When shifts happen in times of crisis
What a year it’s been. What a journey we’ve all been on. What has been the best thing that’s happened to you or your business since the lockdowns started 12 months ago? I talk to so many friends, peers and clients, and it seems that 2020’s shit show turned out to be a game changer for many. We were faced with a crisis, and we turned it around. At least, many of us did. Did you?
My income plummeted in spring 2020. I lost 50% of my clients. I felt deflated. Anxious. Hopeless. I started getting stressed out about being able to pay for my monthly outgoings.
Strict lockdowns and time to think
Months passed, and I wondered whether to pack it all in and stop my business. I literally just managed to cover my expenses. But I am an eternal optimist AND somehow there is a creative fire in my belly that I can always count on.
And ideas came. As I was sitting at home, spending time with my family in the strict Spanish lockdown (couldn’t leave the house), and homeschooling my kids (well, attempting to), all sorts of thoughts popped up in my head to pivot my business and try new things. Mainly online based. Drop-shipping businesses, e-courses, e-books. I once owned a vintage design shop, and thought I could perhaps go back into (online) retail. I was wrecking my brain, trying to come up with a new business idea. I researched stuff, but nothing really gave me that big ‘yes’ feeling.
Increasing prices when there is no work
In the meantime, I still continued with the few copywriting clients I had left. I also decided to promote myself more online, and become much more visible. Polished up my profiles on freelancer platforms, redesigned my website, redid all my web copy. That paid off, and I quickly attracted a lot more new clients. But they weren’t paying well, and often haggled me down. Still, I accepted, because, after all, we were in a pandemic, right? Beggars can’t be choosers, at least that’s what I was always told. Mindset issues, anyone?
On a late summer’s day, I chatted to a friend who told me to increase my prices for my copywriting services. “Nina,” he said, “If you don’t up your prices, you’ll always be that 40 euro girl”. (I was charging just 40 euros for a blog post at the time, to compete with the many cheap writers on Fiverr. I know, crazy!). Ouch, that comment hurt, and made me feel so small. I knew he was right. I knew I was worth more. But I felt I couldn’t possibly change things right now. I had to hold on to what I had, while everyone else was losing their clients too.
I doubled my income in just a month
What? I said. In a lockdown? Are you mad? How is that going to work?! Nobody will then want to work with me, surely! But he planted a seed. It kept going round in my head all evening. So I was brave, and I raised my prices the next day…it was scary! I also wrote to my existing clients, that from the next month my prices were going to go up. Oh, gosh, the stress I felt when I sent the email. I expected them to tell me they didn’t want to work with me anymore. But they came back, and agreed to it.
I kid you not: I doubled my income a month later, and I started to attract a very different set of clients who didn’t bat an eyelid when I named a higher price for a job. Shock! And the confidence that gives you, when you are finally valued for your work, it was such a huge improvement in my business.
From a poverty mindset to manifesting success
In autumn, I discovered a few other things that catapulted me forward: I discovered Yoga Nidra (and the art of intention setting – ever done this? Go and google it, it’s amazing), and I found Denise Duffield-Thomas and her money mindset affirmations on Facebook. I started writing down these affirmations in my journal (such as ‘I am worth to earn a lot of money for the work I do‘), and the Universe started to listen.
I don’t know if you believe in manifestation, or spirituality in general, but for me, things started to shift big time once I did the journaling, the yoga nidra affirmations, and the manifesting. I am aware of sounding like a right woo-woo coach now, telling you that you can “manifest 6-figures if you only start meditating on it”, but I have experienced manifestation enough times in my life, to know that it works. Not got to 6 figures yet, but am I certainly attracting better clients!
Investing in me and my business
A few weeks later, I came across a Facebook challenge (on creating semi-passive income), and signed up. And because I got so much out of this week-long free training, I invested £2000 in a 12-week business course. What was happening to me?! I had never ever invested that kind of money in my business or me. I come from the arty not-for-profit sector, for goodness’ sake. Plus, I am a mum, and I usually put everyone else before me.
But there I was, pulling out my debit card, signing up.
I felt so alive and so inspired to be working on my own professional and personal development again for the first time in many years. How empowering! Thank you, 2020 crisis! It was new and exciting, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it! And boy, was it worth it. I have since invested even more money in my development, by signing up to a membership with another coach.
And late 2020 it happened: The Creative Business Coach was born.
Finding clarity and focus
I decided to go back to my creative roots, and harness all that I learnt over the past 20 years in terms of marketing, copywriting and starting a creative business from scratch (multiple times!). I am not a drop shipper, or someone who is writing web copy for random companies that I have no affinity with whatsoever.
I am a creative entrepreneur with strong marketing skills and a real passion to inspire others in their business. I LOVE helping and motivating others.
I am a marketing and business coach with a creative brain, that’s who I am. This is my calling. I want to serve.
All you creative entrepreneurs out there, with your gorgeous businesses and fabulous products and services, I want to help you to grow to become the force in the world to make a positive change. I believe in you!
I want you to stop feeling small and undercharging, like I did, and I want to teach you the marketing skills and powers to become more visible to your ideal client. And double your own income! I want to help you become more visible, so you can shine your wonderful creative light on the world. And god, does the world need you right now! Creativity is the balm for the soul, and after last year we need small businesses like yours more than ever.
I want to see you succeed in business and spread your talents. No more #artiswork hashtags or other ways of putting yourself down. I kept myself small for far too long. We are worth so much more. You are worth so much more.
“You are worth to earn a lot of money for the work you do“. It worked for me, it can work for you. I want to support you, and I am here for you.
What was your big shift in 2020?
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