Upon welcoming this lovely day at 5:30 am, I got my first cup of joe and reviewed my power list for the day, which contains the 5-7 priorities that MUST happen (thank you Andy Frisella and the MFCEO Project for the amazing podcast on Killing it Every. Damn. Day). I was pumped to get going, knocked out my first 3 tasks before 7 am and was feeling pretty good about myself. Then this awful thing happened. I got to “make a final decision on a business name.”
This task has kicked my ass for the last 7 days. I cringed when I read it. Damn it. There have been hours and hours spent just brainstorming, writing down words and phrases with the Thesaurus as been my best friend and the Urban Dictionary as my go to for ensuring my business name isn’t some weird sex act (Hot Pockets, you’re screwed). I dreaded the crazy rabbit hole this naming process often lead me down and the level of inadequacy it made me feel.
In my efforts to find the perfect business name, I have done an insane amount of research and read hundreds of articles on my area of “expertise,” which happens to be social media. I use expertise in quotes because I am new to the industry, still learning the ins and outs and taking in everything I can. I also use quotes because there are millions of people out there that have oodles of experience and make me feel like a complete imbecile.
There are lists about ROI, KPIs, SEO, CRM and a boat load of other crazy ass acronyms (I do, however, know what all of those acronyms stand for so I guess I’ve got that going). Articles about the best strategies, techniques, tips and tricks, increasing this and decreasing that. Blogs about horrific social media mistakes, the best campaigns ever (of course they are billion dollar corporations that spend millions on marketing) and how to be the most perfect person or brand ever seen in the social space. Reading the articles written by know it alls weighs heavy on my mind and leaves me feeling like it’s an act of God that I can even post a photo to Instagram.
How the hell am I supposed to compete with these people. Who the hell am I to think I can actually help someone be successful in the world of social media? What the hell am I doing starting a business in this field? I don’t have the same level of experience these gurus, masterminds, experts, crackerjacks have. What do I even have to offer?
I have passion and desire to win so hard thats what. I want to prove to those know it all pricks I can kick their ass in customer service and learn what I need to know to play in the majors. I will try, test and experiment to help my clients find what works for their business. Not having the “experience” can easily make me a thought leader. I am more open to trial and error to find what works, not simply going to what has worked in the past. Who knows, maybe I am the next Einstein of marketing in the social space (Gary Vaynerchuk, I am coming for you!)
Though I am still learning I realize that I do have something to offer the social media world, I just have to maintain a strong sense of self awareness and raise my voice loud enough for others to hear me. Everyday I learn more and am finding the balance in information consumption versus creation. Sometimes you have to set learning aside to practice your craft. Perhaps it is when jump into your passion feet first that you learn the most. And the best part about that is that you won’t waste time comparing your level of knowledge to those so called “experts” in your field. I want to be an innovator anyhow, so whats the point in comparison. And I got all of this from the process of naming my business.
Sorry to all the social media specialists out there. I really do have respect for your level of experience. Don’t be mad, I am sure you remember the need for entrepreneurial motivation when you were first breaking into the industry. This is just my way of providing that for myself. #sorrynotsorry
A Pinch of Opinion 