It's hard to believe Celebrant in Cornwall is just going into its sixth year of bespoke ceremonies! Little did I think back in 2018, when I was musing how to bring my ideas and skills together into the 'right' business, that it would bring me to the world of independent wedding celebrancy.
But here we are, with a few hundred ceremonies under our belts, oodles of happy memories and knowing that every day is still a school day... So I wanted to share five things about 'flying solo', which I'm sure any self-employed folk can relate to...
1. Jumping off the conveyor belt is SCARY ... while it's absolutely amazing running your own business, at times, it's also petrifying. The lack of security. The complete accountability. The peaks and troughs of work. Even the occasional bout of stage fright. Being self-employed is not for the faint of heart, but as I've always told myself, courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway. (And if that doesn't work, my husband tells me to get a grip because I can do anything. Just as effective.)
2. Small successes mean a MAHOOSIVE amount to an independent business owner ... a kind review, an award out of the blue, a helpful recommendation from a fellow supplier - the little things really are the big things. Which is why we always try to celebrate them, hopefully not in a boastful or showy way, but to remind ourselves - yey, we did this! We really did! We rock!
3. Surrounding yourself with the right people is like GOLD DUST ... I've been so incredibly lucky to meet Caroline and Sam to help me grow my business. Sharing the same values and work ethic means they support me more than they know - and that saying that "having the right circle of women around you being the biggest life upgrade you can get" - it's totally true.
4. Authenticity is EVERYTHING ... to me, personally, and to my business. Being true to how I want to run my business (and my life) definitely lifts the pressure of fitting in, or having to do, or say, whatever is needed to be popular, or look cool, or get the gig. (No blagging here.) It means that our clients get a really honest picture of who we are and what we offer, and that's better for them, and for us. It's why we refer clients to other celebrants if we don't think we're the right fit. And maybe we have fewer bookings as a result, but those we attract align more strongly with our business, which is the kind of magic we all need in our lives.
5. And if you've read this far, THANK YOU and my final thought is that, IMHO, being your own boss is the best decision you'll ever make.
(Thanks to @StevenReesWebbPhotography for the photo and to all our fabulous clients, friends, family and fellow workers who have helped bring Celebrant in Cornwall to this point in time. You're all awesome.)
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