One Year Later…

A year ago (depending on when you’re listening to this), I became an official podcaster. I learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes, spoke to a lot of people, and went on the ride of a lifetime because I took a leap of faith and invested in another one of my big crazy ideas.

Now, a year later, we are back for season 2 — 6 months later than planned but totally okay — and I am super excited to be back with new conversations, stories, and lessons to share.

For today’s episode, our anniversary episode, I didn’t want to dive right back into the usual designpreneur topics but I also wanted the conversation to be meaningful and not just “where have we been for the past 6 months”. I decided that, thinking back on the past 6 months of The Design Influence, as well as Albie Knows, I wanted to share with y’all some of my key takeaways. Y'all know I love a good list so this seemed like the perfect way to kick off the new season — 8 lessons I learned while starting over.

So if you’re just a tad been curious as to where I’ve been, the pivots I’ve made, and all that it’s taught me, grab your coffee (or tea) and let’s chat.

In case you’re new to this show, new to me, and just stumbled here somehow — hi, welcome, glad to have you! Before I dive in I want to give you a brief rundown of this whole situation, but if you’re not new here, feel free to skip ahead, lol.

Hi, I’m Albie! I’m an online interior designer and content creator. I am also a military wife, toddler mom, and west coast transplant originally hailing from New York City. In the past year, I have added a few more titles to my hat including published author and visual merchandising manager.

Last year I decided to launch this podcast, after trying quite a few different ways to connect with my fellow designpreneurs, as a way to literally talk to y’all — more detailed than a blog but also more intimate than a conference. While the show was mostly me talking, I also invited some of my favs in the industry to come and share their stories. P.S. you should totally binge season 1 if you haven’t already!

When season 1 wrapped in the spring, the plan was to come back in the fall but alas, life had other plans. With every pivot was a lesson so let’s get to em, shall we?

Plans Change… And That’s Okay.

I wish I could say that the delay of season 2 was the only pivot I had to make but 2019 was riddled with “oh shit” moments that forced me to constantly be on my toes — from a health scare to an unexpected deployment, it was pivot after pivot after pivot.

While at the beginning I tried to resist the changes, because I was so stubborn and fixated on my precious plans, I eventually (begrudgingly) learned that there was beauty in the changes. It was probably one of the most painful lessons for me to learn, but also one that allowed me to embrace (and dance) with the unknown.

So many additional opportunities were birthed once I was able to let go of my broken plans.

Hustling Isn’t A Badge of Honor

I’m sure we’ve all heard some variation of this, but I definitely lived it. In hindsight, I was probably hustling backward because the harder I worked, the further away I seemed from my goals. More than this, it put a strain on my health, my marriage, and my finances.

So what is the point of the hustle?

On the surface — to many of y’all even —it seemed awesome, but the truth was it sucked…like a lot. Since choosing to slow it down, I have seen more progress and had more peace…more than in a really long time actually.

My 2020 word of the year is balance and in creating my vision board for the new year I found a graphic that perfectly summed it up — crossing out the word hustle and replacing it with balance. Yes, please.

It Really Is Okay To Walk Away From Entrepreneurship

On episode 9 of season 1, I talked all about walking away from entrepreneurship. Who knew that just four months later, I would be doing exactly that. And guess what — no one died, the world didn’t end, and life is great.

While I clearly still have my independent endeavors like this show, my blog, and my book, I’ve been able to focus my talents in a way that’s been really refreshing. With everything that was going in my life, I needed to take a breather.

Time was being invested into client work, but also into acquiring clients — the constant hustle and constant anxiety was suffocating me and something had to give. So I called on my previous life as a visual merchandiser and was able to couple that with what entrepreneurship taught me to secure a visual merchandising manager role with one of my fav home retailers.

No longer having to run the ship gave me the space (and grace) to focus on being creative and then unplug when the day’s over. What a novel idea!

Starting Over Isn’t Failure

In nearly every facet of my life — professionally and personally — I have had to start over.

I resisted the new beginnings because I felt like I was failing but really, I was evolving…growing. In starting over, I have strengthened my health, my family, and my finances. While it was an uncomfortable experience, most things worth having start with a little discomfort. The fear of failure was an extension of insecurities that I had to work through. Shifting my mindset was the first step in not only healing but also succeeding.

All Skills Are Transferable…And Re-Transferable

Lemme explain…

I’ve shared this lesson before but I think it is worse repeating. My transition into interior design was a culmination of my work experience and education — I wasn’t classically trained in design but I used my previously acquired skills in visual merchandising, architecture, and marketing to launch Albie Knows. In trying to propel my design business, I picked up and refined a gaggle of additional skills that I brought back to visual merchandising — social media marketing, photography, storytelling, etc.

Everything came full circle, so while in the moment, I temporarily felt like “a waste” nothing learned is truly a waste. Everything I picked up along the way has benefited me in one of my many next chapters.

People Are Always Rooting For You

From attending conferences to writing a book and everything in between, I cannot believe how many people were watching, and more specifically, standing in my corner rooting for me! Even ideas that I had to put on the back burner, like The Influence Directory courses I planned to launch last year, people reached out and were patiently waiting. Whoulda thunk it?!

This level of support is less about ego and more about accountability — putting my big crazy ideas out into the universe for people to see meant I was going to have to do something, say something. It meant challenging myself to step up to the plate or, at the very least, try. And more often than not, people were ready and accepting of what it is I had to offer. With my book, for example, while I didn’t make any NYTimes Best Seller lists, I had so many amazing internet cousins share my book with their audiences, send me kind words of support, and actually purchase the book. P.S. if that’s you, I appreciate you!

So maybe those big crazy ideas weren’t so crazy!

Social Media Is (Can Be) The Great Equalizer

So many of my new opportunities came from social media — design consultations, friends that helped me with the book…hell, even my new job! And if you follow any or all of my pages, then you already know I don’t have thousands and thousands of followers. But every time someone shared something I did or said — including that one time one of my fav influencers shared one of my IG stories — I gain just bit more, making me a tad bit more visible, and allowing me to put myself out there in ways some people think are reserved for larger followings.

Social media can be such an asset if you don’t get caught up in the popularity of it all.

Hell, as of recording this, I’m in the middle of a 21-day “fast” from social media, so I am not opposed to unplugging and walking away when the noise gets too loud. On episode 19 of season 1, I talked all about how I was able to gain collaborations and speaking gigs with less than a thousand followers… yet and still, thanks to social media. Even with my small following and visibility, I still had an even playing field with many of the people that I admire.

It’s Okay To Say No

I kicked off last year with such momentum that I just knew 2019 was going to be filled with huge opportunities, from beginning to end; but about halfway through the year, I found myself having to make tough choices…

having to sacrifice…

having to say no.

I had to say no to other people and I had to say no to myself.

I had to skip conferences I’d already paid for, turn down speaking opportunities I worked hard for, and walk away from exciting new projects. These were all things I wanted and waited so long for but when the time came life (and God) had other plans for me. Saying no was not easy, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was necessary to make room for what mattered. I had to prioritize my health, my family, and my peace, so that meant being able to let go and trust then when the time is right, bigger and better would come my way again.

If you’ve ever been around me for any significant amount of time, then you’ve probably heard me say “everything happens for a reason”. It’s a phrase I live by simply because even if we don’t understand or like what we’re going through, there is a reason for it… there’s a lesson to be learned, and I am always looking for and open to life’s lessons. I could’ve let this past year of ups & downs send me into a downward spiral — I was pretty damn close to be honest — but instead, I chose to find the lessons, lessons that I could turn around and use for the next chapter.

Chances are you’re listening to this show because you’re in a season of learning in your business journey — whether it’s literally learning form all the webinars and all the experts, or learning from your experiences, like I have. I’m excited to be part of your journey, and I am just as excited to share my journey with you.

There’s gonna be some changes to the podcast but you can still expect the same candid and caffeinated conversations you’re used to (unless you’re new to the show, in which case, buckle up buttercup!). Starting off the season by sharing these lessons with you, I wanted to get you thinking about the year ahead, thinking about how you can start paying attention to what’s happening in your life and business, and what all of it might be teaching you. Even in the midst of the worst situations, there is something to be learned, so here’s to another year of lessons.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss any of the new upcoming episodes. Even in my silence, I’ve been recording — y’all know I love batching! — so I would hate for you to miss any of what’s in store. To catch up with me off the show, be sure to follow along with @thedesigninfluence and @albieknows on Instagram. Til next time friends…