This is a deep learning curve for us as a team. The good news is that our team is moving steadily forward despite our challenges. As we have rescheduled our book launch date, here are a few lessons I would like to share.
Celebrate the possibilities
It's challenging to imagine possibilities when we experience emotional disconnections, disagreements on how to get things done, and missing team members. But opportunities exist, and we keep working through challenges, believing that our efforts are how we get to the end of the tunnel.
Hire someone if you can
Bootstrap is possible. However, it requires more trial and error, which takes longer and makes the launch date more unpredictable.
If you are like me, when you launch your first book, you have also started another new business that requires a deep learning curve. Hiring someone to help you produce and launch the book would be a much better choice.
Choose the right people
Since this is your first book launch, you are learning everything for the first time. The best way to get the work done with the quality you have imagined is to find the right people—people who have done it previously and learned how to work with newbies.
The experienced team member will tell you where to pay attention to and what to evaluate. Their understanding of the challenges and overwhelm you face not only eases collaboration and helps you achieve the progress you want to achieve but also helps them spend their time more effectively. This leads to productive work relationships built on empathy, care, and mutual support.
One crucial way to choose the right people for your team is to ask and check their reference contacts. Some people claim to be experienced, but they are not. If you can avoid working with dishonest people, you should by all means.
The shift starts with you
When things get hard, it's easy to fall into an emotional trap that spirals downward. When you don't know what to do, build an emotional connection with yourself first. Name your feelings. Understand your goals. See the constraints. Make the decision.
Once you have shifted emotionally, you see everything around you differently.
Change your feelings, change your power state. Find that empowerment state in you is how you will change the outcome moving forward.
Don't hide. Show up
It's not easy, especially when things don't happen the way we have worked for. We feel vulnerable, and we feel shame.
Choosing not to stuck with shame is the courage we value and often talk about.
We show up because we believe in doing things in a better way.
Our team aims to launch my book on November 28, Thanksgiving Day, my favorite holiday.
I hadn’t really considered that publishing my book was starting another business — but it is. Im in the deep learning curve
now…and im moving in a slow timeline because of other demands in my life. But mainly I wanted to say Jessica , this statement really sparked a lot of possibility for me!
Felt this: When things get hard, it's easy to fall into an emotional trap that spirals downward. When you don't know what to do, build an emotional connection with yourself first.