Entrepreneur Life – The Design Tabloid

by Rose McClement

Hello All!

Yes, we have seriously been Missing-in-Action, well, from our social media platforms anyway! We have been active, but as previously said, sometimes the ‘pause button’ had to be hit. Running a design project and keeping up with social media at the same time gets to be a challenge. At times, one of them has to take a backseat. I’m guessing you know which one that has been.

When things get quieter on the design project front, we find it very difficult to get back on the social media ‘horse’ again. I’m sure you know that feeling. It feels like a malaise. The talk in the head goes something like this: “I really would like to get a post out again. I feel I should. It is a marketing tool after all and it has been neglected. One is not supposed to neglect your marketing! And, some peeps have so faithfully supported and followed us all these years since 2011”.

Then, the guilt sets in and that sounds something like this: “Oh gosh, I feel so bad about not having written anything for the longest time. How am I going to show my face in public again?” The evitable next step in the process is Procrastination, followed by the final stage… “going into hiding”. I just hide away and pretend like nothing has happened.

Well, I don’t know about Marica – but I went through all those stages/processes until I finally found the energy to be honest with myself, be kind to myself, and admit that I was in hiding. It was time to come outta hiding and come clean.

by Rose McClement

DO YOU TOOT YOUR OWN HORN? Is that something that you are comfortable with doing?

About two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Abigail Klopper’s Cafinnate Academy online coffee meet-up by means of Facebook Live. Towards the close of the meetup, this issue of ‘tooting your own horn‘ came up. “Do you do it?“, was the question. That touched an open spot for me. It got me thinking about this issue, although I will admit, not very seriously at the time.

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This morning sitting on the edge of the bed, feet on the ground, I was taken back to what I had experienced and felt during COVID. I spoke about it in my last post. It was about the issue of honouring my own voice, my own inner knowing, and just switching off the outside noise and voices. This was something that was going at full tilt at the start and early days of COVID and lockdown.

Today, I almost want to say to this Rose person, “Who are you and what have you done with the Rose that came before you?” That Rose was not tuned in to her own voice, her own opinion, her own mind, her own heart. She was swayed by all the voices around her – gave them more credence and validity. She second and third guessed herself most of the time. She always felt that others knew better than her, were better than her and despite her leadership qualities allowed others to set the pace. She literally handed her power over to them. It was helluva stressful and helluva confusing. There just was no ‘off-switch’ to flip when it came to holding her own space.