Somewhere along the way, this British transplant became a baseball mum (or “mom”). My youngest son joined a rec league a couple of years ago and loved it so much he tried out for the travel team. In our two years as a baseball family, I’ve learned a few things:
- Kids baseball is a really long game where not a lot happens. Suffering is a choice, so the quicker you get good with that, the better.
- Unless you’re an experienced baseball parent, you will find yourself sitting on a metal bleacher for endless hours each week in alternating scorching heat, torrential rain, and freezing cold conditions—none of which you will be prepared for.
- About 90% of colloquialisms, e.g., stepping up to the plate, swinging for the fences, covering all your bases, etc. are baseball-related. It’s uncanny.
Me pretending I understand what I’m looking at
At some point I realized that wishing this game/season would hurry up and finish already was serving no one. If I was going to be there (and I was), I’d better perk up my ears, ask questions, and try to figure out what the heck was going on.
What struck me most was how often the coaches repeat the same simple messages, over and over. They’re the fundamentals of the game. Once those fundamentals become second nature, you’re free to focus on the game itself. It turns out the fundamentals of building a creative business aren’t all that different.
Read on for two field-to-creative business gems that’ll keep your head in the game, no matter what season of business you’re in.
1) Take the swing
When you step up to the plate, everyone’s focus is on you. The pitcher’s trying to strike you out and every single person on the other team is trying to prevent you from getting to first base. So, no pressure. And at some point you will get hit by the ball and it’s gonna hurt. I mean, who wouldn’t hesitate, flinch, or take a preemptive step back?
If you’re a creative business owner or freelancer, a new opportunity or big idea can feel as scary as stepping directly into the path of a 100 mph pitch. So we protect ourselves from that opportunity by procrastinating, staying occupied with busy-work, or otherwise psyching ourselves out/sabotaging ourselves if all else fails.
But here’s the thing, you’ve already taken a big swing somewhere along the way. Maybe you left/got laid off/chose not to join corporate America in favor of going out on your own. That’s as brave as it gets. Or you went for the promotion, even though it meant shifting from your individual contributor comfort zone to a leadership role. Or perhaps you launched an organization to meet the needs of your community, even though you’d never done anything like that before.
Stepping up to the plate again and again is where you build the confidence to take the swings, even when you’re not confident you’ll succeed. Sure, sometimes you’ll strike out. Occasionally you’ll get hit. Sometimes you’ll make contact with the ball so perfectly it makes everything worthwhile. Either way, if you don’t swing, you won’t know.
Practical action step:
Got a big idea of opportunity on the horizon? Break the big swing down into baby steps. Talk to people who might be experiencing or seeing the same thing you are. See if you can build some consensus and support around it. Test it out in a small way and see how it lives in the real world.
I had a fantastic Instagram Live conversation with Dana Siomkos, founder of BIGWIG, a thriving community for small business owners (among other things) about how she went from idea to 100+ members. In our chat, she breaks it down step-by-step. You can check out her fascinating story and insights here! Leave a comment and let me know what your biggest takeaway is!
2) Look alive and move your feet
When it comes to running your own creative business, you’re either working IN your business or you’re working ON it. Working IN the business is the equivalent of being the pitcher, hitter, or catcher. The action you need to take is very clear, you’ve just got to show up and do your best.
Alternatively, when you’re standing in the outfield, miles from the action, it can be easy to drift and lose focus. I mean, you’re not even looking at where the action’s going down LOL! It’s only when that ball comes flying towards you that you realize everything is hinging on your focus and readiness for this moment. The business equivalent of this is working ON your business; the strategy, systems, and business model that make everything work.
A healthy business requires both types of work and yet creative entrepreneurs often get caught up working IN rather than ON their business.
Practical action step:
Instead of despairing when business is slow (and it will be, it’s the nature of the beast), seize the opportunity to review and re-tool your business. There are a couple of approaches:
- Look at what’s working: Perhaps you’ll realize one of the five services you offer makes 90% of your revenue. How might you optimize your business to capitalize on that offer, and maybe even retire the others? By default you’ll have to look at your pricing and capacity and that’s a great thing since those are two of the biggest factors in your business!
- What have you been putting off? Hate looking at the numbers? This might be the time to finally clarify how much do you want/need to make each month and what it would take to get there. Clarity is power, people.
- Maybe you realize you don’t have repeatable processes in your business. I can’t even tell you how much fun I had working with Veronica Yahns a couple of summers ago to whip my business systems into shape. It might be the Virgo rising in me, but it also might be that systems are more fun than you think. Why not find out for yourself?
All of these things will set your business up to run more intentionally, sustainably, and profitably.
Whether your business feels like it’s on a winning streak, a scary slump, or one of those long innings where not much seems to be happening, remember this:
Take the swing.
Look alive and move your feet.
The businesses that last are built by people who keep showing up, keep learning, and keep taking the next step, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
If you’re at one of those moments where you know something needs to change, but you’re not quite sure what the next move looks like, I’d love to help.
Book an introductory call and let’s talk about where your business is today, where you want it to go, and what might help you get there. Even one conversation can bring the clarity and momentum that’s been missing.