Over in this corner of the internet, we don’t just wear pink on Wednesdays.
You can sit with us!
If you grew up in the Mean Girl era, struggled to find your place amongst your friends in school….there’s a high probability you’re now working from home and trying to build your business online.
How do I know?
Because, same girl!
Here’s the thing though……if we are surrounded by the wrong type of people, we will always feel like we are living in a Mean Girl era.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
I have some tips I want to share with you to see the good in the online space, the secrets to finding your tribe and how to build your own table if you realize there isn’t a seat at theirs.
So first off…..let’s just acknowledge the elephant in the room. Instagram can feel SO intimidating. It can feel so triggering and overwhelming, and an immediate time travel back to the high school days. So if you have ever or are currently feeling that way, you are not alone.
But, it can get better.
I want you to get really honest with yourself….how do you really feel after spending time on social media? How do you feel about yourself? How do you feel about those whose posts you saw? How do you feel about your business?
Friend, it’s okay….we have to first realize how it is all making us feel before we can decide to do something about it.
When I first launched my business in November 2021, let me tell you….I was TERRIFIED. I was told I could grow without a social media presence which in itself is true, it’s not a lie…..but I knew I had the potential to scale a lot faster if I could use social media to connect with other business owners.
Then the comparison comes in….woah look at how many followers they have?! Look at how many likes they get?! THEIR BRANDING IS BEAUTIFUL! I barely have a logo, I have never used hashtags before (true story), I have no clue how to make a reel or even schedule a post….which wasn’t even a feature on IG at that time.
I saw fellow business owners seemingly succeeding with ease and I wondered will I ever get there too? Will I ever feel comfortable showing up, showing my face, sharing stories, talking on stories? Will I ever feel comfortable marketing myself?
I also found the whole working for yourself situation incredibly isolating. Your family and friends truly have no clue what you’re doing. I get it, it’s a totally foreign concept. Welcome to the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship. And yet, I knew I needed to connect with other business owners who ‘get it’.
I tried to pull up my own seat to the table. Some days it worked, some days it didn’t.
That is life. It is a reality we all have to accept. Not every person in the world will be your friend, we know that! The same goes for using social media for your business. Not every single person marketing their business online, or even in the same niche as you will be your ‘friend’, in a social media way and beyond.
THAT IS OKAY.
If you have tried to pull up a seat at a table you didn’t feel welcome at…..it’s time to build your own table.
I’ll tell you why, friend….YOU ARE AMAZING. YOUR BUSINESS IS AMAZING. YOU DO NOT NEED EVERYONE TO LOVE YOU TO SUCCEED. YOU DO NOT NEED EVERY SINGLE PERSON TO CHEER YOU ON TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.
Let me repeat….YOU ARE AMAZING AND YOUR BUSINESS IS AMAZING. End of. Facts.
I know it hurts, I know some days are tougher than others but guess what? You CAN build your own table. Maybe right now you just have a little picnic blanket for others to come join you on.
So the next time you start comparing yourself and you’re falling way down that doomsday rabbit hole scroll, remind yourself of this:
To have a friend, you must be a friend.
I want you to give some thought to who you can reach out to, cheer them on, send them a DM to encourage them, comment and like their post, like their story! SHARE their post!
What is your contribution? What are you doing to be a part of the solution?
And, on those few times it is not reciprocated…..remember, not everyone shows up to the party, but focus on the ones who did.
Friend, you got this. You are amazing and so is your business!