03/14/2024
Today marks the 10th anniversary of forming Emblem. Reflecting on what this means to me, this post started out as self-congratulatory and seeking recognition, but I realized I would be contributing to the part of social media I so passionately dislike.
Anyone who really knows me knows how much of a love-hate relationship I have with social media. In the right way, it's a really valuable asset. We can connect with people of similar interests and learn something new.
There's also the time commitment, the algorithm game, and the emotional need for clicks, comments, or shares. If we aren't careful, we become a part of the trap and pull others in, ignoring that we've actually just turned social media into a personal or corporate PR channel sharing only the positive and disguising the negative.
Share what we want others to see.
That's what happened when I started this post. Instead, I want to share what it was really like over the past 10 years.
Now, more than ever, there is a lot of side hustle chat, "influencers" saying to be your own boss, and waves of entrepreneurial success thrust in our faces on a daily basis. The PR/public perception side of social makes it seem easy. It's not.
For me, it was a daily rollercoaster. The highs are really high but the lows are brutal. Successful projects were celebrated, especially when great testimonials rolled in. There were also the numerous weeks (not days) without projects. Late payments made budgeting nearly impossible. Vacation was not a word I knew the meaning of.
I'm also one of the lucky ones. I always had the incredible support of friends and family. I've had great mentors and colleagues looking out for my best interests, even sometimes over theirs - and they were entrepreneurs as well.
No one tells you how lonely entrepreneurship is when you don't have a business partner. No amount of meetings or gatherings can prepare you for the amount of time you'll spend alone. At the end of the day it's up to you. When you succeed, that success is short lived. There's always more to do. When you make mistakes (there will be thousands), you have to constantly navigate which of those mistakes were worth learning from and which are just duds. In between the success and the mistakes is the guilt. When you work, there's the guilt of not seeing family or friends. When you see them, there's the guilt of not working. I've followed the wrongs groups, wasted time in the wrong areas, and let others take advantage of me.
However, I love the friendships I've made along the way and all of the interesting industries I knew nothing about. There is an unlimited amount of learning, and everything moves so fast. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. You'll get to a point where you get to pick and choose who you work with and that's the best. When you can put more time and energy into those who drive and excite you, everything else tends to fall into place.
I got to that place because I tracked my time. It’s not fun but it’ll show you how much time you’re actually wasting on areas that don’t contribute to your success or your clients’.
There is a LOT of busy work as an entrepreneur. I really enjoy the video editing, planning, and producing side. When I wasn’t doing that, my unproductive time was spent scrolling social media, attending meetings that didn’t need to happen, and re-working packages for the hundredth time that no one would ever see. That wasn’t supporting anyone, most of all me. I found a way to substitute the parts that were draining me with parts that energize me. I’m still working the same amount of productive hours, while dedicating even MORE time to the clients I want to support, AND working with fun colleagues regularly. Running a business isn’t clean. It’s not a simple game and it’s easy to get sidetracked with a list of to-dos that may pull you away from why you ventured on your own in the first place.
So yes, Emblem turns 10 and I’m so extremely proud of the last ten years, but had I simply posted “Let’s make the next 10 just as great!”, I would be doing you a disservice of sharing how much this changes you. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It's a tough road and you develop thicker skin. The business side is different from your expertise. You learn to communicate differently and realize expectations are only as important as exceeding them. You'll drop the ball. It happens. Just surround yourself with people who are open and understanding. You'll be able to discern the supporters from the givers from the takers. For all of the bumps along the way, I’m truly glad I took this journey because I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago.
