You Wanna Make God Laugh, Tell em’ Your Plans

Have you ever had the feeling that God is laughing at your concept or plan? I can undoubtedly attest to this emotion, and let me tell you… it serves as a stark reminder that we as humans are not the only ones in control.

What the hell is control anyway? I’m not implying that we should throw caution to the wind. I simply believe that there is a degree of fluidity that we fail to apply when it comes to planning. Having good ideas and developing a strategy to put those ideas into action appear to be the best method. But what happens when those offered ideas fail miserably? How do you handle situations where the joke is on you?

From Plans to Manifesting Your Purpose

My client abruptly terminates my contract without prior written or verbal notice a few months ago – Cinco de Mayo to be exact. What a painful way to say cheers! I wasn’t surprised, which was fortunate for me, and I must admit that I felt relieved. As ego-driven leadership began to have a severe influence on my mental well-being and performance, I could no longer maintain my poker face. When I received the call, I wished the client good luck and thanked him for the opportunity. I was approaching my five-year entrepreneurial anniversary, and at that point, fear, doubt, and uncertainty had long since been banished. As a result, I eagerly anticipated what the Universe had in store for this new chapter.

I utilized meditation to ask the Universe for advice on what to do next. I immediately felt compelled to take a minor detour from the typical freelancing approach in order to dramatically enhance the lives of other designers by sharing my expertise, failures, and triumphs. The pieces fell into place. However, I must admit that it took me some time to find out how to properly connect with designers, issue advice, and make a livelihood. Being an introvert makes it difficult to integrate into the social media industry, which is flooded with influencers. I quickly came to the conclusion that my strategy for effectively integrating into an influencer construct was never the end goal.

Real-world Experiences Give Rise to Fluidity

I began to build a segment of my freelancing firm. It included digital templates for designers who are just starting out and looking to jumpstart their projects. When given tight deadlines and minimal design experience, templates were always my first option as a beginner designer. I wanted to create a platform where designers could learn useful skills within the CX/UX industry while taking part in design challenges. I was ready to connect since I had a strategy in place for this next step of my entrepreneurial journey.

I grabbed my flimsy marketing hat and began rolling out campaigns as soon as the CX/UX template platform was available. An entire month had gone by with no purchases and little participation on social media. I must admit that I started to become concerned. What am I missing here? After seeing multiple YouTube videos on utilizing the blueprint for promoting new products and engaging with your audience, you’d think I’d have a little more traction. Sadly, that was not the case.

Catapulting Without Wings

After three months of utilizing a variety of social networking sites, I gave it some thought. My approach to dealing with this was ineffective. I had a hard time expressing my brand identity because I was trying to fit into this trendy algorithmic box. Being authentic is tough as hell at times, especially in today’s world. You wonder whether other people might truly relate to you. Word to the wise, don’t panic if your well-prepared plan does not turn out as expected; merely reflect. Embrace the ability to pivot and laugh heartily with the Universe. I came to the conclusion that incorporating storytelling and authenticity into my marketing plan moving forward would be the best way to catapult my brand.

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