Stop Freelancing And Start Owning Your Company

We’re all fighting to stay upright with our businesses while the fallout from the pandemic rages outside. It’s hard to be an entrepreneur in good times, but it’s downright scary right now. 

If you’re anything like me, you’re wondering 

• How long will this last?
• What will happen to my clients?
• Will I have enough cash to pay bills? Payroll?
• Will I max out my credit cards if things get really bad?
• When will clients start booking again? 
• Will I last long enough to make it?

Here’s the thing: 

You can’t predict the future. But you can prepare for it. 

Katy and I have been on our morning IG live over the past few weeks talking about COVID-19, and one of the recurring themes we keep pressing on is the loss of identity we’re all experiencing. We’ve all lost some kind of connection with the person we used to be and/or connections with spouses, kids, clients, colleagues, friends, family, work environment.

You name it and it’s changed in March.

One of my biggest challenges is how to spend time on what I can influence. It’s tempting to get caught up playing a game of “what if.” But it’s also unproductive, because we don’t know what’s going to happen. The only thing we do know is that this is going to last a long time and we better get used to it.

The “new normal”

Have you heard about the “new normal?” Yeah, me too. But most people I hear from focus on the “new” part of it rather than the “normal” part. The changes we’ve all been through over the past few weeks are as novel as the coronavirus we’re facing – and it’s going to take time to get used to it all. 

When that happens, though, when we do get used to the situation we’re all in, when we’re used to being on lock-down in our houses and unable to see our friends and not working any events because they’re all postponed and everyone is freaked out because of the economy and and and…What then? 

I’m not a very regimented person. I like my freedom to remain flexible, nimble, available to head in whatever direction the moment calls for. But now, more than ever, I’m finding structure to be important. I’m tightening my schedule to keep out distractions. I’m pushing away non-sense on TV as much as possible. I’m going deep on my thinking about my business, about others’ businesses – about your business.

But what about “pivoting?”

I see the advice out there you’re getting. Go in to education. Start up an eCom business. Create online courses. Get a mastermind going. Sell prints and albums. Do mentoring.  

If you’re thinking of pivoting, I’d reconsider. First of all, there’s not much out there to get excited about in the economy. What are you going to sell easily right now? Second of all, everyone in the wedding industry is trying to pivot at the same time, in the same way, toward the same locations, which is making for the same crowded marketplace but in a new area. 

But most importantly, most pivots are just distractions to your big goals. The fastest route between any two points is a straight line. If you pivot you’ll likely waste energy. If you pivot you could lose sight of your end goal. If you pivot you won’t put your all to the areas that matter most.

I’m not pivoting. Nope. I’m choosing to focus on what I know will need to be done when the “new normal” sets in. And I’m doubling down on the skills and knowledge I’ll need when things settle down. At some point the new will wear off and the normal will set in.

Will you be ready?

Or will you be tired from exploring other opportunities? Confused on where you want to go? Fractured from being torn in so many different directions?

If you wanted to sell 20 events at $4,000/each before the coronavirus crisis hit, don’t give up on that goal. If you wanted to get more referrals and rely less on list advertising, stick with it. If you wanted to improve your client experience, do it today. 

Getting derailed is normal. We all get knocked off-track at some point in our careers. It just happened that we all experienced it at the same time with COVID-19. Those who win the most and the most often are the ones who adapt their path forward and get back on track faster.

When the new normal is not so new anymore and the race to get going starts up later this year – whenever that is – some of you will be in the starting blocks looking around for your shoes because you weren’t ready.

Others will already be in a dead sprint when the starting gun goes off. 

Where will you be?