an Easy Way to Find Your Ideal Customer,
Carousel Posts,
Hashtag Training and
Marketing Tips-
You won’t want to miss the PDF’s that go with this Masterclass!
Here’s the Link: for Be Unforgettable Pro Tips Masterclass! It’s Free and here’s the Link:
I hope you find it helpful and don’t forget it’s Free!
Love y’all. Brenda
Creator of Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing (it’s still in Beta Format too! Updates coming soon! Here’s the link if you’d like to take a look:
Don’t Wait until it’s Perfect, just get Started. This is a quote I wrote as a reminder to myself. Am I a perfectionist? I don’t think so, yet when I’m writing I want to express myself in a way that serves the reader and not myself. That’s always been true, no matter the subject.
Do I have bouts of procrastination? Yep that happens. Am I anxious about things? Yep, that too.
It was in the Launch Phase and had had wonderful reviews and good results- I wanted it to be better, more informative. I had done the work. Still. I wasn’t going to meet the deadline or the goal.It wasn’t perfect. My timing was awful it seemed to me.
After stewing about it. I regrouped and thought- ‘Well, I could add all of these Pro Tips and put them into a Free Masterclass‘- which I have done. I still missed my deadline on that project too.
Let’s just say, I’m still tech challenged! Does that matter? Maybe. Who knows? What really matters is..
That it Serves Folks and helps them with what they post and how.
That it’s helpful to the ones who need to uplevel the looks of what they post.
That it helps folks learn a few things about Writing Content.
That learn an easier way to share their Values in ways that aren’t offensive.
That they learn a few Easier Ways to Market (sell) their products and services.
And more…
So, even though it wouldn’t be perfect or meet the deadline- it Would be a Way to Serve. And, I decided early on- that I would offer it Free. Yes, that’s right. Free.
2023 isn’t going to be a Year when we want to do fancy stuff- it’s Back to Basics Time. Money may be tight for those who Offer Products and Services. It’s going to be a Year when we all feel like Beginner’s again or Even Dreamers. I love those folks. I hope to Serve them. I hope to Motivate them too. In fact, those are my ‘Words of the Year’ for my community. Motivate and Serve.
So- I decided Voltaire is Right- ‘Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.’ I hope you will too.
If we wait until it’s all Perfect? There may be people who need what we have. Need what we have to Write or Say. Think of those folks. Decide right now, that it’s less important that we are Heard and far more important that we make them know they are Heard.
That in our Listening- We make them Feel that we can be part of their Solution rather than sitting on our hands, our words, our solutions and waiting for Perfection. We decided to Motivate and Serve.
Love y’all, Brenda.
PS the Pro Tips Masterclass is Live! And yes, it’s Free! It will take about an hour to watch or you can stop and resume as you have time!
If you’d like to see what it’s all about, here’s the link for Be Unforgettable Pro Tip Masterclass:https://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/sales-page and no, it’s probably not perfect, but that’s ok too! All the best in the New Year!
I hope you’re doing wonderfully well as we transition from Fall to Winter Holiday Season! No matter where I am- woodland, backroads, seaside or urban, it’s an important exercise for me to Walk the Path of Gratitude. Gratitude is the great attitude adjustment for me. . I’m thankful for a holiday dedicated to gratitude, a time to express it among family and friends. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. As Thanksgiving comes to a golden close, let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude for you here in my happy place! I’m grateful for your kind and encouraging words. I love sharing with you. Your comments lift my spirits when they need it, you make me laugh and laugh with me. Perhaps most important- what you say and do make me Think. Think in new and different ways, think more deeply and thoughtfully. I’m thankful for the cheerleaders (never discount these folks because they make our day and also count toward engagement which is the best!) I’m grateful for your support. Those who’ve coached me or allowed me to support them in some way.
I truly enjoy having a supporting role. It is in that supporting role that I write my newsletter, post on social media and have created my course. Those who are currently in my course are a huge inspiration to me! I’m so grateful you’ve taken a chance on me and what I’m sharing with you! You All inspire me!
Before this gets too long and drawn out- I’m grateful that you show up in inspiring ways. You all have different talents and gifts. Here’s what I think about that. .If you have something exquisitely unique- don’t hide it away collecting dust.Share it with others who need you.
You never know who you may inspire to go a bit farther, to keep on trying, to start showing up with their own beautiful remarkable gifts.
Love y’all, Brenda
If you need help sharing your exquisitely unique gifts or talents- I’d love to help! My online course is available at launch price until January 2023. *If you know someone who may enjoy this blog or may want to ‘Grow and Learn’ Feel Free to pass this along! January is considered the Best Month to Learn and Grow!
*For those who are currently taking the course or have finished, there are several new segments added! The course is being updated right now!
I’m Brenda Wyatt- Creator of ‘Be Unforgettable’ online marketing course- if you or someone you may know think this could help you- Click here for ‘Be Unforgettable’ Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing:
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 –
Hello, here’s a sample of my Marketing Newsletter!
I’m so glad you’re here! July is just a few days away… I wanted to share a few things with you about July. Before I do that, let me tell you that as always, I’ve read a lot of marketing articles this week and I listened to two particularly good podcasts- one was about doing something positive that helps prevent or even ‘cure’ the feeling of being Burned Out. It’s basically about taking a break. Two takeaways? Working yourself to exhaustion? (some think this is a way to seek approval) Or constant striving for perfection? (some say- this helps us feel more acceptable). All I know for sure is that Burn Out is Real. July might be the time to work a little less. Think about what’s working and what’s not. What’s missing from your life and how to add those things you need.
The other podcast was insight into how successful folks who are either hardworking or have a genius for certain things that helps them be a cut above other folks. The ones who have a combination of both- tend to be the most successful. The Truth lies somewhere in between- a successful life is far more beneficial. Yet! Here’s something the behavioral psychologist who was being interviewed added a caveat she felt we need to know. She noted that even successful folks have also been through two years of a pandemic and now are well into the 3rd year with multiple problems on many fronts. She said a disturbing trend has come up with the subjects in her long-term study. They’re losing Hope. She said that just platitudes aren’t necessarily helpful. She suggested that if Loss of Hope is creeping into everyday life- do some things that are out of the box, push yourself a bit out of your comfort zone. I think July is a great time to focus, at least some of your time – On Yourself.
Which brings me to this: Find Your Hidden Talents. Here are 3 Ways.
Follow Your Free Time. What is it that you love to do in your Free Time?
What Things Do you find Easy that other folks Struggle With?
Follow the Money. Yes, you read that right! Look at where you spend your money- aside from the monthly bills. What do you spend it on? Or, what would you spend it on?
Get your pencils sharpened and try to answer those 3 things. You may just find a few Hidden Talents. They could be amazing assets to your Business or open up your mind to the possibility of Change.
Okay, Okay- I know you’d like some Marketing Tips! I have those too! First the bad news- July is the slowest month for Retail. Especially this year, folks are taking trips, enjoying vacations and frankly they just aren’t that into buying stuff. I know you don’t want to hear that! So!
Remember, sometimes Less is More. Here are 4 Things to Do for your Business in July.
Just for the month of July- focus on a media form that you’ve neglected or wanted to do. I don’t mean abandon your favorite. For instance, I’ve been neglecting my blog and wanting to do a bit more on Pinterest. You may want to start a YouTube Channel. If you don’t want to add another social media site- Do a Vision Board. I did one recently and it’s surprising how much I enjoyed it and one or two things have already manifested themselves! You may be surprised how just one little shift or change may help your business. I know several who are taking courses from Art to Personal Development and are enjoying the change of pace. I’ll applaud educating ourselves any time! At the end of July? Keep the Practice or Not- it’s up to you!
Start Talking Now about what you’re planning for Back to School or just September. Maybe open Wait Lists. You could also do a Soft Launch of a new Product- folks love to know these things. You’ll have to trust me on this. Talk about a trip you’re taking, a workshop or a challenge you’re participating in and add how you think these things will help your business. If you’ll be posting less, give folks a heads up, let them in on things.
Ok- here’s the Marketing that works in July- Dollars Off. Remember, you’ll get farther with dollars off than Percentage Off. This is true all year round. In addition, July is also a good time to run a Giveaway. (I’ll be doing some of that myself! If you don’t want to do that? Do a Free Gift with Purchase. I will also be doing this as well! These are proven ‘helpers’ for Marketing in July.
I’m taking my own advice right now! I have a Giveaway for You! I hope it will lower your stress levels. It’s 31 Days of Content! All done for you! It has some Pro Tips for how to personalize it for the type of business you’re in. And here’s the link to it:https://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/pl/2147601292
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Love y’all, Brenda Wyatt
Creator of Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing Online Course
If you’d like to subscribe- send me an email at brenda@brenda-wyatt.com
Camellia's Cottage 