Katelyn Brooke

In Retrospect

business· personal

20 Oct

Story time! I remember one afternoon in early 2102, I sat at my computer feeling so frustrated. So much had changed for me in the last six months. I’d learned to code online and opened my business selling blog design services to creative women. I’d experienced how much information was out there on the web, and it was pretty incredible.

But I still felt in the dark. I felt like I was plugging away building this business, pouring all my time and energy into it, but I wasn’t sure what IT even was yet. I felt so uneasy because I had no idea where I was headed or whether this crazy thing I was doing was feasible. But most of all, I felt really alone in this entrepreneurial journey.

So I sat at my computer and I asked myself: “what do I want? What will make me feel better?”

At first I thought I just needed to attend a conference. That would solve all my problems. I’d make new friends and they’d tell me about how they’d overcome obstacles and I’d feel more secure in what I was doing. I attended some, and don’t get me wrong- I got a ton out of them. Highly recommend. But they didn’t necessarily scratch the itch that was nagging at me. The voices at the conferences were predominantly positive, and didn’t delve into things with the depth that I was looking for.

After that, I thought I wanted a mentor. But in my gut I knew that there would be something inherently unbalanced in asking someone to devote tons of time to me and my business, in hopes that I would go on to a greater level of success, without being able to offer them anything in return.

Then I thought I needed a coach. But given my personal circumstances at the time, I didn’t feel like I had the money to invest in this fledgeling thing I was building just yet.

Can you see where this is going? I didn’t find what I was looking for just then, but over the course of three years in business, I’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching about what exactly that would have looked like (and what would continue to benefit me to this day.)

It wasn’t something that I’d already seen out there. It wasn’t a typical ecourse with modules and worksheets, but a sharing of personal stories and examples of experiences. I wanted to be a be a little birdie in the office of someone who was farther along than I was, I wanted an internship without having to sacrifice too much time away from client projects that were ultimately getting me paid.

If you subscribe to my email newsletter, you probably know what’s coming. This story leads up to the new ecourse I’ve created called In Retrospect. My hope is that by sharing what I know with you, that you’ll feel less in the dark about what’s ahead. Even though my path isn’t yours, in my experience (through a combination of making friends online, reading blog posts, and my own trial and error) the more you know and the more examples you have, the more you’ll feel comfortable in your own journey, taking your own risks.

I’ve found that there’s power is knowing. And that the more I know, the less there is to fear.

"If you're scared of the dark, turn on a light." || Katelyn Brooke

Interested in joining me? I’ll be talking about my experiences framed around three areas of focus: time, clients, and money. I’m running an early bird registration rate through the end of the week. If you want to sign up, don’t wait- the regular rate takes effect October 25th!

13 Comments

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Comments

  1. Katie says

    October 20, 2014 at 10:06 am

    Do you think this course would be beneficial for ladies who own a handmade fashion business as well? Or will it be more specific to designers/photographers?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:29 am

      Good question! It’ll be geared towards service-based businesses (simply because that’s what my experience is in as a designer) but I’ll also be talking a lot about my experience running my own business and working from home, so if that’s something that you’re interested in I think it will be beneficial. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply
  2. Jamie says

    October 20, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    Congrats! I love that you are taking the time to invest into others who are just starting out. Best of luck!!!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 20, 2014 at 5:24 pm

      Thanks Jamie, I’m really excited about it! :)

      Reply
  3. Allyssa says

    October 20, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    Kate, this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time! I’m signing up now!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 20, 2014 at 5:25 pm

      AHHHHH I’m so excited to have you, Allyssa! Can’t wait for the course to start! :)

      Reply
  4. Courtney says

    October 20, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    Oh, so much yes! I’ve been teetering on the brink of my web design business for months, without a clear path forward and a lot of self doubt. I had told myself no more online courses, but this is EXACTLY what I have been needing. Going to sign up now!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 5, 2014 at 9:54 am

      I’m so glad that you’ll be joining us, Courtney! I’m so excited to dive in :)

      P.S. Sorry for the way late reply!

      Reply
  5. Tanea says

    October 24, 2014 at 11:34 am

    Great idea! I feel just like you felt. I’m searching for something but I don’t know what it is. I overthink everything and make things way more complicated than they need to be!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 5, 2014 at 10:04 am

      Thanks Tanea- it’s always good to know that you’re not alone! I’m hoping this course is really helpful for people who need another perspective and new ideas about how to handle the business side of their creative biz.

      P.S. Sorry for the way late response!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Link Love / 39 — Allyssa Barnes says:
    October 24, 2014 at 1:02 pm

    […] just launched a new ecourse called In Retrospect. If you need help with clients, time, and/or money, it might be the perfect fit for […]

    Reply
  2. Starred this Week says:
    October 24, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    […] blogged the more personal side of the story behind my new ecourse, In Retrospect. (The early bird rate only goes through the weekend, sign up […]

    Reply
  3. 2014 in Review says:
    December 31, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    […] pretty nuts- we attended 6 Thanksgiving dinners and I ran my first ecourse. I also checked Mount Vernon off my bucket […]

    Reply

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