In this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, I answer a question from a designer about finding motivation to keep your business running.
Q: “Jane, I am loving your new Podcast, or “Fodcast” as you call it. I wonder if you would consider answering my question? How can I stay more motivated in my business? I’ve been doing it 2 ½ years now and overall, it’s good. My business is growing slowly but I’m still not making enough money to support myself completely and some days that just gets me down. I end up shopping for shoes online or perusing Pinterest instead of working. Any advice for me?” Thanks in advance! Your business crush, Dana (in Los Angeles)
A: Well, Dana, you’re in luck because I can definitely relate! I think we’ve all been there and there’s usually a reason for this lack of motivation. The first thing I would probably ask you is when was the last time you had a vacation or some time off? If you take that issue out of the way, I have 3 things to share with you about staying motivated.
Listen up for my 3 strategies (20 minutes)…
You can also right click this link and “save as” to download the mp3 to any device.
In this episode, we cover:
- What seems like lack of motivation but can really be THIS
- Why we feel wishy-washy about work some days and how to fix it
- How to run a marathon and actually finish it (you’ll understand if you listen!)
- Setting a simple goal that you actually REALLY want to make happen
- How deadlines can actually help you have more fun at work
- Long projects vs. short term projects
- Why we all need to feel connected – even in business
- Why motivation’s like taking a shower
- Negative effects of not knowing where your business is going
I also talk about the relationship between “connectedness” (assuming that’s a real word) and happiness – and I think happiness includes feeling motivated to go to work. In my experience, what works for your personal life is the same for business. Here’s what PBS has to say…
“All of us need other people in order to be well and thrive. We feel better just being around other people. And we need close relationships in order to be happy.” – PBS website
PBS also goes on to define the characteristics of a “close relationship” which includes:
- Mutual understanding
- A source of direct help in times of trouble
- Celebration of good times
- Validation of self-worth
- A diversity of ideas and influences to help us grow and learn
- Fun
And when you think about it, wouldn’t you and your business be better off if you felt you had a place for theses things in your business? If you had place to turn for a “source of direct help in times of trouble”, a safe place to embrace a “diversity of ideas and influences to help us grow and learn”, and peers to celebrate good time with and share “mutual understanding” of running a fashion business??!!! Hell yes! (That’s why I offer this marketing mastermind group and this one for startups).
So now it’s YOUR turn. Did you like this episode? If you did then please LIKE it and SHARE it. I would appreciate it more than you know – as I want to get this in the hands of more struggling designers and creatives.
And don’t make me do all the work here, OK? The BEST PART of my day is hearing from YOU! ANd yes, it does help me stay motivated. Can you give me a specific example of one thing you do to stay motivated?
Or, can you tell me about a specific time when you didn’t feel motivated but you pushed through it? What did you do? What works for you? Just leave a comment below.
As always, thanks for reading and listening!
Jane
6 Responses
This is so good Jane,
I am working on my next collection and having trouble getting started. and am almost over the hump!
Only problem is I am scheduled to leave on vacation tomorrow for a week. So I am bringing a sketch books, notes and tear sheets to help me get a head start.
I felt isolated working at home so i rented an office in a small quaint office building in a picturesque area and share it with another professional woman. The interaction with my office mate as well as office neighbors has really enriched my daily work experience. I love being part of a group and having some minor accountability as people do wonder where I am if they don’t see me!! I am so happy I did this!
Thanks for the podcast!
Hi Dee Dee! Great to hear from you and good for you on the office space. It can be pretty lonely to work from and it sounds like you found a great solution.
Thanks for sharing Jane! Motivation can definitely waiver at times, especially since I’m just starting my business and still working another job. A few things have been working to keep my motivation up… As you mentioned, I remind myself of my long-term goals every week and I wrote down a thorough plan of all actions I need to get done each month to reach my goals. Then I’ve found that if I get stuck in one area, I can focus on another task for a while to keep up progress, or read a motivational article/book or listen to one of your trainings! Lastly, if I don’t find the energy to pick up my computer, I start just thinking about what I need to do and how I’m going to do it, then I usually end up diving into the task. So far it’s been keeping me on track!
Good for you, Tanya! I like how you take a multi-channel approach to find your motivation.
Hi,
Great episode!! I recently found your site and I LOVE the podcasts. I’ve been looking for a fashion design and business focused podcast for FOREVER and I love love love this one! So thank you!
Anywho, I often feel unmotivated when I hear about overnight success stories and people who launched their business and it just took off right away. I’ve had my business a year, been doing it full time for around 6 months and it is hard work. So when I start to feel that way I try to talk to other people who are in the same boat as me. I talk to my husband who can always make me feel better and get me back to being motivated. I also tell myself that I can do this and if I work hard enough it will happen. I also listen to a lot of podcasts to keep me motivated!!
Hi Jennifer! I actually DESPISE overnight success stories because they really put entrepreneurs in a bad mental state. And the stories are so rare – yet so widely reported – that we can start to feel inadequate. It took me 5 YEARS – FIVE – to make real money with my clothing line and retail store. 2 of those years I had a stomach ache almost every day from excitement / fear / worry — Hang in there and keep taking IMPERFECT action every day. You’ll get there — your line is beautiful!