Mistakes, Missteps and Musings: Catching up with Sarah Doran
Looking back on the last two years, there are specific lessons I've learned that have immensely helped me grow as a small business professional and creative. Making mistakes as a creative and committing missteps as a professional have afforded me an opportunity to learn and grow, where I wouldn't have otherwise. Though no one would readily admit it, creative small business start up is HARD and you are bound to mess it up somewhere along the line. Figuring out how to own the missteps and learn from the mistakes will empower your business and give you confidence to keep moving forward.
When I decided to write children’s books, I had no idea that it would lead me to becoming a small business owner. Although I earned my bachelor’s degree in business management, the jump from learning about something to actually doing it felt less like a jump and more like a gigantic leap. Navigating the ins and outs of funding, publishing, marketing, distribution, social media and branding had my head spinning and often left me feeling completely overwhelmed. I knew I had a fantastic story to share with the world, but getting it out there and into the hands of readers was a different story.
When I was a girl, I often became overwhelmed with school assignments and home responsibilities, and I’ll never forget what my Mom would always remind me to do: Make a list. Instead of letting my overwhelming fears knock the wind out of me, I did what Mom told me and made a list. (Ya’ll, the power of organizing your thoughts cannot be understated!) Once I had created a list of what I knew and didn’t know, I was able to start researching and filling in the blanks. Before I knew it, I had a to do list a mile long but at least I knew where to go next.
Publishing stories traditionally typically involves a team of professionals, each with their own expertise and experience. Since I chose to author publish, I had to learn EVERYTHING: How to hire an illustrator and designer, whether to edit before or after illustrations, how to raise funds to pay publishing costs, what events and markets would be lucrative and which professional collaborations would be worthwhile. I’m a pretty good researcher and reader, so much of what I learned was self-taught from online sources, Facebook groups and books. But I made mistakes. I completed publishing steps out of order ($$$) and attended events where no one came. I gave books away as a brand new business owner, quickly putting my small business in the red. Marketing busts, awful social media posts and awkward networking interactions have played out in my early authoring journey.
Missteps and mistakes are humbling, incredibly embarrassing and certainly NEVER something you want to share with the world. (Ah-hem). And yet, had I not made these very mistakes, I wouldn’t have learned the importance of effective business communications. I wouldn’t have a deep rooted understanding of avoiding business debt. I’ve learned how to say “No” and “Thank you”, when to smile and when to walk away. When you are able to embrace the mistakes and missteps as an opportunity to learn and grow, your business will be better for it in the end.
These last two years have been a giant learning curve, with tons of mistakes made along the way. With my second book being published later this fall and several promising ventures ahead, I’m grateful to have given myself grace in the missteps and for the confidence I’ve gained from the mistakes. My encouragement to you, as creatives and small business entrepreneurs, is to let go of your fears, make a list, chase down that dream of yours and own your mistakes. Because the mistakes and missteps are just as much a part of the journey as the successes and wins.