Well, we did it! We are just about moved in (still have one more truckload in Idaho to go) and have secured a warehouse for work. Yes, a warehouse! We were blessed with a 9k sqft building to work and hobby in to our hearts’ content. This opportunity came on the heels of another blessing through which I was given my first few jobs in our new home.

Leaving Established Clients

I cannot tell you how many times I have questioned myself in this whole process. How in the hey was I supposed to establish new clients in a different state? Could I? Would they even want my services…or me? Could I build another community from scratch? To answer all of these questions I had to get back to basics; have some gratitude.

The business I built in Idaho was successful in large part to the people that chose me. To allow me into their homes to work on pieces that held meaning. HUGE!

The love poured out over my choice to move my life and my business across the country has sustained me. When I start to doubt my abilities I look at the support given and trust that what was done once can be done twice. That support helped open my eyes to what is already around me; people supporting each other. It is because of this outpouring of support that my first client found me! She saw a post that I had tagged Laurel and Hattiesburg, read the comments and reached out before I even got here. How cool is that?!

My established network sparked the new one. Amazing.

Building Community From Scratch

The next hurdle was finding community. At first, I thought I needed to build something from scratch. The truth, though, was that community already existed, I simply needed to step into it. Guided by faith, I began looking for opportunities to serve and volunteer.

I walked into the local Chamber office and had an impromtu meeting with the Director about how I could plug in. I left with names, numbers, and organizations that will allow me to see how folks around here come together. To me, networking is spending time on different avenues in order to find your people by showing them who you are and what you value. My son and his needs have no bearing on this phase of my business but volunteering with kids and parents of children with special needs will give me an opportunity to share my story while they share theirs. Work may never come directly from that organization but it could through it. I also get to fill my bucket by being a part of something dear to my heart.

Networking is spending time on different avenues in order to find your people by showing them who you are and what you value.

Fears No One Talks About

Can I tell you, stepping into that Chamber office and requesting a chat with the Director with no appointment was scary! It went well and I was invited to attend a ribbon cutting two days later. That was immensly scary too! These people don’t know me…or what I do…or why I’m there…or fill in the blank. I took my husband and my daughter for moral support but I still had to be brave and introduce myself. It’s called social courage and the only way to build it is to put yourself into situations where you have show up.

A piece of advice: time it for when you can follow-up. My follow-up was awful! I did all of this after only being in town for a week. Spent the next two weeks working on the house, emotionally supporting two other people, and trying to keep myself afloat. I am just now getting back to people. Mistakes were made – Lessons were learned.

Oh, yes, there is another fear I had to conquer. Who to talk to and how to get on their radar. Btw, I had this same fear in Weiser. I remember being told to talk to Patrick at Weiser Classic Candy as he was Weiser’s unoffical mayor. Went to lunch, flagged him down, introduced myself and was promply blown off. Why? Because in my nervouseness I did not consider that a full lunch crowd was not condusive to an introduction. Yeesh. I just knew I needed to talk to him.

It is always going to be nerve-racking at the beginning; know that and adjust accordingly. Get those butterflies in formation! And use some of the tips below to make a good first impression.

Skills & Values That Move With You

• Be prepared with a good introduction. You’re already stressed out and having to harness that courage, don’t mess it up with clumsy words.
• Be willing to listen. We all like to talk about ourselves so lean into that. When I tell someone what I do I then pause and allow them to tell me about the furniture they have and the story that goes with it. It matters.
• Have an attitude of service. This comes from my faith but it applies everywhere. There might not be an opportunity for work but there is probably an opportunity to volunteer that could lead to work.
• Smile! Express to them in a few words why you love what you do, the joy it brings, the connections it creates.
• Finally, be genuine. If you’re approaching all of this with the goal of getting work and being the focus of their attention then it will not work. Don’t go for everything; find one thing that resonates and move from there.

As always, I hope this was entertaining and helpful! You’re appreciated!