#166 How a “Total Control Freak” Left Her Biz for 2 Months Without Going Under
There’s a point in your business where releasing control is the only way to grow.
You might feel scared or nervous to get help with administrative work, but if you want to grow – you can’t do it all yourself.
That’s how our guest and former Flourish & Thrive student, Kristen Baird, was able to participate in an artisan program in France for 2 months, without seeing a decrease in sales!
Kristen is an award winning jewelry designer inspired by the waters, landscapes and flora from the scenes of the South that she has called home for so long. In a time where mass manufacturing is predominant, Kristen and her team that utilize and preserve traditional metalsmithing skills as they delicately and precisely craft each piece by hand in Kristin's Savannah, Georgia studio, now in France, too.
The past 12 months have been huge for Kristen's brand as she was honored as Generation X 20 under 40 in Savannah Magazine, which is super awesome. She won the Halstead grant and was named the best local jewelry designer, the best local artist and the best local artisan shop by Connect Savannah and Savannah Morning News respectively.
So let’s figure out how she did all this, because it’s totally possible for you, too!
Click here to download the show notes
Get Organized Before You Need to
Doing a little bit at a time makes it easier to get a structure in place. Taking an extra 10-20 minutes a day to get organized saves you in the long run.
Then when you bring on a team member, you can just point to the systems folder to train them. Using a system template and organizer is a genius way to help you and others get things done in your business!
Use Slow Months to Build Your Business
Summer months are the best time to get focused on your big goals. It’s not super crazy with sales yet, so you can spend time applying for grants, scholarships, and building relationships with people in the press.
Kristen used the summer months to do this and build out her systems. This helped her so much because when she got accepted to the residency program in France, she could step away for awhile without losing her momentum.
Trust the Process
Even when it feels like you’re making systems for no one, it’s part of the process. If you want to grow your business, it’s unrealistic to expect you’ll do everything yourself.
Practice handing things off little by little until you’re comfortable working with a team. You can still be in control of your business if you trust your people. There’s a point where being a control freak becomes hindering and you have to learn how to limit that.
xo, Tracy
Sponsor Spotlight!
Our sponsor for this episode is Nina Designs and if you’re looking for some really unique elements to add to your jewelry, check them out! All their materials are made in Bali, where they focus on improving the lives of their employees.
If you want to support an amazing company with great values, and have high quality materials for your jewelry, use code: FLOURISH2018 to get $15 off your order of $50 or more!
Links:
Flourish & Thrive LIVE Event – Virtual Pass
