Putting a New Face on My Small Business
Putting a New Face on My Small Business
For a while now, I’ve been worried about getting old. It’s rather silly, I’m in my 30s, so worrying about getting old is just plain dumb. But it didn’t just happen out of the blue. There was a cascade of events in my life that caused me to feel old. Here’s how it played out:
1. One of my horses fell down with me, crushing my leg and tweaking my back.
2. Two weeks later, a different horse bucked me off, tweaking my shoulder.
3. A few days later, I tried to lift a 40-gallon weed sprayer I thought was empty. It actually had water in it, so I ended up ripping some muscles in my back.
4. I stopped getting carded at the liquor store.
5. People started telling me I looked tired, and I hated to look at my reflection in the sun, which reveals all!
As silly as this seems, I noticed that I started to feel and act kind of, well, old. I couldn’t ride my horses because my back hurt, and I stopped wanting look in the mirror. But that’s really not a big deal.
When My Face Got in the Way of My Small Business
What was not OK is when I started noticing myself wavering in some business transactions, backing down on stuff that I would never let go by in the past. I didn’t question a couple of items on an invoice from a vendor, which resulted in a mess that took several weeks to “clean up.” I avoided a face-to-face meeting with a potential client and opted for a phone call instead. I started oversleeping, resulting in fewer hours of working time. I work for myself, so there’s no employer hovering over my shoulder, but I wasn’t getting to everything I wanted and needed to.
A few weeks ago I woke up and realized that my feeling of “being old” was getting in the way of my business. I didn’t feel good. I didn’t look good. This was not good. It was time to shake myself out of this rut because, as you know, a rut is only a few feet shallower than a grave!
Girly Stuff That Actually Works
For some time my friends had been urging me to try some antioxidant facial products for the freckles, tiny wrinkles, dark circles, and little spots of eczema that had started showing up on my face. I grew up as a tomboy and never really grew out of it. I’m pretty much a zen cowgirl at heart, so makeup and facial products don’t figure largely in my shopping list. I usually use natural foods and supplements to get great skin from the inside out. Plus, the cost of the facial product was more than those sold in the grocery store. But I decided that drastic measures were required here. My face was starting to affect my small business, and that was unacceptable.
I ordered the facial products with some doubt. When they came, I dutifully followed the directions and applied them twice daily. Within four days, my hubby noticed something different about my face. He asked me if I was feeling better and whether I was getting more sleep. “Nah,” I said. “I’m just getting all girly and actually using some good stuff on my face.” He knows that I’m a tomboy so he thought that was hilarious, but appreciated the effects nevertheless.
On top of all of this facial pampering, I also upped my intake of natural antioxidants. The combination has made all the difference to the way I feel. I don’t feel like I’m 20 again, but then again, maybe I don’t want to. I was kind of silly at age 20. I do feel healthy and, best of all, confident.
Looking and Feeling Good is Good Business
I feel like I’ve literally put a whole new face on my small business. After all, I am the face of my small business, so how I feel about myself and my face is pretty important. It didn’t take a lot to change the face of my business. The hardest part was recognizing that, as a small business owner, I work hard and am often under a lot of stress. I’ve reached a point in my life where I have to start combating that stress more aggressively, especially if is starts interfering with my business and well-being.
What about you? Are you feeling worn-down by your workload? Is there a way you can put a “new face” on your small business by doing something good for yourself?
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Photo credit: My ‘Happy Meal’ Version
