Throughout the process of building our business, we've come to have a greater appreciation for the community that surrounds us. Without our community, we would feel as though we are left out in the rain (*sawdust er;whatever.) without a point of reference or validation.
We understand that in order to start a new business or endeavor and build on your own skills in a given field, you need to have a network of folks that you can reach out to. It is so important to acknowledge the people in your community (whether it be local or virtual) who have more wisdom and experience than you. It provides us with encouragement and allows us to push forward in order to improve. Be open-minded and accept criticism as an opportunity to refine your approach to your business or craft. We feel so lucky to have a wonderful network of friends and family who have inspiring entrepreneurial spirits and are also always willing to share what they've learned.
So, here's a challenge; work on building your community and find people that you can help and who can help you, to stay on the path of growth (business or otherwise).
There is a little book out there by Austin Kleon, called Show Your Work. The theme of it is just that there is so much to gain by sharing. He speaks about how it's so important to teach and share your knowledge with your community and to let go of the fear that your ideas will be compromised. Have confidence in what you know and your assets. Instead of shutting people out, let them in and create a community of sharing rather than just using your network to perpetually pitch what you're trying to sell.
We can all identify one or two companies out there who spam the living daylights out of your social media feeds and inboxes with sales pitch after sales pitch. At the end of the day we all want to learn something and feel enriched. My favorite point that he makes in this book is that the more you teach the more you learn. He likens ones knowledge base to a tank that becomes depleted when you teach and then forces you to learn more to refill the tank.
This all being said, Jon and I wanted to start this blog to share some things with you all. We have 3 ideas for blog post types; A Look Inside, Life Outside the Shop and Creative Stories.
For A Look Inside, we'll share our trials and tribulations of small business, product development, learning a new skill or adapting to a new tool/machine. For our Life Outside the Shop, you'll find lifestyle features. We want to let you in to our world by sharing our adventures and other interests with you. Really, this will be a great kick in the a to get us out of the shop! And lastly, for our Creative Stories, we want to feature some creatives that we know near and far to [hopefully] keep you inspired!
We're setting out to post once or twice a month, so we hope you check back in!
All the Best,
Deana