If you told me even three years ago that I’d be sitting here excitedly poring over Human Resources exam materials – I most definitely would have laughed you off.
Yet here I am, utterly giddy about this unexpected career transition. How did we get here? In hindsight, I suppose it started back in Macedonia, when my pie in the sky dream wasn’t playing out as I’d pictured.
Tip: go ahead and forgive yourself for all hasty (or not so hasty) decisions made before age 27, prior to the brain fully developing. You had the best of intentions, and it will all make sense eventually <3
It wasn’t until a few years later I came to realize getting my chosen degrees and joining Peace Corps and then coming back and starting an epic community-changing nonprofit wasn’t theonlypossiblewayIcouldsavetheworld or have a positive impact on others’ lives. But sometimes you don’t know what you don’t actually want until you experience it.
Over the past 6 years of building my business, I’ve absorbed everything I could about creative entrepreneurship, online business, art marketing and the many models available to build said business. What I didn’t expect was the spiritual journey that comes with solopreneurship. I’ve gone deep into the rabbit hole that is self-development, mindset and aligning with who I really am in order to create a business and life that’s an extension of that Self. And learning, as Abraham Hicks has said,
“You are the creation, not your business.”
Throughout this process, I’ve come to know my Self in a beautiful and loving way, and with that knowing, my life evolves to meet me where I am.
I’ve learned what parts of building and owning a business I love, and where my Zone of Genius is – also learning what parts I don’t love, am not good at, and can outsource to other amazing women whose Zone of Genius it is.
But it took me awhile to get there. Once the business took off, I thought it would only continue to grow. I didn’t speculate the rollercoaster of income, the intense 60+ hour weeks, the way it can completely consume your life, the isolation, nor the drastic impact relocating would have on the business model.
After years of trial and error, audience growth and analysis, product experiments and honing what roles I own and what I should automate, eliminate or delegate, I’ve feel that I’ve finally reached a balance. I now understand that I don’t need to (and shouldn’t) DIY every element of the business, trying to learn every last thing about every last thing, and trying to be everywhere, at all times.
Investing in and supporting other women professionals in their Zone of Genius is beyond worth it, and vital to your growth.
I should have paid an SEO pro years ago, for example. The amount of time I spent trying to learn and implement such things far outweighed the cost in the long-term. It also took away time spent in my own Zone of Genius, which is a far more efficient place to be.
Most importantly, I’ve learned what I really want my creative business to look like. I’m not into relying on my paintings to pay my bills. It takes the fun out of it, and can definitely lead to burnout if you don’t catch it in time. I wanted to restructure my business so that it still has the joy of a creative hobby, while also generating passive income that I’m not emotionally attached to. One where I’m only doing the things I love, and none of the things I don’t. So I did!
The launch of Cedar Creative Print Company is symbolic of that shift for me <3
This evolution of the past few years has also led me to understanding what ‘saving the world’ looks like for me as an individual, and how I can get back to that in my daily life – a feeling I’ve been lacking while consumed by the business. I’ve learned that my particular passion is helping others (women especially) to realize what amazingness lies within them, and help them move toward fulfilling that potential.
This can obviously look a million different ways, so I employed a career coach and began digging deep into my skills, experiences, desires, perspectives, and assessing myself silly. And at the end of every trail was Human Resources Leadership.
I was continuously surprised, and even remembered a time back in college when someone mistook my major of Human Services for Human Resources and I scoffed with disdain at the idea – how could I help anyone or find any joy from a cubicle in an HR department? How dare they?!
But everything was aligning. Within days I was enrolled in a certification program. A few days later I received an opportunity to intern with an organization that supports other military spouses like myself in career development. And the more I learn, the more I realize what a perfect fit it was all along.
So here I am, still shocked at this transition, and so very excited!
I have no idea what sort of space I’ll find myself in, but I’ve returned to fully trusting and listening to my intuition – I realized that neglecting it is when the darkness tends to loom and the mindset is negatively affected. And now, I seriously can’t wait to see where this path leads me.
So cheers to new chapters, to evolution, to gaining clarity, and to honoring our Inner Selves.
All the love,
Emily
