About six months ago I stumbled across a couple of dashing young ladies from Braid Creative that have changed so many things about me – my work, creating, how I think and the list goes on. In hindsight it feels as though Kathleen and Tara have swooped in and spring-cleaned my creative business drive.
Six months ago I was feeling unsettled. I felt like I was on the verge of ‘something’ (this was the itch I was talking about in my last post). I didn’t know what and I had no idea how to know or learn what this ‘something’ was to be.
The more I read about Kathleen and Tara – how they started their business, the challenges and celebrations they experienced as creatives, women and business owners – the more I identified with these feelings and circumstances. But the big difference was these ladies appeared to have their shit in order! All I was doing was floundering about.
My first Braid experience was six weeks of one-on-one business coaching with Kathleen. For one hour every week (early Saturday morning for me/late Friday arvo for Kathleen – you see she is in Oklahoma) we would talk … just talk.
At the start I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I knew what I wanted to achieve from the coaching. Huh! That was out the window in about 20 minutes. This wasn’t a bad thing, it was more a ‘knock-myself over-with-excitement-of-possibility’ good thing.
Throughout the sessions I felt uneasy and confused – and boy oh boy did I do some thinking! The main thing I learned about myself is that I am my biggest hurdle. I am the critic, the thinker, the judge – I am my everybody.
Kathleen is the ultimate guide. She gave me tools and exposed me to concepts that allowed me to identify where I am. Not just my physical position but where my headspace is, where my dreams are, what my desires are and of course where my needs lie. By knowing and having an awareness of these things I can open the door and continue my journey to where I need/want to move next.
Each week you complete activities, some are fun, others revealing and one in particular is simply a little whoo whoo. Right before the last weeks session all the jigsaw pieces that I had been accumulating fell into place. I always felt challenged and excited after each session but right at the end I was filled with a consuming sense of confidence. Every doubt seemed less significant (or at least able to be overcome) and my ambitions have become my absolute focus and have remained so.
Whilst working with Kathleen I learnt about other Braid offerings and of course with my new sense of empowerment I jumped at the chance to soak these up. So I have undertaken two Braid Creative e-courses – ‘Shape up your content’ and ‘Personal Branding: Blending who you are with what you do’. And I am about to start the last course ‘Dream Customer Catching: Embrace your expertise and attract what you track’.
The e-courses are delivered similarly to the coaching and activities and videos add to the content provided. I admit I do miss the conversations with Kathleen, but both Tara and Kathleen are available during the e-courses for feedback and commenting and Emily keeps all the techy stuff on track.
I struggled with shaping up my content but after I completed the personal branding course this made a load more sense. It goes to show that you need to know yourself before you can tell people about you.
I am super excited to be starting the last course in just a few days – if you want to check it out and register click here and because Braid Creative a ‘super-special’ people you can sign up here for the bargain price of US$50 if you use this code BRAIDECOURSE50 at the checkout.
Once I have completed all the e-courses I might just share a little about what I have done as a result of these courses.
If e-courses aren’t your thing, no sweat their website if choc-full of scrumptious insights and creative business goodness so just go and have a browse and I hope you love these ladies as much as I do. Enjoy!
stuffbyrenée 