08/30/2024
Unite Creative Company started three years ago this month and on one hand it's hard to believe it stills exists. I never envisioned myself as a business owner or entrepreneur so to have a company that has lasted for three years feels big!
I thought I'd share three things I've learned in honor of the past three years:
1. Seasons and cycles are real and have to be prepared for
I walked into business ownership not really knowing what to expect. I knew I would have to work hard to find clients and that I'd be pushed when it came to my technical skills. What I didn't expect was seasons of overwhelming abundance and the most arid deserts. I've learned now that I'm busiest in the spring and fall while the dead of winter and dead of summer can feel, well, dead. But it has also caused me to learn to prepare and that I can help those slower times feel less dead. If I take time to remember they are coming.
2. My ability to grow is limited by desire to control
This is a hard one to say out loud. I have high standards for myself and what I create. That's a good thing. But it also keeps me from taking on the input, expertise, skill, and collaboration of others. For most of my first two years in business, I tried to shoulder everything myself. This year, I've learned I operate better in partnership with other creatives who are better than me a certain things. Every job that I've taken or submitted a proposal for this year has included the hiring of someone else who could add to the project in a way I couldn't. In my opinion, the results are better, my network is expanding, and my soul is happier for the human connection.
3. My support network is way different than I expected
This is the one that I feel conflicted about sharing because it feels confrontational. But really it is just a truth that I've seen many entrepreneurs talk about. The people that I felt closest to before starting my business (minus my immediate family and a select few friends) haven't been instrumental in the success of my business. I guess it's one of those things where you assume at least some business will come more easily because people who love you will sing your praises and refer people to you. And don't get me wrong, there are people who have done that for me. But the majority of referrals have come through strangers, new connections through fresh networks, and clients who love working with me.
That all being said, I'm super grateful for the people who took a chance on me three years ago when I was an infant entrepreneur (I think I'm still in the baby phase) and who continue to support me now. People like:
Mandy Memmel who hired me for my very first Unite Creative job (pictured below).
Bonni Wattigney Mace
Nikki Lerner
Jason Raitz
City of Refuge Baltimore
Mike Alley
Jordan Kauffman
Lauren Andreas
David Lisowski
Graham Kuhn
Zephan Moses Blaxberg
Amy Uptgraft
Rachel Andreas Swan
Wes Battle
Murray Rodger
Claire Hutchinson Rodger
Jared Collins
Garrett Ware
