This story is part of our 1,000 stories campaign. What’s your story?
Name: Laura C. George
Business: Laura C. George, LLC , a business consultant for artists
Industry: Coaching & Consulting
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Reason for starting: I started my business because working a corporate 9-5 job was draining. I didn’t feel passionate, which was ok, but I also didn’t feel like I had time for anything I was passionate about… not ok. Ultimately, I knew I couldn’t live my life like that. I started selling my own art after taking a work-from-home day job, but quickly realized I didn’t enjoy the scrutiny of my art or associating pressure with creating. Teaching other artists how to build their businesses just fell into place after that realization.
Related: Read about another entrepreneur working with artists here.
How do you define success? For me, success is when I feel cozy and safe. That means money, but it also means that I have to be doing things that make me happy. And I have to be comfortable. Everyone is going to experience happiness and comfort in different situations. I’m a total homebody, so I can’t have a work life that requires me to travel a lot or to go to networking events all the time. It also means that some days I work in my pajamas on the couch, even though I have a home office. And it means that I’m happiest when I can help other people achieve their dreams, because that feels really cozy-good to me. I do whatever feels cozy and comfortable. And as long as I’m making money, I feel safe too.
Biggest Success: I participated in a telesummit targeted straight to my perfect clients that brought me over 1000 new email subscribers in one fell swoop. It only took me an hour and a half to prepare for and record my interview, and then maybe 45 minutes to set up and schedule marketing for the event. That was a huge marketing success for me since I usually gain subscribers 20 or so at a time. But if we go back to my definition of success, then my biggest success has been recognizing my own personality and learning to play into it instead of fighting it.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? I’m prone to feeling overwhelmed. It can come on suddenly and really paralyze me. It’s a constant battle learning to work with the feeling of being overwhelmed and to continue making progress. Right now, I’m finding some success in recognizing the onset of it and just walking out of the room. The change in scenery and short break from the work allows me keep the stress at bay and get a better perspective. I also write everything down. Even when I think I can remember things, if I try to keep them in my head they contribute to me being overwhelmed. Better to write it down and then just focus on one thing at a time without having it all in my head.
Related: 5 Crowdfunders to Watch – A World of Creativity
Who is your most important role model? I try not to look to others to decide how to live my life, but rather to look inward. My most important role model is my own vision of who I should be in the world. I strive to be that version of me every day.
[box_light]Website www.lauracgeorge.com
Twitter @Laura_C_George
Facebook www.facebook.com/lauracgeorge
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/laurageorge[/box_light]
Tell us your story!
Read about another Coaching & Consulting entrepreneur here.
Edited by The Story Exchange