Open Circles Academy - Business Bootcamp

Just two days to turn your business around

It wasn’t that I was sceptical really, I just came to Bootcamp with some measure of reserve. After all, since starting as a ZZPer (Sole proprietor) three years ago I have been to several seminars, workshops, training sessions. Effective? Some, not all. 

But, if I am perfectly honest, my business doesn’t resemble the vision I had for it when I started out. Oh, I am earning a living but I often feel frustrated and unfulfilled. But more than that, I find I am working from invoice to invoice and the vision I had of finally integrating my creative abilities into my daily activities has not been as structured as I had promised myself.

I took a month off in November, and wrote substantively on my latest novel, but when December came around and two potentially large jobs didn’t materialise and I didn’t have enough alternatives in the pipeline, depression set in. And creativity flew out the window.

So, with nothing to lose, I took myself off to Bootcamp.

It didn’t take long for me to throw off the reserve and throw myself into the weekend 100%. In Nisandeh’s (Neta) words:

I showed up

I participated

What I learned is too much to list.  But a couple of important insights were:

I do not need to stop writing in order to concentrate on the business. The writing is still where I feel the most passion. What I need do is see my writing as part of the business so I should take my quest for a publisher more seriously and set aside time for that in my agenda in the same way I plan the translations and copywriting (the current source of income). My writing is a potential source of passive income, which will liberate me from living from invoice to invoice.

I learned that it’s a good thing that I am able to see the big picture for others and to give useful advice. It doesn’t matter that this is free of charge. It’s the way I make a contribution at the moment. I have a knack for connecting people, so I will just do it, and not even think in terms of personal reward.

The contract I make with myself is just as binding as the one with someone else. If I break a promise to myself, I stop believing in myself. And if I stop believing in myself, how can I convince anyone else to believe in me?

It’s ok to ask for help and I don’t have to do everything alone. Multitasking is also not necessary and not beneficial. Plan the agenda and do one thing at a time.

The list goes on. I came away from Bootcamp overflowing with ideas. And how did I shift from being reserved to being bowled over? That’s the power of Bootcamp.

Bootcamp gives the insights, the tools and the motivation. But it’s what happens now that’s important. It’s the promise to implement the principles, set goals and stick to them, to keep going no matter what that will ensure success. That’s just for starters.

 One weekend that can turn your business around!