Sailors watch the wind. It’s invisible, of course, so they watch the water. By seeing the ripples, feeling their skin, listening to the air, the unseen is made apparent.
Isn’t it the same when sailing your creative business?
We need to see the unseen by looking for its effects.
Hidden factors, winds of change and currents of opportunity influence our business choices. And learning to read the signs helps us tell the tale of where our business is in relation to where we are going.
In the nautical sense, telltales are those brightly colored lengths of yarn or ribbon attached to the sails of a sailboat. Simple, really. They lift and flutter, or flap and fly according to what the air is doing. Showing you the wind direction relative to the boat’s motion, these little ribbons tell a lot about how to trim your sails.
How do you tell the current conditions surrounding your business? Where is the energy headed? What adjustments do you need to make to stay on course?
For instance, I noticed a change in my biz breezes last summer. About to close down the Artist’s Way Meetup I’d started two years prior, I was ready to throw in the towel due to a trend of low attendance. Instead, I scheduled one more meeting with the topic “creative expansion.” Six people came. So, the next month we met again. Gradually, more and more attended each month, and 24 will be there tonight, with several on the waitlist! What’s the tale I tell from that? That there truly is a desire for conversation about creativity that’s real and accessible, and what I offer can align with that flow.
Like the ol’ proverb goes, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”
Other telltale signs reveal what has value. Like a mouse that leaves droppings on a kitchen counter, recent business activity leaves signs of what was good eating. What are you customers consuming? What do they like? Where do visitors click on your site? What does this tell you about which goodies they are after?
At a recent talk I gave about the Right-Brain Business Plan®, one woman bubbled over with insight and determination to seek strategic partnership for her music business. Ready to make the two phone calls she’d been putting off for months, she ask her tablemates for an accountability buddy. Not only did one of her cohorts jump at the chance to be her buddy, she gave the name of a contact person. Connection! That tale tells me what new business owners value and want more of: accountability and support to get into action!
So, the lessons from boat sails and mouse trails?
- The trail that your customers leave can reveal what they are going for.
What do they value and how do you provide more of that?
- Seeing signs of current conditions helps you make adjustments to stay the course.
What’s needed to head toward your vision?
You tell the tale of your next biz move!
(This article was written for a guest post on TheRightBrianBusinessPlan.com)
Making way for creative action, Amy Egenberger, MEd., CPCC, is proud to be a Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan®. She is a seasoned educator, life coach, artist and founder of Spirit Out! Coaching. Amy helps people find the courage and clarity to get moving on their creative path. A book, a business, a project, a change… your creative spirit gets out!
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