If you’re new here, you’re likely a fellow Projector (I’m a 4/6 Splenic Projector, more about me at the very bottom of this article) and perhaps you’ve had the same experience I’ve had trying to understand what being a Projector really means and more importantly, how to use it in life and business. If so, you’re not alone, and welcome to Projectors Thriving!
*This article is part of a limited blog series to help other Projector entrepreneurs connect to resources and information to help them grow their businesses in a way that works for them.
For more resources, you can join the monthly Projectors Thriving newsletter (it’s free) and check out the Marketing for Projectors course. For additional Projector articles, click here.
The Frustration of Waiting for the Invitation
When our strategy as a Projector is to “wait to be invited,” it can be deeply frustrating when we aren’t seeing the invitations.
Over the years of observing myself in my own business, personally coaching other Projectors in their business, and talking with a lot more Projectors over the years, I’ve seen three myths that are blocking invitations.
The good news is, you don’t have to wait for official invitations. If you missed this video about the aligned marketing cycle for Projectors, check out this post.
Standard Visibility & Marketing Strategies Aren’t Designed for Us
I recently saw a “Challenge for Projectors” that focused on the 10 things you need to do every day to be successful. I don’t want a challenge. And I don’t need another to-do list of things I “must” do every day to be successful.
Part of this is because I’m a Projector and I don’t have the energy for that. And part of this is because I’m a rebel and I don’t like to be told what to do.
Can you relate? 😂
So what will help us as Projectors?
First off, identifying advice that just isn’t designed for us is a start.
Myth #1: Consistency is a must
For 99% of the Projectors I talk to, consistency is a struggle.
But is consistency a struggle or is following the rules that people claim to be THE WAY to grow your business the problem? (or maybe a little bit of both)
If you have said things like this before, “I can only share content when I’m inspired to create something,” you’re not alone.
If consistency is a “problem”, you may be overworking and too depleted to be consistent. So what do you do?
Consistency is important, however, it may not look the way you think it should.
For me, consistency means that I honor my ebbs and flows. I know every December, I do not feel like working a lot and I enjoy my Winter Solstice Sabbatical. This means that I budget accordingly throughout the year to cover my expenses and totally unplug from about December 15 through January 10th. I also set up my clients to know that I’ll be unavailable during that time.
Launches: I give myself more time than I think I should need for the money-making activities in my business. Things like launching new programs and releasing new offers.
Social Media: Consistency looks like posting on social media 2-3 times per week vs daily or multiple times per day. I’m still a work in progress for social media and email marketing so I’ll share what I’ve put in place that I’m currently doing.
Financial Flow: Consistency can also look like creating payment plans for clients so that during times that you are on vacation or enjoying the holidays, you still have money coming in even if you’re not actively selling.
Solution A: Rest
Build in rest to your daily schedule. Rest can be five minutes of lying on your office floor or going into child’s pose for a few minutes. Or if you have young kiddos, going into your closet or bathroom for a few minutes to breathe may be where you start.
Solution B: Batch Tasks and Create Systems
The biggest solution for me has been two-fold: Batch-create things when you have the energy and create a checklist of what things need to happen for a Project. This way, my very part-time assistant has what she needs to support me and I don’t have to do all of the DOing.
Solution C: Presence & Rhythm vs Rigid Consistency
Choose presence and rhythm over rigid consistency. What does this mean? If your consistency is performative and fueled by pressure to always appear that you have your $hit together, people will feel the inauthenticity.
What topics are present for you? Talk about that in your marketing. What desires are driving you? Talk about that. Be present and honor your unique rhythm vs performing to someone else’s arbitrary standards.
Another example of honoring your rhythm is I am NOT a morning person. My work days don’t typically start until 10 a.m. I recognize this requires a lot of privilege for me to have this kind of schedule. So this may not be a feasible option for you. I talk more about having a spacious schedule in this post, which took me years to get to, but now it really works for me.
Bonus Solution: Heal Your Visibility Wounds aka Your Nervous System
Consistency can often be tied to fear of visibility. Healing our visibility wounds is something that is ongoing and may require support from a professional, including a therapist. Honoring your nervous system and what it has the capacity for has been the biggest boost to my consistency.
Fun fact: Healing your nervous system and addressing trauma on that level is the primary reason I started researching how trauma impacts business owners and it’s a foundational piece of my work.
Myth #2: “I can’t initiate because I have to wait for the invitation.”
When you are inspired by things and authentically share them, the invitations will come. If you haven’t watched the video about the aligned marketing cycle for Projectors, check it out here (no opt-in required).
Here is how you can initiate official invitations:
Step 1: Share what inspires you
You can share things with a friend, a coach, and/or with your audience.
Your audience has already invited you to share things with them, which is why they follow you on social media and have joined your email list. So there is already an invitation there.
Invitations come in all shapes and sizes. You could be talking to a colleague who asks you what you’re creating (that’s an invitation to share) and when they feel your genuine excitement, that will likely spark more official invitations. After you get done sharing about your latest offer or thing you’re doing with clients, you could say, “If you know of anyone who would benefit from this, I love referrals.”
Step 2: Recognize the invitations
Invitations can be subtle and often are. yes, it feels great to receive those official invitations like: “How can I hire you?” or “Will you speak on my podcast?”
Subtle invitations come when people DM you. Or someone connects with you at a networking meeting. Here are other forms of invitations, which I call invitations from the universe:
When I hear the same theme multiple times with clients, for example, that’s an invitation from the universe to share more about that thing.
When I’m talking with a friend about what’s new in my life and I casually mention something I’m super excited about in my business and they are enthusiastic and supportive, that’s the green light to put that offering out into the world.
When my soul is so damn excited about something new I’m learning and I can’t help but talk about it with folks, and the folks I tell give me the feedback of how great it is, that’s also a green light to move forward with it.
Step 3: Give more info and invite people to receive more (your offers)
When you’re in the mode of sharing the things you’re excited about, be sure to include ways that people can buy your awesome stuff. A lot of women especially, hint about their offerings, but it’s time to be explicit. It can sound like:
“Download the ebook here.”
“Register for my upcoming class here.”
“Book a strategy session here.”
“Have a question, reach out to me here.”
Myth #3: I see how it needs to be done so I need to be the one to do it.
As a Projector, one of your many gifts is to see the big picture and how all of the details fit together to make the big picture work.
Society tells you that your value is derived from hard work. And it also rewards people for “working hard.”
While it’s tempting to DO the work, remember that you shine when you GUIDE. There’s a whole post about guiding vs doing here.
If you find yourself thinking that it’s just easier to do it yourself than to ask someone else to help you, hold up. Is that really true?
Or are you so used to doing it that it’s become part of your identity? If this rings true, ask yourself, “Who will I be if this is not part of my identity.”
Another question to ask yourself is if you can keep doing the task forever and still reach your goals. Chances are that the answer is NO, you cannot keep doing the tasks and reach your big goals so that means you need to delegate, create systems for someone else to do it, or let go of the task. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three.
There is a price to pay for doing it all.
I know at one point in my life, I was the go-to person to get shit done. My family always came to me. I was always available for my clients. I managed all of the things in the household. I did it all.
Until I couldn’t do it anymore. The first thing that started to affect me was my health. Sleep issues. Achy joints. Inflammation. Disordered eating patterns. The second thing that got my attention was when I noticed issues in my marriage. I couldn’t be present with my best friend (aka hubby) when I was busy doing all of the things, including micromanaging our home.
I did all of these things to “be a good person,” and it just showed me how deeply engrained it was to believe that my value came from DOING all of the stuff.
It took years to decondition and I’m still a work in progress. But it’s worth it. Your relationships will change once you put boundaries in place. You will also get your life back and that’s precious.
Rigid Consistency is a Myth (and Unsustainable for Most People)
When you look around you, there are cycles and rhythms for everything. Nature has a cycle. The moon has a cycle. The tide has a rhythm. As spiritual beings living in human bodies, it’s tempting to think that we can override our human limitations. But we have cycles, too. There will be chapters of your business that are more introspective. There will be chapters that are more outward-facing. There will be ebbs and flows to your creativity, cash flow, and marketing.
When you honor the ebbs and flows for what they are, instead of judging yourself that you should be different, you can work with your unique design and create success in the ways that are the most congruent for you. You’ll also find beauty and joy in the most simple of moments. You’ll be present to the miracle that you are and the unique expression that only you can bring to the world.
I get this blog is ending on what could be perceived as an incredibly cheesy note that borders on the edge of toxic positivity, however, I truly believe it. So take what works and leave the rest.
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