Embracing Imperfection: My First Intro post on Instagram
This is not where I thought I would be, in all honesty I'm not sure what I was thinking, or how it's supposed to be when you start a business. I hit the midlife age of 50 this year and I can say i've learnt a few things along the way, but when starting a business, it's not just about the product, dealing with suppliers, lost deliveries and the balancing act of finances as well as neglecting family obligations but there is a new dimension that I hadn't really thought of and that is social media.
We now have to be a photographer, content creator, marketer, learning to build an audience and the list goes on. I spoke with a friend when they asked how my sales were going. I said in all honesty it's a lot slower than what I thought. I know I have a great product, hand illustrated designs with a fountain pen, the best quality, every element is recyclable and a story to tell and yet, mainly my friends were buying them.
How do you let people know who you are ?
Their response was I needed to introduce myself, let people know who I was and so they could put a face to the company. No, I didn't want to do it, there seems to be so many people out there in your face, all day everyday, do they really need another one ? I've heard people watch videos of people packing orders, should I do that too ? After a few days I thought why not, what's the worst that can happen ?
It was a mess.
I recorded a series of clips, stumbling over words, laughing at myself, and catching myself in awkward pauses. There were outtakes, bloopers, and moments when I nearly gave up. All I could think of was to get back to my friend's office, have a brew and enjoy the Greggs sausage rolls I had purchased to say thanks for supporting me. My friend also called me by the wrong name. I didn’t say everything the way I imagined, in fact all I managed to get out was my name, my age and to have a look at my website. I didn’t look the way I wanted to, and I definitely didn’t get the "perfect shot" I’d envisioned. But as I watched the footage, something shifted.
So what’s the real lesson?
This wasn’t just about posting a perfect video. It was about doing it anyway and in all honesty, it was me.
So, I decided to share it — the real, unpolished, perfectly imperfect version. I chose to face my fears of judgment, of looking "messy," and posted it, imperfections and all. And It felt freeing.
The real lesson wasn’t in getting everything perfect; it was in learning to take action despite the chaos. It was a reminder to myself and to anyone watching that sometimes, it's in the mess that we find a little gem. I was on top of a Hill with my friend out of shot, and I was cackling awkwardly the entire time, it felt incredibly unnatural and cringy and Kate Bush would be running down that hill to get away.
I’m teaching my child that it's okay to try things and not get them right the first time (or the second, or third!). So why cant I support myself with the same view? Would I speak to my daughter the same way I speak to myself ? No I wouldn’t. Who sets the bar on where we should be and how it should be ?
The beauty is in the effort and the risk but most importantly the courage to just give something a go — no matter how imperfect it might look. Because in the end, we’re all just figuring it out as we go along, well I am.
So, here’s to embracing the imperfect journey and celebrating the small wins along the way. Sometimes, the most beautiful moments come from the messiest beginnings and from sharing my intro on instagram, someone who I didn't know purchased from my website !
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