What I learned from my first panel experience

In November I had the biggest pinch-me moment to date - being a panelist at a conference!

It was right up there with my first (and only, so far) 5K website, and that time another designer totally copy-pasted a whole insta post and caption of mine. Flattered!

I was invited to a freelancing event as a panelist, alongside some other incredible creatives in Tāmaki Makaurau.

It was my first Creative Launchpad event - Brunch by the Bay - but also my first freelancing event that I’d been to full-stop. And what an incredible, inspiring day! There was delicious kai (food), wonderful people, and I even met some social media friends.

That’s me - Ruth!

I learned so much from the event and my time on the panel.

The overarching takeaway of the freelancers conference was community over competition.

I used to struggle hugely with comparisonitis, spending hours scrolling the gram checking out what others in my industry are up to. I say ‘used to’, because while I still get the occasional stab of jealousy (we’re all human), I now feel like I have the tools at my disposal to fully embrace the freelancing community and experience genuine connections with my peers in the industry.

This is a huge win in my books.

I thought as we head to the pointy end of the year, I’d share some of my biggest mindset learnings and tools I use to combat imposter syndrome, burnout, and comparing myself to others as a small business owner.

I get it, most of these things are pretty obvious and we already know at heart, but putting them into practice is a whole other kettle of fish.

So small busy bees, let’s get into the tea.

Lesson 1: The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.

Unfortunately, you will never see immediate results to your marketing strategies and new processes. Even people who go ‘viral’ on social media may not see an increase in enquiries, bookings, or sales. It’s all about finding your own rhythm and systems, and keeping it up consistently. Think about it like nurturing those sad little supermarket herbs on your windowsill - start watering them consistently and you’ll have an endless supply, and won’t have to buy a whole new one next week. Okay, also take off the plastic and maybe replant them into some new soil, there’s never enough soil in those punnets.

Lesson 2: You’ll never improve if you’re comfortable

If you’re stuck in your ways of running your business, or your design style, you’ll never improve. Unfortunately, internally criticising where you’re at and what you’re doing can make you uncomfortable.

But being uncomfortable is not always a negative thing.

Let’s flip it:

Being uncomfortable can be the catalyst to kick-start your growth and development.

Are there sticky bits in your business that aren’t working the way you want them to? Do you have clients/customers asking for a particular service or product that you don’t currently offer? Do you feel jealous of your peers and what they’re up to (or look like they’re up to) on socials?

Figure out how you can turn this into a positive change in your business. And if you only have time for the bare minimum right now, promise me you won’t dwell on it until you have the energy to make some changes and grow.

Lesson 3: The 20/20 rule of thumb.

As a service-based business, you should aim for 20 billable hours and 20 hours of business stuff: strategy, marketing, networking, invoicing, emails.

Most under-valued part of your day as a small business owner? Rest. Take time away from the screen to recharge and make your eyes circle again. Think about all of the restful moments that you had when you worked a 9-5. Like water-cooler chats, afternoon tea and cake, and pranking your boss by putting a thumb-tack on their chair. How I ever got my work done, I don’t know. The point is, make time to rest in your solo-preneur life.

I’ve learned the hard way that letting the business-side of my work slip is a surefire way to no new projects lined up, and the dreaded BuRn OuT. It’s time investing in future revenue, don’t skip it.

The other panelists!

Harry (@harry.holidays) and Sarah (@ahoystudio)

Lesson 4: Create a win calendar.

I can’t take credit for this one - it’s one of the amazing tools I picked up while working with Lisa, my mentor through One Up One Down (a FREE women’s mentorship platform - get amongst).

It can hard to celebrate your wins when you don’t have any colleagues. Although I highly recommend a solo dance party in your lounge when you have a little something to celebrate, this tops it.

Set up a calendar (I use Notion) and add everything that you can be proud of - a genuine DM convo, declining a red flag project, or flossing your teeth everyday for a week. Big and small, business and life, add it in!

When the niggle of imposter syndrome or the seeds of self-doubt start to appear, simply refer back to your calendar to look at how far you’ve come.

Lesson 5: Comparison is the thief of joy.

I get it, you’ve heard this before. You see everyone’s director’s cuts, and comparing it to your behind the scenes is just not gonna end well. There’s no overnight fix, but here’s my advice:

Connect with others in your line of work through networking events, social media channels, or sending out good vibes and a friendship advertisement into the universe.

Every positive interaction you have in your industry will cultivate the feeling of community over competition. Find yourself a business bestie, and hype each other up. You’ll start looking at everyone else’s work differently in no time.

This relevant quote popped into my inbox this morning from James Clear’s 321 email newsletter:

"Measure your success against others and you'll be unhappy when they win—and less likely to receive help from them due to your jealousy.

Measure your success against yourself and you can be happy when others win—and more likely to receive help from them thanks to your support."

James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits)

If you are in need of a weekly dose of inspiration that you can apply to your whole life, I highly recommend jumping on this email list.

Alrighty, got to go and add this wonderful day to my Win Calendar. See you next time, small business owners!

Meet Ruth - your freelance designer.

Good things come to those wait who have bold and beautiful branding and websites.

Discover my services or get in touch to see how I can help you smash your goals and grow your business.