You Will Never Be Ready.

Have you ever been afraid of being a fraud, so you hold back just a little bit? You say nothing because you aren’t sure, or you wait to share your idea with a group until you think it is safe. I am no expert, but I feel like everyone has been in this mindset at least once. Growth and change aren’t products of perfection. Growth and change happen when there is tension. It happens when there is discomfort. It happens when there is something worth enduring a little pain for. Bravery is not for other people - it is for us. If you are reading this with a big bold audacious idea and you are waiting for when the time is right – you will never be ready.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of listening to Seth Godin give a presentation, one of many that day centered around bravery. He referenced the invention of the fax machine. When this machine came out, there wasn’t anything like it. Why in the heck would anyone want to send messages this way when they could just pick up the phone?

So, when is a good time to launch something new? It is always too soon and it is always bad timing. Why didn’t they wait? Godin says, “If ideas don’t spread, they die.” The big bold idea of the fax machine caught on because they were able to connect with their audience. They made it accessible, it solved a problem and it created a bridge between people.

That being said, how did they do that? I guarantee you they didn’t know what they were doing. What they did know was that they had created something remarkable. They went to the people that believed in them and asked, “Will you help me?” With no hierarchy and no direction, they said “I am not sure how to do this, follow me.”

This is what Godin calls a connection economy. Choose to be trusted, transparent and true to who you are. You are doing good work, but for who? Your number one fans are waiting on the sidelines and your big idea enables you to make a human connection. Even if you aren’t sure how to get there, invite them along on your journey and they may show you the way.

The Maroon Suit

When I started Worx 8 years ago, I had no idea how to run a business. I didn’t have any formal business training, I wasn’t sure how to file legal papers and I sure as heck wasn’t able to replace my income from my full time job right away. What I did have was an idea and a burning desire to live it everyday.  I knew I wanted to work for myself and do what I love everyday. So I committed to doing that.

I had been working as a professional in my industry for a few years and was familiar with the idea of being a business woman. I knew they dressed in suits, went to meetings and came back and did their duties. The next day they would do the same thing over again. To me, these women were successful. They appeared to have it all figured out and were living the life I wanted. So, the first thing I did when I started my business was buy a suit.

This wasn’t any ordinary suit. This was a maroon suit. I felt special in it. It had a coat and a pencil skirt, both of which were maroon. I had a nice white blouse that I wore underneath of it and when I had this on, I felt like I had made it. I was one of those successful women.

After wearing it to a half a dozen meetings or so, each of which I took out my nose ring and put my hair in a slick back bun, something started to feel off. I was uncomfortable wearing it. I hated putting on pantyhose and the more I saw the color maroon, the more I hated it. I felt like a fraud. I was putting on a front based on what I saw and felt was “success.”

It didn’t take me long to realize that this was not for me. I’m sure there are lots of lovely maroon suit wearing ladies out there that are killing it! You go girls! But for me, I had to put the suit away. I started dressing more like a creative professional. My fav - blazer and a graphic t-shirt, WITH my nose ring. The more I started to dress like myself, the more I started to talk like myself. The more I talked like myself, the more I attracted clients that appreciated me for who I was and what I could offer them. I went from being uncomfortable and attracting the wrong clients to feeling confident and attracting the best clients.

What are you doing in your business that feels like it just isn’t you? Are you putting on a front, feeling as though you have to impress someone with a version of yourself that doesn’t truly exist? Are you following a business model that someone else is using but feel a disconnect with it? Are you marketing in a corporate way when you’re really light hearted and funny? Are you wearing a suit when you should be sporting your favorite fashion? Are you offering a service that you really do not care for and keep thinking about one you wish you were?

Anytime you feel a disconnect with your business it’s an opportunity to dig deeper and get in touch with who you really are and how you want people to experience your brand. The beautiful thing about being in business for yourself is you do not have to follow the “business rules.” There are absolutely some best practices to adopt, but when it comes to building your business, you have an opportunity to create it in a way that you want to work with people. You can create your tone, your look, what you offer and how you offer it. Your business is unique! Why try to be like another business when you can be like yours. Be a poster business for what others strive to be. Show your courage to be different. Create a culture that is magnetic and inspire others to do the same. Just because someone else is successful doesn’t mean their path is right for you. By staying true to yourself, you will create your own unique path of success.

I donated that ridiculous maroon suit. Today I’m sporting me, and that works.

Branding Abroad

One of the things we as a team are most passionate about is communication. If you can see someone, if you talk to someone, if you pick up the phone, if you email someone, ultimately, someone will answer. You just have to find that someone’s way of communication.

By putting an emphasis on not having cubicles – taking away the physical and emotional barriers that keep our interoffice relations from moving forward, we found our way was speaking up, reaching out and initiating face-to-face time. Consequently, we then are able to combat inertia.

That communication policy is equally integral with our clients. Like the classic lyrics of The King and I song go, “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…”

We fully immerse ourselves in your company culture not just knowing about your favorite things, but about who you as a people are collectively and individually. We get to know where you are going, where you came from and what you are in the moment.

Whom have you created as a community? Whom do you come from as a community?

The four-worded expression, it’s a small world should never discredit any unique facet from which we derive our legacy.

Whether we visit your hometown or your home turf whenever we cross borders between our brand and yours, we take the time to learn what makes you tick. Branding abroad – no matter how many miles separate our company and yours – means respecting your customs.

First Impression: Each culture appreciates meeting over business differently. Some bow, some nod, some hug, some high-five some shake hands between opposite genders some take great offense and then some give cheek-kisses when then see us as part of their brand family.

Brand Arsenal: Business cards. Don’t like telephones? Email us. Don’t like typing? Schedule an in-person meeting because we’ve conveniently added our studio address on Side B. It all channels back to finding someone’s preferred method of connectivity. No matter where you go, if the world truly is a small place then we never know where we’ll meet someone who needs our services.

Core Values: Communication is organic. No one wants to hear us recite a bullet point list of our services in comparison to his or her issues. Knowing our core values to our core and believing it like this is the best way to allow conversations evolve naturally without sounding rehearsed or close-ended.

Brand Out Loud: It’s okay to turn it off. It’s okay to take a vacation. It’s okay to close your eyes and close out your emails. However, the difference between what we do and others is we don’t just have a job, we have a passion. So like we say over and over again, our personal and professional brands are often direct reflections of each other. We are the same people from 5-9 as we are from 9-5. When we go abroad, we live what we are. We are walking talking business cards. So even when we have off-time, we are still us. Moreover, we are the definition of Worx. That’s what makes up company culture and makes up a brand. That’s what makes branding abroad an unforgettable experience; two people from two brands meet and find out what their method of communication is.

The Formula to Company Culture

How tragic is it to have a job that you commute to every single day with the sole purpose of getting to the next paycheck? At some point or another, we’ve all been there. We let our priorities become unbalanced and have somehow after months found ourselves just running through the motions. Your happiness and self-fulfillment is the top priority. No one can live off of coffee and energy drinks forever. Believe it or not, there is a formula to happiness that if practiced by a company will lead to ultimate success in all avenues. That formula is (WC=Team > Individual) otherwise known as company culture. 

At Worx we've come to the conclusion that we have to do things differently. Company culture is the direct influence on how smoothly the ship is sailing. Effects derived from poor company culture are often missed deadlines, negative employee body language, tension, lack of ambition and static routine. If a company is not happy, it will reflect in many aspects of the workplace, unfortunately and most crucially the clients. Your company culture IS your brand. 

Now, culture is not something that just happens overnight. Culture is something that happens naturally. Every person is born and raised with a set of unique beliefs, taboos and values. It governs the ways in which a person thinks and acts. For a company to be successful, there has to be a blending, an assimilation of individual into team. Embrace the differences and utilize multiple perspectives into one positive driving force.
Our company culture is kept alive and breathing because we make a conscious effort to keep it at the forefront. Here are some things that we practice day-to-day: 

The Worx Family Manifesto

Share Core Values:
When the members in a company shares core values everything runs in complete cohesiveness. The objective remains constant and everyone strives to achieve the same mission. Productivity is greater and value is placed on the end goal.  

Knowing Your Purpose:
Don't just work for the paycheck; do something that you genuinely love. Everyone should feel a sense of purpose to the team and to each other. Our mission is our client’s success.

Make Time For Quality Time:
It is so important to take your working relationships beyond the desk. Do things that will give your employees the opportunity to interact and let their personalities free. Team building exercises such as 5Ks, mud runs, adventure parks and volunteer events within your field or community are a great way of giving everyone the chance to let down a few walls and learn about each other.

Celebrate Achievements:
People want to be part of an organization that they can be proud of. No one wants to feel like what they are doing isn't enough or is insignificant. Take a moment to celebrate each other's as well as the team's accomplishments even if they are small steps. Go out to dinner for meeting your monthly goals and congratulate someone on their new home. Celebrate team accomplishments and acknowledge the personal ones as well. Positivity is fuel. 

Understand Each Other's Strengths and Weaknesses:
At Worx we have taken multiple strength and weakness tests as well as have noted them in work situations. We know what each other excel in and where we struggle. We know each other's pet peeves and what makes us uncomfortable. By diving deeper into each other's personalities, we can create a work culture in which everyone produces their best work. 

Meet Often:
Communication is key to a good work environment. It is imperative to not just hear, but also listen to each other. This is a great practice to get comfortable with everyone on the team as well as to learn a wealth of information about how a member works, their stress level threshold, their brilliant ideas, and how they can best be utilized to showcase their skills while elevating the company. 

Eliminate Hierarchical BS:
Of course, there is a chain of command, but this is never used as a weapon to designate where the power is. It is crucial to recognize that each person has a significance and reason for being there. When a member feels that they have worth in a company, the positivity is almost contagious and the level of respect soars astronomically. A team should be one congruent moving gear that if one cog is missing, the operation fails. At Worx, everyone is an essential part of what makes Worx, work. There is a level of mutual respect, trust and appreciation that is displayed to one another. When a company works together through controversy and success, the outcome is powerful.

Throw Peanuts:
Not every day is a good day no matter how hard we try. Don't let someone harvest frustration. Take time to grab coffee, have a lunch meeting out of the office or throw stress peanuts at each other if necessary (adorable plushy stress relievers in the shape of peanuts, courtesy of our wonderful client, Food Safety Training Solutions, INC.) Whatever method works best. 

Cultivate The Future:
A strong company culture helps to cultivate your future team. The vibes you put out attract folks with the same positivity and values who are seeking such an atmosphere. Your work culture is also a marketing tool and can be used to bring together like-minded individuals to help grow your company's future. 

Once a company keeps in mind the balance between team and individual, a different atmosphere will noticeably take shape. Daily practices become integrated and fluid with the motions of everyday life. We are not a Utopian society that is in perfect harmony with perfect results and perfect lives. But we have created a culture that fits– a defined destination of who we are now, and who we aspire to be.

You don't have to be COOL all of the time.

Everyone ticks. As a whole, many of us get along pretty well but sometimes we get caught up in thinking about the past or worrying about the future – which causes unnecessary pain. Every so often you need a good kick in the pants reminder to live in the moment and to appreciate what is around you right now. In this very moment, what happened yesterday, last month or last year doesn’t matter. RIGHT NOW- you have a blank slate and a fresh start.

As an entrepreneur willing to take a risk and venture out on your own, you are putting yourself out there. You aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. However, if you let it, one bad email or annoying social media post can throw you off for the whole day. Having said that, it is ok to feel what you are going to feel in that moment. Recently an entrepreneur told us, “It is OK to be vulnerable. You don’t have to be cool all of the time.” Just be sure to recognize that feeling, acknowledge it and keep going. If you find yourself thinking about it again, rinse and repeat.

There will always be people that don’t agree with you. Good! That means you stand for something. The best way around that is through it. Although easier said than done, focus on the good things that are happening. So much of what we do requires practice, as does the ability to focus on what is good right now. It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular. You can simply sit on your front porch and listen to the birds. Mindfulness seems like a cliché term nowadays, but there is some truth to its practice. Give yourself the time to just be.

Most entrepreneurs aren’t in it for the dollars. If you are willing to take a risk, have a good reason why. Find that one thing that excites you and turn any discomfort into motivation to keep your dream in motion. Doing so leaves you open to the critics, open to the risks, and open to self-doubt. That’s OK. Getting stuck in that cycle isn’t. Recognize and acknowledge the feelings don’t ignore them – but also know that right now matters, there is always something good, and what happened in the past is just that – it’s in the past.

“Human is as good as it gets.”  - Bobbi Duffy

Don't beat yourself up!

I’ve had a few people ask me in the past few weeks, “How did you get started?” I love that question because it gives me a chance to reflect. It also gives me an opportunity to share some experience and pass down what I’ve learned.

Here’s the cliff notes version:

In 2007, my husband and I decided to start a family. I was working for the phone book, designing yellow page ads. I’ve always known I wanted to work for myself, but never really had the push I needed to do it - until the summer of 2007. With my family goals changing and my desire to be more creative growing, I faced a tough decision. Do I stay here with a secure paycheck and “work through it,” or do I leave it all behind and start something new? I took some time to really let it sink in. It wasn’t an overnight decision.

I had been freelancing for a while so I had an established client base, I had the equipment that I needed and my husband fully supported my decision. One day it dawned on me - the fear left, the doubt took a hike and I stood strong knowing that I was going to take a risk. Soon thereafter, Worx (and my son Kandon) were born.

I remember wishing I were further along. I wanted to grow faster. I wanted to achieve everything the second I started it. Now I’m looking back at eight years thinking, how did things go by so quickly? It’s like watching a child grow – it happens right in front of you, but you don’t realize it until you break out the photo album.

As humans, we spend a lot of time thinking about the future. The future is shiny and perfect. The future has everything we dream about in it. What about right now? What is happening in your journey right now that is teaching you the valuable skills and lessons you’ll need to achieve your goal? Be patient with yourself and what’s happening around you. If you’re taking action, you’re moving forward. If you’re moving forward, you’re making progress. If you’re making progress, you’re being successful. Don’t beat yourself up! You’re that much closer each and every day.

What can you do to get started and create momentum? Here are a few things I like to use as positive reinforcement.

1. Make a list. I love lists because it gives me the satisfaction of crossing things off. It’s visual reinforcement that I’m getting shit done. And nothing beats the satisfaction of crumbling that thing up and tossing it in the trash. 
2. Meet people. Swap out the sweatpants for some work pants, leave the house and meet some people. Chamber events, networking groups or having a lunch with fellow business owners are great ways to build your network. 
3. Find a mentor. I adore my mentors because they help me get outside of my own head and focus on what’s important. A mentor or coach can help you to focus on your goals and give you the pep rally you need to keep going. 
4. Celebrate your milestones. When you achieve a goal, whether small or monumental, celebrate it! You’ve worked hard and deserve to kick back and pat yourself on the back. Grab a drink with friends, veg out on the couch or treat yourself to a steak dinner. Whatever you enjoy! 
5. Be patient with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up when something goes haywire. Your progress only stops when you do. If you’re making effort you’re moving forward. Keep your eye on the prize!

Your progress timeframe may be different than the people you admire or follow. Everyone has had his or her own struggles or setbacks. They may just be at a different part of the journey than you are. The progress you make, whether one step or a huge leap, is important and valuable to your success. One day you’ll crack open the figurative business photo album and say, wow, look at how far I’ve come!