11th Blog Anniversary

October 8 is always a special day for me every year because it marks the day I started my blog Gracefullee Made.

Eleven years ago, I made the decision to create a space on the Internet to document my fashion and style back in high school. At the time, my dream was to work in fashion PR in New York City. Blogging just made life seem so… easy. It was an escape for me, in a hometown that I never truly felt accepted in. This blog became an outlet for me to express my creativity and fashion style. Little did I know that starting this fashion blog, a fun little hobby, or project if you will, would propel me into creating my own social media strategy business.

Last year, I made the initial leap to start my own business. I quit my 9-5 and decided that it was time to show the world what I learned in a decade of being in the social media space. I’m still learning on a daily basis, and will continue to be learning as I keep growing in my business. That’s the beauty of business — there’s no shortage of new lessons.

Here are 11 lessons and reminders I’ve learned from this past year alone, on starting your own business.

1. KNOW YOUR WORTH.

I’ve learned this the hard way, starting out my business. Because if you don’t know your worth, people will TELL you what you’re worth. They’ll try to scam you, undersell you, and convince you that your services aren’t worthy of being paid the amount you charge. I’ve had to stand my ground many times just this year alone, and even though every situation isn’t easy to deal with, don’t ever let someone tell you that you aren’t worth what you’re paid.

2. HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR ACTIONS, NOT THEIR WORDS.

Too many talkers out there. Way too many. And I’ve dealt with many versions of these types of people. The ones who claim they’ll do this, or do that… and then never do it. Their actions don’t align with their words. One of my favorite quotes right now is this — you are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.

3. WHEN YOU TREAT PEOPLE LESS THAN, THAT’S A REFLECTION OF YOU. NOT THEM.

I know I’m reflecting on a lot of the negative sides of business, but I want to address this one. I think far too many times, when we are ruminating on matters that trigger us in any way, we start to feel defeated or frustrated from the person who hurts us or offends us. But when someone talks down to you or speaks ill-will towards you, that’s not a reflection of YOU. It’s a reflection of THEM. It’s a reflection of their character, their personality, and who they are as a person. It’s a reflection of maybe something they are going through and they are attacking you, or maybe they’re having a bad day. Still, it’s not an excuse, but good to keep things in perspective in those moments. The next time someone treats you less than, remember that.

4. ASKING FOR HELP DOESN’T MAKE YOU WEAK.

I used to see asking for help as a sign of weakness. I never wanted anyone to see that I was unable to do certain things because of mental health issues or stress. I always thought that if people saw that you weren’t always on top of it, they would take it as a sign that you weren’t good enough. This past year alone, I’ve struggled with the workload I’ve taken on — mentally and physically. This past week, I made the announcement that I’d be hiring a social media assistant and I’m getting more and more accustomed to asking for help, when needed.

5. YOU CAN STILL GET IT DONE… WITHOUT THE ANXIETY

This is literally what I needed to tell myself this past week when I experienced one of the most low points in my career, yet. I haven’t spoken on what happened because it’s a pain point for me right now, but just know that even if your plate is full, your to-do list is jam-packed, and you feel like you’re just living life to work, remember that you will get it done. Yes, all of it. Not in an hour or less, but you will get it done. It’s possible without stressing or worrying over it.

6. A FEW REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS CAN GO A LONG WAY

I used to tell myself that my best friends were the ones who always supported me, were nice to me, never had fights with, and got along super well. Me being super naive with that statement, I’ve gone through many friendships where bridges were burned or ways were parted. Having someone who compliments you, hypes you up… yeah, it’s nice and necessary, but the true friends are the ones you can call at any given time without ‘setting up a call with them,’ and telling them how you truly feel. The ones who will be there for you when you’re upset, frustrated, sad, and struggling. Keep those people close to you.

7. IT’S TEMPTING TO BE LURED BY 'RAPID GROWTH’

Working in a space like social media, the temptation of ‘rapid growth’ is inevitable. It’s in your face every day — whether it’s from clients’ social media analytics or from clients verbally, you’re constantly thinking about it or seeing it. But what I’ve learned especially is that slow and steady builds consistency… and THAT is much more sustainable.

8. UNDERSTANDING THE TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM

And by this, I mean freedom in your job. One of the biggest things I had a hard time with past corporate jobs were the limitations with my freedom to create. I was always restricted by how THEY wanted me to create. I knew visual storytelling was something I was passionate about. But the issue was that I didn’t feel happy about my work because it was always micro-managed by the companies. Now, I am able to express my creativity while still being on brand with the client. But this time, I get to make the calls on who I work with and what content fits best for the messaging. And that… is so freeing.

9. CREATING A WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Have you noticed a lot of these points are things that I’ve had to learn the hard way? Working for yourself is all fun and games until you’re unable to differentiate what’s work and what isn’t. I’ve struggled with this one many times this past year. Knowing how to create boundaries for myself. Knowing how to say no to people because my mental health comes first. Knowing how to express how I’m feeling in a professional way. I’m constantly working on this one because this is a huge priority for me. I keep hitting bumps along the road, but I know I’m heading in the right direction. If this is something you’re struggling with, I hope you know you’re not alone.

And trust me… whatever that thing is you are pushing yourself to get out… the world can wait.

10. ROUTINES ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND

I am a routine girl, by nature. Always have been, always will be. But especially when you’re running your own business, you HAVE to have schedules for yourself. If not, things get MESSY. I’ve had to customize my morning routines to afternoon routines to even night routines in order to avoid any letdowns or issues. I’ve found that structured routines are good to have, but not always something you can stick to because well, it’s life. And it’s social media.

If you try to structure all your content for social media and expect every single thing to go as planned… you’re in for a wild ride.

11. THERE WILL NEVER BE A 'RIGHT TIME’

If I thought like this, I would’ve never started a podcast two years ago. I’ve learned having faith and taking that leap will do you more good than not (to certain extents, of course). If you’re wanting to start your business, start now. Build that clientele list. Start networking. Reach out to people already in your circle and let them know you are a social media strategist wanting to grow your business. Put yourself out there. If you wait for the right time, you’ll never start.

If you’ve made it to the end of this blog post, I just want to say thank you for reading.

And thank you for following along on my journey — every year I’m always in awe that people have followed my journey from my high school days in Fayetteville, North Carolina to my college days at UNC-Chapel Hill, and now to my chapter in New York City working as a social media strategist and content creator.

I’m getting cheesy again, but I mean every word — I am so grateful to have met so many amazing and incredible people on this journey. I love interacting and messaging you guys via Instagram and emails, and I cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for me.