Holy time-travel!! I'm not sure just how it's possible that five years have flown by so quickly, but here we are. What started out as an effort to create ripples of change has far surpassed what I envisioned for LaunchCrate in year five.
The crazy part? We're just getting started.
So what have I learned in the last 5 years of running an independent publishing company full-time? Lots more than I can capture in one blog post. But, I'll drop a few (how about 5?) of the lessons that have most resonated with me below. Keep reading past this ad if you're interested in the Top 5 Lessons Learned as a full-time entrepreneur.
Hey! We're celebrating 5 years with a LaunchCrate Author Book Fair featuring the authors who have entrusted us with the sharing of their stories. Come meet these multi-genre authors in person, collect their trading cards and BUY SOME BOOKS on August 27, 2022 at Bliss Books & Wine (3502 Gillham Rd., Kansas City, MO)! Tell us you're coming.
Here are all of the amazing authors joining us for this year's Book Fair!
Candice McField, Hannah Arp (remote from Washington State), J. R. Lyle, Mari Baird Tetwiler, Crystal M. Everett, Anitra Evans, Don Carter, Victoria Barbee, Marlus Mays, and Herston Fails
We'll be sharing more on our social feeds throughout the coming weeks. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more details.
Now back to the Top 5...
Of all the lessons I've learned (and there have been plenty) these are the ones I lean on the most in business.
Space and Grace: when you're in business for yourself, the ideas don't stop when you leave the office. It's crucial to create a space somewhere that allows you to exist outside the grasps of business, and even more critical is the need to grant yourself the same type of grace that you extend to others. Remember, you're giving your best, even when you're overwhelmed. It's okay to take a break every now and then.
It's Already Done: everything you've done thus far in life and in business has prepared you for the moment you're standing in. You have the tools and the knowhow, you just need to use them and stop stressing over that thing (whatever it is).
Trust Yourself: similar to Number 2, this one implores you to follow your internal compass. We really are our own worst critic. Learning to trust and rely on ourselves helps to propel us forward in action, one of the most critical things needed for any business to thrive. The more self-trust you gain, the less you'll judge yourself and the less you'll worry about how others might be judging you.
Ask for Help: sometimes the hardest thing for us to do. Asking for help is a strength that helps both you and your business grow. It's not possible for you to know how to do everything needed to build your company.
Find Your Tribe: whether they're customers or clients, other businesses of a similar nature, or people with similar goals and experience, surround yourself with a crew who lifts as they climb. The whole of society improves when its smaller communities thrive. There really is room for all of us. Give of yourself where you can and watch that energy return to you tenfold.
BONUS: Remember, this is not an exhaustive list, just those I've leaned on the most over the last 5 years. I could probably fill a year's worth of posts on just this topic. In everything I've learned though, keeping your why at the core of everything you do is imperative in making sure you stay true to the reason you started in the first place. With that, I'm posting the manifesto and I'm off to hang with my tribe for a bit.
What lessons have stuck with you the most in business or in life?
