The mentoring process, for me, has been a very interesting one indeed. I started this competition with a small company offering a simple service. A service I believed in, a service that I was proud of... but also a service I was struggling to persuade people they needed. I had launched amidst an appalling economic climate as budgetary belts tightened all over London. However, I knew my established competitors were working so surely budgets were stretching. I could have continued in the same direction hoping to muscle in on the existing market. Given time and the right PR I probably would have got there. Or... I could take the radical option.
Ready to Leap
What I thought would be a relatively straightforward process of refining and 'relaunching' with renewed vigour -not to mention some great contacts all thanks to a very savvy businesswoman, has turned into Divine taking on a whole new life of its own. I'm now on the egde of an incredibly high diving board (you all know that feeling), about to launch myself and my business head first into a rebrand, reshape and a complete repositioning in the market!! Am I crazy? Probably. Am I enjoying it? YES (after the sheer terror and insecurity subsided that is). Of course a mentor's word is not gospel but I started this business with the feeling that the tide may take me in a very different direction... as long as I was open to it. So open I was -well, maybe not entirely from the beginning but open I sure am now.
The Tide is High...
A rather frustrating month since my last blog: so much hinges on my new website/logo/promotional material. Everybody assures me this process aaalways takes longer than you expect but the weeks are flying by, the competition is almost over and I don't feel like I've even started! I sometimes feel like I've burst out of the blocks and tripped over my own shoelaces, then watched in dismay as everybody else hurtles past me towards the finish line... as far as the competition within the competition goes I definitely feel as though I'm lagging behind. The goals I outlined at the beginning of the competition (what I hoped to acheive at 3months, then at 6) are completely redundant. It's no longer about securing X amount of contracts, having X amounts of weekly engagements; it's something much, much bigger. It has been a massive learning curve and a journey of real self discovery to boot, so I realise this experience in itself has made it all worthwhile. I don't want to give too much away at this point so bare with the vagueness - all will be revealed in good time.
Moving Forward
I met with an utterly delightful business contact of Krista's who will be doing my PR once everything is in order. She waits poised, Blackberry in hand for a concrete date my website will come to life like a beautiful cyber-butterfly emerging from its chrysalis so she can start waving her wand and getting me some press. PR was something I mistakenly overlooked the last time around... it seems so obvious now but I just wasn't thinking in the scale and scope of London terms.
Tomorrow I begin study towards another massage qualification to add to my slowly but steadily expanding repertoire. In refining the copy for the upcoming new and improved Divine website, as well as labouring over press releases I have started to dream in marketing-speak. What better way to get inspired about selling my incredible massage service than to immerse myself in massage itself for a couple of weeks.
'Till next time...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Don't Burst my Bubble!
Reading over my last blog I could almost feel the sun shining and hear the birds chirping. It all seemed very rosy indeed.... my my, how things changed in the days that followed...
Don't Count Your Chickens
Firstly, the very next day the large sum of money that was coming to me through personal acting endeavors was all of a sudden in jeopardy. The Americans decided they might not air the commercial - meaning I wouldn't get paid anywhere near the amount I was counting on. At the time this obstacle seemed insurmountable. This money was vital to cover said branding/website, put me through a costly massage course to refresh my skills... and to live, albeit frugally, for several months at least. I had exhausted my savings, was the proud owner of a maxed out credit card and had already borrowed from family. To be completely honest this competition was the sole thing that kept me from throwing it all in.
Look Before You Leap
Secondly -- and I shall keep this very brief as it's all in the past now and I came through it thankfully unscathed -- the very next day after that (following the monetary blow) came a niggling little feeling about the working relationship I was about to enter into (when and IF I eventually found the funds). Without going into further detail be very, very cautious before going into business with any party whatsoever, do your research and don't sign anything without a lawyer looking over it first. I was desperate both time and money wise and I needed a website fast... I was razzle dazzled and almost got myself into a spot of bother. Enough about that though.
A Complete Blur
Needless to say, Christmas was not the glorious relaxing family break I had been hoping for. My ego was bruised, I was broke, overeating, bursting into tears at the slightest thing AND I didn't have a website... or the money to pay for one. It all seemed rather bleak and once again I'm not sure that I would have possessed the fortitude to stick it out had it not been for this fabulous competition! It all seemed too hard.
Show of Solidarity
Last week was a long overdue get together of the fellow winners organised for us by the sharp and brilliant fellow mentee Michelle Peers. I'm already looking forward to the next one and hopefully we manage to complete the group this time. It really should be something we do much more often, certainly for the duration of the competition but also beyond, when we'll be fending for ourselves.
All Hail 2009!
On the 15th (yes only 4 days ago) the indecisive Americans put me out of my wretched misery and gave me the good news that the TV commerecial will air and I will in fact receive my full fee. Ohhhh the relief!! The pure unadulterated glee that washed over me when I opened that email.
I can now move forward! I DO want to make a success of Divine - and I can.
Reconnecting and Refocusing.
My second meeting with Krista was invaluable in reigning me back in. It had been a tumultuous month and I was feeling a very scattered. We went over the angle I need to take (bearing this dreaded recession in mind), looked at how I can diversify slightly and really cemented all this in my mind. I really am back to square one when it comes to a website but I have an even clearer approach and two lovely webdesign companies that I will decide between this week. The deposit has been paid on my course and I begin my refresher Diploma course next month too. Yay hooray.
Til' next time....
Don't Count Your Chickens
Firstly, the very next day the large sum of money that was coming to me through personal acting endeavors was all of a sudden in jeopardy. The Americans decided they might not air the commercial - meaning I wouldn't get paid anywhere near the amount I was counting on. At the time this obstacle seemed insurmountable. This money was vital to cover said branding/website, put me through a costly massage course to refresh my skills... and to live, albeit frugally, for several months at least. I had exhausted my savings, was the proud owner of a maxed out credit card and had already borrowed from family. To be completely honest this competition was the sole thing that kept me from throwing it all in.
Look Before You Leap
Secondly -- and I shall keep this very brief as it's all in the past now and I came through it thankfully unscathed -- the very next day after that (following the monetary blow) came a niggling little feeling about the working relationship I was about to enter into (when and IF I eventually found the funds). Without going into further detail be very, very cautious before going into business with any party whatsoever, do your research and don't sign anything without a lawyer looking over it first. I was desperate both time and money wise and I needed a website fast... I was razzle dazzled and almost got myself into a spot of bother. Enough about that though.
A Complete Blur
Needless to say, Christmas was not the glorious relaxing family break I had been hoping for. My ego was bruised, I was broke, overeating, bursting into tears at the slightest thing AND I didn't have a website... or the money to pay for one. It all seemed rather bleak and once again I'm not sure that I would have possessed the fortitude to stick it out had it not been for this fabulous competition! It all seemed too hard.
Show of Solidarity
Last week was a long overdue get together of the fellow winners organised for us by the sharp and brilliant fellow mentee Michelle Peers. I'm already looking forward to the next one and hopefully we manage to complete the group this time. It really should be something we do much more often, certainly for the duration of the competition but also beyond, when we'll be fending for ourselves.
All Hail 2009!
On the 15th (yes only 4 days ago) the indecisive Americans put me out of my wretched misery and gave me the good news that the TV commerecial will air and I will in fact receive my full fee. Ohhhh the relief!! The pure unadulterated glee that washed over me when I opened that email.
I can now move forward! I DO want to make a success of Divine - and I can.
Reconnecting and Refocusing.
My second meeting with Krista was invaluable in reigning me back in. It had been a tumultuous month and I was feeling a very scattered. We went over the angle I need to take (bearing this dreaded recession in mind), looked at how I can diversify slightly and really cemented all this in my mind. I really am back to square one when it comes to a website but I have an even clearer approach and two lovely webdesign companies that I will decide between this week. The deposit has been paid on my course and I begin my refresher Diploma course next month too. Yay hooray.
Til' next time....
Friday, December 12, 2008
Chapter 3... Let the Branding Begin
Let the Branding Begin
I've had a fortuitous breakthrough in the last week, which after the kick-start Divine received from the Fresh Ideas mentoring competition makes me feel like my luck must surely be running out soon... or the fates are truly smiling on me.
A word of advice to anyone starting a new business -particularly one operating in social spheres: accept every invitation and attend every function or event you can. This is networking 101 to those with a nose for business and it quickly becomes so to others (like me) who have learned it from experience. It's often the chance meetings and introductions through mutual friends that lead to the beginnings of business relationships than following the conventional channels, such as researching lists of companies and spending exhausting hours on the internet.
The More You Know, the More You Don't Know
One of the key areas that Krista and I agreed needed addressing was Divine's website. Since cementing which specific aspects required the most attention my partner and I had spent days reformulating the content with a much clearer idea of how it should best reflect our fantastic service. This proved a far more difficult task than I had expected! Ironically, with a much more focused vision of what I wanted the site to convey (not only information-wise but also in terms of projecting a certain overall feel and ethos) I found it much harder than when I first wrote the site's copy in the very early days of Divine. Needless to say, that original site didn't work as well as I'd hoped and anticipated... a fact which has been wincingly reiterated to me many times these past few weeks, but most recently by the branding company I now have helping me do the overhaul!
A Bolt from the Blue
Last week I happened to meet the head honcho of a branding company at a social event; I told him all about Divine, the mentoring competition, where I was with everything etc. and he was really interested. He loved the idea of Divine and liked the brand as it currently was but saw loads of room for growth and development. Anyway, to cut a longish story short, after a subsequent meeting I now have a fantastic company building a new website to reflect our reinvention! This couldn't have come at a better time since Krista had made it clear that what I heretofore had wasn't going to work in the PR stratosphere she was intending to introduce me to; the branding team are very much on the same page as me (and vicariously, Krista) and so hopefully I'm in for happy days.
So, I very much feel like I've had an early Christmas this year, but after the difficult last few months I can't help also quietly thinking I do deserve it. On the Christmas note, the festive season actually is a bit of an annoyance in a way, as it's going to be a couple of weeks hiatus from the momentum I'm steadily building up and very much enjoying. Still, I expect I'll be humming a different tune come the 25th, when I'm sitting before a traditional lavish Greek Christmas dinner with my family in Athens!
I've had a fortuitous breakthrough in the last week, which after the kick-start Divine received from the Fresh Ideas mentoring competition makes me feel like my luck must surely be running out soon... or the fates are truly smiling on me.
A word of advice to anyone starting a new business -particularly one operating in social spheres: accept every invitation and attend every function or event you can. This is networking 101 to those with a nose for business and it quickly becomes so to others (like me) who have learned it from experience. It's often the chance meetings and introductions through mutual friends that lead to the beginnings of business relationships than following the conventional channels, such as researching lists of companies and spending exhausting hours on the internet.
The More You Know, the More You Don't Know
One of the key areas that Krista and I agreed needed addressing was Divine's website. Since cementing which specific aspects required the most attention my partner and I had spent days reformulating the content with a much clearer idea of how it should best reflect our fantastic service. This proved a far more difficult task than I had expected! Ironically, with a much more focused vision of what I wanted the site to convey (not only information-wise but also in terms of projecting a certain overall feel and ethos) I found it much harder than when I first wrote the site's copy in the very early days of Divine. Needless to say, that original site didn't work as well as I'd hoped and anticipated... a fact which has been wincingly reiterated to me many times these past few weeks, but most recently by the branding company I now have helping me do the overhaul!
A Bolt from the Blue
Last week I happened to meet the head honcho of a branding company at a social event; I told him all about Divine, the mentoring competition, where I was with everything etc. and he was really interested. He loved the idea of Divine and liked the brand as it currently was but saw loads of room for growth and development. Anyway, to cut a longish story short, after a subsequent meeting I now have a fantastic company building a new website to reflect our reinvention! This couldn't have come at a better time since Krista had made it clear that what I heretofore had wasn't going to work in the PR stratosphere she was intending to introduce me to; the branding team are very much on the same page as me (and vicariously, Krista) and so hopefully I'm in for happy days.
So, I very much feel like I've had an early Christmas this year, but after the difficult last few months I can't help also quietly thinking I do deserve it. On the Christmas note, the festive season actually is a bit of an annoyance in a way, as it's going to be a couple of weeks hiatus from the momentum I'm steadily building up and very much enjoying. Still, I expect I'll be humming a different tune come the 25th, when I'm sitting before a traditional lavish Greek Christmas dinner with my family in Athens!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Chapter 2... The Heavens Part
The Heavens Part
It really has been a week of knuckling down at Divine HQ as we've exhaustively set about revamping our branding and our marketing angle. This has been liberating and exciting to say the least.
I certainly wouldn't change the last nine months, as the learning experience it's been for me, but lets just say... cries of pain, tears of joy. We're on track now and couldn't be happier. The existing website comes down tomorrow to be replaced by holding page with a brief but accurate sampling of the new Divine style and direction. I can't wait. At the same time I've opened my eyes and ears up to the stimulus all around me, which, as we instinctively cocoon our senses against the oncoming winter, feels like an unnatural thing to be doing. However I've been greedily devouring every magazine, television advert, tube station poster and overheard conversation for ideas and inspiration... and I've felt myself getting 'in the zone' as it were; and it's a wonderful feeling to experience such a renewed enthusiasm in one's own creation.
On this note, what's funny is that in just the last couple of weeks I seem to have met more people who are interested in Divine, asked for business cards, suggested avenues to explore and people to call etc. etc. etc. than usual.... it appears to be a karmic thing. Several times over the past few days I've caught myself telling someone or other about my company and thought it sounds like someone else speaking, such is the renewed passion! So, I guess there's not too much tangible to report this time but I have made leaps and bounds in my own confidence and passion for my little business.
Krista and I have a phone catch up scheduled for tomorrow so no doubt there'll be more exciting developments...
It really has been a week of knuckling down at Divine HQ as we've exhaustively set about revamping our branding and our marketing angle. This has been liberating and exciting to say the least.
I certainly wouldn't change the last nine months, as the learning experience it's been for me, but lets just say... cries of pain, tears of joy. We're on track now and couldn't be happier. The existing website comes down tomorrow to be replaced by holding page with a brief but accurate sampling of the new Divine style and direction. I can't wait. At the same time I've opened my eyes and ears up to the stimulus all around me, which, as we instinctively cocoon our senses against the oncoming winter, feels like an unnatural thing to be doing. However I've been greedily devouring every magazine, television advert, tube station poster and overheard conversation for ideas and inspiration... and I've felt myself getting 'in the zone' as it were; and it's a wonderful feeling to experience such a renewed enthusiasm in one's own creation.
On this note, what's funny is that in just the last couple of weeks I seem to have met more people who are interested in Divine, asked for business cards, suggested avenues to explore and people to call etc. etc. etc. than usual.... it appears to be a karmic thing. Several times over the past few days I've caught myself telling someone or other about my company and thought it sounds like someone else speaking, such is the renewed passion! So, I guess there's not too much tangible to report this time but I have made leaps and bounds in my own confidence and passion for my little business.
Krista and I have a phone catch up scheduled for tomorrow so no doubt there'll be more exciting developments...
Chapter 1... A Divine Intervention
A Divine Intervention
I am over the moon to be part of this competition! To be in the company of such incredibly inspiring female entrepreneurs, both mentors and mentees alike, is surreal... I keep having to pinch myself.
Being matched with Krista Madden really couldn't be a better fit. Her years of experience working in the fields of beauty, fashion, luxury treatments, entertainment and online marketing/branding (all areas that I've been aiming to break into with Divine) means her guidance will be invaluable. She fully understands my ideal clientele and what they want.
Pairing Up
We treated the dinner at the BT Tower as our first meeting and got straight down to business, examining the key areas of Divine that needed attention; where I'm at right now and where I need to be... fast!
Homework
My homework for the week was to look very closely at Divine's competitors, examining their branding, marketing strategies and clients. Her observations about areas that needed improvement were spot on. She suggested I immediately embark on not a rebranding as such, but a thorough revamping of Divine's image. In essence, where I was faltering was that in trying to distinguish myself from my competition branding and ethos-wise I had neglected to give myself a strong enough image: I had up to this point unwittingly defined Divine simply by what it was not.
Knuckling Down
I am currently brainstorming and researching scores of other websites and publications in order to 'inject some oomph' into Divine's branding. Seeing my fledgling business through her experienced eye has been refreshing to say the least! It becomes so hard to stand back and get an objective view after a while. I completely understand and agree with Krista's suggestions and advice up to this point and she obviously understands what it is that I have created in Divine... and what it needs to be steered towards success. Something tells me this will be a very successful partnership.
A New Dawn
Overall and fundamentally I'm thrilled to feel a sense of validation in Divine through Krista's and Fresh Ideas' interest, after a lengthy period of really feeling like a rudderless ship. I now have the power (and all important confidence) back and a clear and exciting road ahead of me.
'Til next week....
I am over the moon to be part of this competition! To be in the company of such incredibly inspiring female entrepreneurs, both mentors and mentees alike, is surreal... I keep having to pinch myself.
Being matched with Krista Madden really couldn't be a better fit. Her years of experience working in the fields of beauty, fashion, luxury treatments, entertainment and online marketing/branding (all areas that I've been aiming to break into with Divine) means her guidance will be invaluable. She fully understands my ideal clientele and what they want.
Pairing Up
We treated the dinner at the BT Tower as our first meeting and got straight down to business, examining the key areas of Divine that needed attention; where I'm at right now and where I need to be... fast!
Homework
My homework for the week was to look very closely at Divine's competitors, examining their branding, marketing strategies and clients. Her observations about areas that needed improvement were spot on. She suggested I immediately embark on not a rebranding as such, but a thorough revamping of Divine's image. In essence, where I was faltering was that in trying to distinguish myself from my competition branding and ethos-wise I had neglected to give myself a strong enough image: I had up to this point unwittingly defined Divine simply by what it was not.
Knuckling Down
I am currently brainstorming and researching scores of other websites and publications in order to 'inject some oomph' into Divine's branding. Seeing my fledgling business through her experienced eye has been refreshing to say the least! It becomes so hard to stand back and get an objective view after a while. I completely understand and agree with Krista's suggestions and advice up to this point and she obviously understands what it is that I have created in Divine... and what it needs to be steered towards success. Something tells me this will be a very successful partnership.
A New Dawn
Overall and fundamentally I'm thrilled to feel a sense of validation in Divine through Krista's and Fresh Ideas' interest, after a lengthy period of really feeling like a rudderless ship. I now have the power (and all important confidence) back and a clear and exciting road ahead of me.
'Til next week....
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