We’ve all heard the saying “When life gives you lemons… make lemonade.” But like, what if you can’t make lemonade? What if you don’t have sugar and asking your neighbors is out of the question. 

What do you do with the lemons then? 

Well, in a not so exciting turn of events – you figure it out. Use them as building blocks to forward your own company and dreams. And most of all, you don’t compare your lemons to other peoples lemons! I see this so often in business and it just tears at me. 

I am no saint myself, it has happened to me. You see someone getting something you feel maybe you should have. May it be a raise, a new client, advancing in some way. One more lemon. And it starts to weigh on you. 

Your lemons start to get heavy. Maybe they start to smell. 

So instead of making your lemons building blocks to success you start to throw them at other people. Using them as ammunition to help shield from your own worries. It is way easier to put people down than to confront the fear you have inside. That is why we have so many successful reality TV shows, duh! 

But the thing about using your lemons in this way, is it in turn has nothing to do with your personality. It doesn’t mean you are a bad person, or not a good business owner, or even someone who likes throwing lemons. It means you are a fighter – Which is what you have to be to run a successful business. 

But we, as business owners, have got to learn to handle our lemons better! 

When we feel on the brink of worry we have got to take a second before launching that yellow fruit (is lemon a fruit?) and stop ourselves. We have to take that moment to look within our company and see what WE can do better. Not what everyone else can do worse, or who we can blame things on. It is about what WE can change as bosses and owners and entrepreneurs. 

Look within yourself and find a place to start housing your lemons, because they are part of your success just as well. 

And if worse comes to worse, and one day you just have wayyy too many lemons… Put seven of them in a bowl for good fortune like Shannon from Real Housewives (New Shannon is rocking it, though I don’t see any lemons in sight, so actually – MAYBE don’t do that).

The thing with Marketing is that it is marketing. You can’t measure it. You can’t really control it. And you can’t truly even replicate it. 

Now that I have said that, feel free to jump on the marketing train! Sign yourself right up. It seems like the best bet, am I right?? 

In reality, marketing your business is one of the best things you can do. But it is all about the technique and how you go about helping your company grow. Here are three things to remember when jumping into marketing: 

1. THIS ISN’T AN EXCUSE. Marketing is not an excuse to pass work off or feel like it’s a way to divvy things up. If anything, at the start of a new marketing plan, expect your workload to increase. You will be getting systems in place, figuring out what works and doesn’t work, and taking a TON of photos! 
2. KNOWING YOUR GOALS ISN’T AN END ALL. I personally have never had a business plan. My company has never changed in a drastic way, but it has changed over the years. As have most people who have a business. Like many things in life, you will never be completely ready to start marketing for your business. There will always be other things you can spend money on, things you think need to be in place… Just getting started is the best thing you can do. 
3. BE OPEN TO CRITIQUE. No one likes being critiqued. And honestly… it has taken me a REALLY long time to get comfortable critiquing clients. I would know exactly what needs to be done, but looking into a clients eyes I could never muster up the confidence to tell them. But here is the thing with marketing in the right way. We are all learning how to make your company better. We want you to grow just as much as you do. So going through those hard times of changing things up and pointing out what isn’t working is also a must!

So, as you dive into marketing, remember those three things. And a ton of other things… But mostly remember, having help with marketing is a great way to build your business.

Want to know the biggest secret to marketing your company successfully? You might be surprised to know it has nothing to do with paying for Google Ad Words or posting your social media at the exact right time. Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course those things help. And of course that is all part of stacking up your marketing plan to be successful.

But in reality, what really makes your company successful… Is believing in your company.

Call me ridiculous. And if you know me well, call me annoying because you have probably heard me say this a million times over. I will just never find a more fool proof plan than being invested in your company.

I see the difference in my own company. If I am having a hard time, or a distracted time and recoil some, I see it in my business. If I take on a new client and they use the phrase “I don’t want to see any of it”, I can already tell how things are going to go.  

Now, not to be confused with the opposite two extremes of this statement. It is also not beneficial to NEED to touch every single thing. And there are times where you have to separate yourself from the growth of your company to work on other parts of it.

Where I see the biggest disconnect is in someone’s message. When a client, or potential client, is not as worried about being a part in creating their message or maintaining their message, the marketing plan always seems to stall. And this, I am a firm believe, is because marketing is supposed to be personal. It is supposed to be specifically tailored to you and your reason behind the brand. Without YOU and YOUR HAND the key component is missing.

If you are a business owner looking to start marketing for your company, you are not alone. If you are asking yourself what exactly marketing is and how long it takes to work. You are also not alone.

It is a question we get often, and one with a more complex answer than “yes” or “no”.

I will never forget the time I was studying abroad in London with a group of PR and Journalism students and a very shy girl in the back asked “But is there a difference in PR and Marketing?” Valid question, I thought. As a journalist I had legitimately no clue. The PR students in the room however gasped at the thought of her ignorance.

I still wanted to know the answer.

Fast forward almost a decade, and every time I go to explain what marketing can do for a growing business, that is what I think about.

Because here is the misunderstood thing with Marketing: It is not a quick fix to making money. It is a way to set your companies appearance up for the long run. Marketing is a tool to help define your brand, outline a plan, and try, try, try again.

So when you think about marketing, think about the ongoing future of your company. And maybe keep in mind my 3/6/12 rule. 3 months in you are going to wonder what you got yourself into. You should be vetting a plan, getting things in order, and honestly be a little confused. 6 months in you should start to get your footing, understand what is going on, and begin to see a shift in your business. And 12 months in with marketing you should know what works and what doesn’t, have an increase in sales. Which in the end if the goal after all!

From the title, I am sure you are wondering why a girl who is a complete mess most of the time is trying to tell you how to find balance. Well my good people, we are all in this together, and sometimes I don’t follow my own advice. So I am putting my fingers to my keyboard, and solidifying a plan not only for you, but for myself. Here are my semi-pro tips on how to find balance within your life:

Semi-convincing myself I’m a pro tip #1: Lookout for your future self

If you know me, you know this is something I preach and I actually really try to see this through most of the time. What I mean by lookout for your future self is learn to say no, plan ahead, and be selfish sometimes. If you’re like me, you’re a yes girl who is down for anything. I love helping and planning, but if I say yes to everyone, that is definitely going to wear me down. For example: you have 2 exams, 3 meetings, and your moms birthday this week. You also get invited to a concert, and your friend asks you if you can do a huge favor for them, and oh surprise, your roommate is upset so you can’t study because your a loyal friend. On top of that, your boss is texting you to see if you can come in the rest of the week to get more work done. Sounds insane right? This is where you put into action looking out for your future self. It may sound selfish if your a giver like me, but what you need to do is really evaluate and cultivate your week how you want it to be. You can still help others without sacrificing your priorities. Say no and compromise. Your future self will be rested and so insanely happy you did that. Luckily, I have a pretty amazing boss who cares about her employees more than anything;)

Semi-pro tip #2: Get a planner

My planner is my life blood. If I did not have that I would go crazy. You don’t even have to be super detailed, just keep track of all the important dates, meetings, work schedule, school, etc. That way anytime something pops up, I know exactly what my week looks like. I used to really get my schedule mixed up because I would keep it all in my head. This generated so many issues. I seemed unreliable and I would have to shift things around last minute. No one wants last minute. Now, with my planner I am able to physically see how much time I am giving to work, school, friends, and family. This helps find major balance, especially with important relationships, because you are able to efficiently give them the time they deserve. I love my Happy Planner that I get at Michaels for half off at the end of the year:) Make planning cute and fun. Here’s a link to The Happy Planner website just so you can see just how I like to get down with my schedule. http://www.meandmybigideas.com/create365-thehappyplanner/

Semi-pro tip 3: Gain the right mindset

In order to truly feel like you have balance, you need your mind to be in the right place. It’s important to love what you do, and fully understand your intention and deliberation between all this chaos. Why are you working so hard at this job? What do you want to gain and learn from this process? Why are you going to school? Once you have your mind set on your goals, you can achieve them no problem. I know this sounds cliche but it’s true. You also have to keep reminding yourself to enjoy the process. There is so much to learn and pick up from those around you. Every experience you go through is just making you a better person. When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed just remember your why and know that you must go through this balance beam to make yourself who you need to be for your goals. You are the decider, you cultivate your life. Once you fully grasp that concept, you can do anything. Look at shelby, she started her own business. Don’t let fear keep you from finding the balance you need, to accomplish the things you want.

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I honestly have so much going on in my head that I want to share with you guys, but what good would it be for me to spill all my knowledge in one post?? Balance is key. For now I am saying no and letting my future self get dibs on some more material;) look at me listening to my own advice. Hehe.

Thank you guys so much for reading

XOXO,

Leah Wright

(your local wannabe wisdom guru boss babe)

Hello world!

Fair warning: you are about to embark on a crazy adventure through the brain of yours truly. I told Shelby a few months ago that she needed to ramp up her blog game so that clients and future clients have a chance to meet Shelby and the team.

We agreed that the blog would be really about whatever each team member wants to talk about so here we go!

Originally, Shelby and I met while working at a boutique in Lubbock, Texas way back in probably 2012 and have kept in touch ever since.

Everyone always jokes about “real friends versus work friends” and lucky for me Shelby started out as my work friend and almost immediately turned into a real friend. Shelby was one of the first people I had dinner with when I moved to Austin and has been one of the people I have leaned on to learn the Austin ropes.

I am not sure that I know anyone who works harder than Shelby while still having one of the biggest hearts. She works her butt off and makes her clients a top priority. She has a hand in so many different jars while keeping a lid on it.

Let me just brag on her for a second by highlighting her skills at being a boss and keeping it all together, let’s talk about the new Interior Marketing Services. Shelby has been incredible with the build-out of the services and the execution of everything. The whole idea of interior marketing for businesses is to help your business goal translate to your client or customer. It really is about putting out a vibe in your space that is conducive business growth.

So here is my tip: If you are looking to up your marketing game, whatever your definition, I know a lady with a fantastic team that will make all of your marketing dreams come true.