Stumbling Around In The Dark

One reason I know so darn much about running a business as a solopreneur is I’ve been doing it for over 20 years.

And what amazes me, what never changes, is that the learning curve is always ahead of me. I used to think there was a catch-up point, and I’d race for it. Took a while for me to notice that each time I got close, the curve simply… reinvented itself.

And no matter how much I learn, there are these places where I am stumbling in the dark.

1. Blog Posts – my Achilles heel. I know the rules: post at least 3 to 4 times a week. Some weeks I’m running hot and writing a post or two flows. Other weeks, I just plain put it off – nothing’s bubbling up to the surface and I hate writing boilerplate material just to cover my tail.

I’ve tried guest posts. I’ve tried creating a schedule. I’ve tried tip style posts. Personal posts…you name it. Alyson Stanfield and Joan Stewart are my blog heros and I swear there’s no way I can live up to their productivity and it makes me crazy with self criticism.

2. Data – Ouch…numbers. So Google analytics (which is great, btw) comes into my inbox every week. Do I go even look at the darn thing? (So you’re wondering how I know it’s great.)  Okay, I’ll go look – be back in a sec….

I’m back, here’s what I learned: I’m getting 1 referral from email.fatcow.com. Huh? Now I’m going to have to go check out that site. And, what do I know that is the slightest bit helpful? Thank goodness I have the world’s best marketing coach and she’s slowly getting my head around numbers and how critical they are to running this show.

3. Focus – Even as I write this I’m being exquisitely distracted by Lizz Wright’s stunning “Walk With Me” video. Which I discovered in a tweet while I was being distracted from my priority to-do list for today…and so it goes. It was suggested that I don’t actually have enough on that to-do list, that adding a really BIG project, or two, would compress the urgency to get the smaller stuff done. We’ll see. I’m ever so skeptical, but game to try.

What I have learned, thank goodness, is to be gentle with myself when things go boo in the night because I’m stumbling around. And to be grateful for what I do well, like the telesummit.

What are your stumbling blocks? What have you learned from them? I’d love to know.

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One place I know you quake just a little is finding the perfect audience for your art.

I’m hosting Molly Gordon TONIGHT (Tues, July 20) – 7pm ET – on a free 90-min, teleclass: “5 Proven Steps to Getting More Collectors and Art buyers Even if You’re Allergic to Biz.”

Register even if you can’t make it, and we’ll send you the recording.