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Unpopular opinion alert: why I believe that laptop life “equating” to freedom is far from true. Before you close out of your Podcast app and you’re like, “Bonnie, what are you talking about?” Let me explain.
I know you’ve seen those Facebook and Instagram ads showcasing a “girl boss” sipping a beachy drink with laptop in hand, promising you she can teach you how to make 7-figures working poolside if only you sign up for her webinar.
Know what I’m talking about now?
People are always telling us the same thing: if you buy into what I’m offering you I can teach you how to make money from anywhere on your laptop.
And although that sounds all good and well, I have a bit of an issue with this mindset.
WORKING WITHOUT A PLAN IS WORKING WITHOUT A PURPOSE
Through the hundreds of creatives I’ve worked with over the years, few of them are actually able to achieve that effortless freedom on their own. Because the people who are pushing those “laptop lifestyle = freedom” ads don’t know what freedom looks like to you!
They don’t know what your definition of success looks like or the goals you have for your life and business. They simply are trying to get you to buy into a method that worked for them to achieve THEIR definition of success.
What they aren’t telling you is to get there you will spend more time on your laptop implementing all the marketing strategies these “successful gurus” are teaching. But spending more time on your laptop trying to chase after that lifestyle where you can work from anywhere and hit your goals is not going to propel you forward because you are unintentionally working without a plan.
And working without a plan is working without a purpose.
You cannot build a creative business of your dreams, or become a profitable designer or strategist by just aimlessly working.
Instead you have to pursue a way of working and propelling your business forward that allows you to chase after you definition of success.
CHASE AFTER YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS
As a business strategist, designer and educator I create educational content that fits my definition of success. But I don’t just create content for this podcast, host my six-month group coaching program, create free trainings like “how to triple your income”, or an entire page of free resources for designers just to add more noise to what is already a very noisy space.
I do it because I want to change this approach our industry has created to implementing all the things the experts teach us we need to do, but not actually seeing the results you want to see.
A few weeks ago, I wrote this post about why I think it’s time we stop listening to the experts. I know that sounds crazy. But if you think about it, all the experts are telling you all these things you “should” or “need” to do in order to hit a certain goal. But those experts are only sharing what’s worked for them.
They don’t know you, how your business is set up, your unique value and goals. And they surely don’t know the value you bring to the table through the work that you do.
But I want you to ask yourself: Are you chasing after the same definition of success that they are?
So often we find ourselves pulled into spending our time writing that blog post and sending this email because we think we have to. But what if you’re unintentionally spending all of your energy and precious time doing those things and not intentionally sitting in your zone of genius?
SIT IN YOUR ZONE OF GENIUS
If you’re not getting any joy out of a task and it’s adding unintentional work to your plate, I want to give you the permission right here, right now to nix that task from your workflow.
You need to pour your time and energy into the lead generation strategies where your people are actually finding you that will help you become profitable in a way that you want to become profitable.
For example, if your people are finding you through word-of-mouth referrals, then do you think spending 2-hours a week writing blog content is going to be your answer? No, that’s actually going to take two hours you could spend each week pouring into your current clients or relationships in your industry and creating more word-of-mouth referrals.
Listening to experts who know nothing about you, your business, your goals, or your unique value is not going to help you chase after YOUR definition of success.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS?
Ultimately, I want to change the approach we have in the creative industry where we buy into what the experts are telling us to do and we aren’t being thoughtful or truly discerning with what strategies will propel us forward.
This is an important conversation for us to have, but one I think needs to come to life so we aren’t consistently spending our hard earned dollars and precious time just implementing what experts on the internet are telling us to do.
Now, I do want to say that those people teaching those methods are not wrong. I do believe they are coming from a good place and trying to bring successful strategies into the industry so more people can learn from that and grow from that.
They are coming to the table with good intentions, but it might not be the best approach for you.
With that in mind, I focus on providing all of my students inside my course for designers or group coaching program with a blueprint that allows them to run a business where they can prioritize their family, mental health and passions first.
Before any students join my 5-week course for designers I want to make sure this is a good fit for them as a branding professional and that they feel confident that the Brand Strategy School will propel them towards their definition of success.
Same with my six-month group coaching program, the Heartfelt Brand Society. It’s an application-only program simply because I want to drive interest in a way that it’s serving someone well and if I can’t stand confidently behind the truth that my work will help them chase after their definition of success then I don’t want them to invest in my program.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS FEEL LIKE TO YOU?
I’m really passionate about encouraging and equipping you to chase after what your definition of success looks and feels like.
So the next time you see an ad that makes you feel like you need to do what “she” is doing, I want you to be honest with yourself about whether or not that outcome would give you the leg up you’re looking for towards hitting your true definition of success. Or is that offer going to add one more thing to your plate that’s maybe nice, but not essential.
Instead think about what success looks like to you and then from there what resources and mentors you could invest in that would help propel you towards those dreams faster than if you did it on your own.
Where you spend your time, money and resources should only bring good things in your life and business. Your business should be one facet of the beautiful, multi-facet life that you live.
If you were tuning in today and you want more info on the Brand Strategy School—my five-week course for designers and branding pros that takes you from crickets to $10k in 30 days—then I want to encourage you to sign up for my totally free netflix-style masterclass all about how to triple your income as a branding pro without adding more to your plate.
It’s an exclusive look at my signature method I teach inside the Brand Strategy School that shows you how you can profitably scale your business without taking on more clients and without adding more to your schedule because as you know this business you’re building should only bring good things to your life. And I believe that can happen without dedicating all of your time to the entrepreneurial hustle.
Sweet friend, I want to hear from you! If you’ve ever heard that laptop = success myth and you’ve found it’s been something you resonated with or maybe you’re like me and think “hmmm I don’t know about that…” shoot me a DM on Instagram.
I’d love to continue this conversation with you!
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Why it’s time to stop listening to the experts
Free Netflix-style masterclass: How to triple your income without taking on more branding clients
Continue this unpopular opinion conversation with me over on Instagram!
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