I’ve spent a lot of time these days socializing concepts around the businesses that I’m building. I’m testing what works and doesn’t on the way towards drafting proper pitches for them.
It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s also making something painfully obvious to me that I’d like to remind you of today:
Anyone who is starting or doing anything new needs people who believe in them.
You know this, today I’m reminding you of it.
Yes, you need a great idea, but above all it’s people who take you seriously. Who make the time. Who engage and reply. Who treat you as someone, and not as one of the masses.
Who encourage you to be just as big as you are.
Nothing ever worthwhile was made in a vacuum or independently. And if everyone doing something novel needed to be proven experts in that thing, it wouldn’t be “novel” now, would it?
I just got off the phone with a friend who promised to help me solve something in a big way. And when I tried to offer my services in exchange he shut me down.
“Stop that. I’m doing this because I want to see it happen too.”
Another friend yesterday said,
“You’re telling me all the ways it could go wrong, but what if it goes really right?”
I want you to know that when I heard these bits of encouragement I immediately got back to working, for hours each time. I had renewed energy and verve to continue believing in myself, at a delicate moment when it’s often hardest to (pushing yourself to do something different, being in the “in-between”). Because of my friends I’ve continued to take hundreds of conversations where I absolutely have to come to the table with that self-belief.
Do you know how a car feels after a full tank of gas? A well-rested morning?
Your encouragement feels like that.
Everyone loves to criticize and pick, give advice, talk about everything that could go wrong, to stay in the known quantity, the familiar environment. It’s how we’re built - we like to help shore up against the threats.
It’s so much harder to find examples of what’s going right already or to raise your hand and say “it’s this” or “we need more of that” or “awesome” or
”You’ve got this.”
Who do you know who is building something new? Taking on a challenge? Arms deep in new life phases? Or just as importantly - feeling a bit stuck?
Puff up their sails a bit today, will you?
Take them seriously.
They need you.
Watch what happens when you do.
Love,
Jenna