November 29, 2022 • 49 mins
On this episode Kris is joined by Creative Director and artistic savant Virgen Barnet. Virgen was a part of the work from home and entrepreneurship movement before it was a wave, all the way back to when it was just a wee ripple in the collective. Listen in as Virgen shares her journey through leaving her job, balancing family and creating space not just for her but for the community she loves. Enjoy!
Show Links: Keep up with Virgen, the ComeThrough team and the events they produce at the links below! Virgen: @virgen4vida Come Through: @comethroughcreative Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joincomethrough/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comethroughcreative/ Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/come-through-poc-mastermind-group-29545439413
Show Links: Keep up with Virgen, the ComeThrough team and the events they produce at the links below! Virgen: @virgen4vida Come Through: @comethroughcreative Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joincomethrough/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comethroughcreative/ Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/come-through-poc-mastermind-group-29545439413
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to the Big Quit with Chris.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
This is the podcast where we talk about what it's
like to be a part of the Great resignation or
if you're like our guests today, you were part of
the wave before it even happened, before it really blew up.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Right, So I'm excited to.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Have with us today, Miss bier Hen Barnett, a creative genius.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I just want to go ahead and put that out there.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
So, before we hop into the questions and you have
this great conversation to share with folks, I want to.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Just start by, you know, giving you a chance to
introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Love to hear you know your name, give us a
little zodiac sign if you want, and please tell us
your favorite song off of Renaissance.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Got real?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Okay, my name is Vidin Barnett. Wait now, no, I'm
completely lost. Of course, my name is vid Hen Barnet.
I am an art and creative director. I was born
in Minnesota, raised in Southeast LA. What's up Chutington Park?
If you know about that? Dam And as far as
(01:13):
birthday zodiac sign, okay, I'm a Scorpio.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Aquarius rising Scorpio Sun, Taurus Moon, yes, very sultry, very
lots of things, all the things, and favorite song off
of Renaissance That is very hard to choose. I'll just
say that. But in my top three, my first love
(01:42):
was Cozy. That was immediate. Yes, I loved it. It
was warm, it was fuzzy, it was also real spicy.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It is warm.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yes, I could you know. That's the go to for
a pick me up. I think Cozy was really great,
But after a few more listens, I really love cuff
It and there's what is it? Hm. It's so hard
(02:11):
to choose, but those are my top two. Those are
my go tos, Cosy and cuff It. Cuff It's like
I haven't been in the streets in a really long time,
so it motivates me to.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Get back out there in the treets.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Right. I love that, And like so many of the
great sections of this album, right, Cozy and cuffeter.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Right next to each other.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yes, I'm currently a part of All Up in your
Mind slash. America has a problemhive. I actually cannot stop
what that booty do When America has a Problem comes on,
and literally every time it starts, I'm like, and it
says America America has a problem, like America.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
America has a problem, and does it does? Okay, and
it's Beyonce, yes, yes, like it's four weeks girl, let
go of my neck.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
You need.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I can't go a day without.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It, can't can't go a day. I literally I'm studying
the other day.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
And so there was like a unique characteristic trait on
this lot and I literally zoomed in.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You need, well, you.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Can't even say that word anymore, and it's just like
ping literally literally, and it's like Beyonce, ay what she
was doing?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Okay, she knew, she knew, she knew. So all right,
so let's get down to business or out of it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Shall we say?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Right, yes, be with the pop culture references. Love it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So if you're here, like we mentioned, you were part
of this, like before it was even a big movement,
right before the Great Resignation had a name, before this
new corporate term of like quiet quitting popped out.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I was just reading about that.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I still kind of don't get what that is.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
It literally just means not going above and beyond your
job description.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Oh, it means just doing your like what you're paid
to do and not anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
And interesting, Yeah, now, they're terming that quiet quitting, which
is funny, very cool.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Many thoughts on that. I'm a little old for that one, I.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Think, Well, tell me your thoughts on it, Like on
this idea of going above and beyond of a job
description and letting your your position, your role, your work
really kind of like dictate part of your life to
the point where you're like, Okay, I'm willing to do
more than what's asked and more than what I'm being
paid for.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's oh, that's good. I would say for me specifically,
you know, I'd love to not speak for everyone I
feel that, so I'll just say that I've had the
grace to do something that I love for all of
my career. You know, I've definitely had roles where I
(04:58):
had to do things I did I love doing a lot,
but a lot of times that was in service of
a bigger goal. So I kind of came up in
you know, design and that field, that space by just
doing like menial things. But I had a chance to
see how all of those would build up to something
(05:20):
and to other skills, and how they've helped me in
other ways. I think that's where I'm a bit old school,
where I'm still like that person who likes to go
to the dictionary just to see what other.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Words the words that you're looking for.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
But that was weird. But yeah, I think that sometimes,
depending on the job and the people you work with especially,
it can be really rewarding to go above and beyond.
If you like what you're doing and if it's really
in that space and you want to grow, sometimes I
think it's okay to do that. It's definitely important to
(05:54):
have boundaries. It's not to say that it's important not
to just do whatever, bend over backwards and run yourself
into burn out those kind of things, because I've definitely
been there too. But I do think that if you're
in a role where you like the work that you're doing,
(06:15):
you get along with your team, you see that you
guys are all working towards something similar. It feels good
to sometimes like be that girl, you know, just don't
always just don't be that girl all the time all
the time.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Right, Like it's okay for somebody else to like work
on that until eleven thirty on a Friday, you know, please.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So, And I love what.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You mentioned too, that you've always been in a field
and doing things that you love, you know, and with
that experience as a creative, it can be tough because
it's it's ebb and flow, you know. So I would
love to kind of like rewind and talk about like
how you got to where you are now and starting
back with the transition from working for a company as
(07:00):
an employee and then making this move into it. Let
me just tell y'all, Beeren is a business owner. Okay,
multiple businesses Okay, so that transition. Would love to talk
about that with you, Like what was that like going
from this employee setting to now doing your own thing,
working for yourself.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
First and foremost. I think it was just really liberating.
So when I did do it, it's been about Actually
I can time it really perfectly because it happened when
I had my son ten years ago. Yeah, so it
was really out of desperation to get to just not
return to the office and the confines of you know,
I was working with someone who's like a very heavy
(07:40):
on the micromanaging. Micromanagement. Oh and that was a lot.
Even when I started working from home at that time,
it was like we were on Skype, So that tells
you a lot. But we were on Skype and it was.
It still felt like a lot of micromanagement, even when
I was trying to work from home and doing that
(08:01):
with a new baby in arms. Which funny, that's where
I'm at.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I'm doing now, not the same different babysame bit different.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
But yeah, so it was really uh, my attempt to
reclaim my time come on now, you know, to to
have ownership over you know, my lifestyle, and that came
with a lot of things. But I'm really grateful for
myself and taking that chance because it was definitely hard
(08:36):
and it took me a lot of time to build
up a life, a sustainable life. I should say, mmm, yeah,
that's huge being able to pay the bills.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
The bills, and we'll we'll talk about money a little
bit later, but I do want to ask, what was
like the biggest adjustment for you going from that type
of setting to again now it's it's you, it's the boat, right.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I'm definitely a big picture girl. So the biggest adjustment
for me was handling the details, was organizing my time,
the time management. I mean, that's still kind of difficult
at times. They get a little overloaded alone.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It just goes out to what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I love ideas, you know, like ideas, Yes, I can
do that, but the little things of you know, organizing
projects from start to end and all of that, that
took me a lot. And honestly, one of the bigger adjustments,
the most impactful one was creating a client pool. You know,
(09:43):
how was I going to find people? Because I didn't
necessarily leave a job where people came with me. You know,
it was like who's with me? It was like I'm
out here, I'm doing this thing. Hit me, I'm still okay,
stop that. So, yeah, I had to start from scratch
(10:06):
figuring out how does one you know, make these connections
and you know, all of that. Just finding clientele and
then building up where I didn't have to search anymore.
Market is hard, getting referrals. That was like the holy
Grail of all things and all the doors and windows
opened finally, but that took a long time.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
It took years, actually, oh years, really years.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, I was in the networking game strong those for
a few years.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
What was it like then, right, because now we think
about I can tell y'all, I have a visceral reaction
to the phrase networking mixer.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
It makes me, you know, just in my mouth just
a little bit, Hi.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So? Yeah, oh my gosh, oh that's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
All right. Well, and that you moved to the next
person and see, like is there anything here?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
You know, they become a wee bit it's souless.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, but I can be weird that.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
What was it like building your network, like back in
the day when you when you first are transitioning from
again a company to it's you, you're running.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
It, me I run it? Yeah, Well hmmm, I want
to say, because it's hard not to compare these days,
obviously because we're in this post pandemic life, but it
was a lot easier. At the same time, it's you
just have to learn things. You have to learn to
(11:31):
talk about yourself and get comfortable with that. That was
hurdle number one. I can be long winded. I can
be long winded. So it was really difficult to narrow
down like, Okay, once you learn all those hot tips
about your niche, what you do for people, and who
you do it for, and putting all that into a
couple of sentences and stuff, well, I just left my
(11:53):
job and I'm just trying to like there was a
lot of that, but it was it was kind of fun.
I went to things that you know, I gravitated towards.
I did a lot of like hackathons. Oh yeah, at
the time I was learning how to you know, be
a front end developer and programmer all that code before
boot camps.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Really before they had before it was so like widely popular.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Exactly, so a lot of was you know, YouTube university
shout out right. Yeah, So I would go to like hackathons,
I would go to like event networking mixers, those kind
of things. But you know, if they were like women oriented,
tried to be in groups that of people that I
wanted to work with, so that wasn't it wasn't too bad.
(12:42):
You know, I'm one of those people who's like nervous
if I'm not talking to somebody in a weird place,
the awkwardness makes me talk, So that helped.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Me sometimes those types of like quirks and things that
really work out to your benefit, especially in these types
of settings where like you say, you have to put
yourself out there because.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Another term I hate, put yourself out What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Does it mean go outside like just like literally put
yourself out there?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Maybe? Yeah, I don't I guess it depends on the person.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
But in these spaces where you're needing to meet new
people to again and create this sustainable right seeing for yourself,
for your family, like to continue to move forward, so
you don't have to necessarily rely on an organization or
company at that point in time. So yeah, definitely understand
like going to these mixers and like, but I love
what you said about being in spaces with the people
(13:34):
that you wanted to partner with, that you admired, that
you wanted to work with, and things like that, And
I think that makes a big difference the community that's
around you and supporting you as you're building these things.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, And honestly, like it was a way to absorb
and learn from people because the folks that you know.
At first, I started out going to a lot of
tech startup things. I wasn't there yet, but you know,
I wanted to figure out how they what are they doing?
Is it really a golf course kind of situation or not? Honestly,
it's like a bunch of quirky weirdos. And I was like,
(14:06):
I'm not too far.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah, Like these are my people.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
These are my people, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I love that. I love when you find space, and
you're like you too, and it's like, yes, I love
this thing too so much. I love that. I love that,
and I love that you share too.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Like that you didn't necessarily have everything, You didn't have
all of the skills that you have now as soon
as you left, you know, was there eighty point in
time or the family back up? What was your thought
process like as you're making this transition and saying like, Okay,
done with this, done with the micromanaging.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Be a skype, your micromanaging me, be a skype.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
You serve all of the smoke. But when you say okay,
I'm done with this, I'm ready to go. Like what
was your thought process like around that?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Honestly, I was just so fed up, Like there was
no real period. I was fed up. I wanted to
do my own thing. You know, I come from a
background where people like me didn't have a lot of opportunities,
and I think, like most first gen immigrant kids, like
(15:08):
I want to buy mama house. You know, that's always
the plan and on the purview, and I just felt like,
I'm not going to do that if I continue working
for somebody. You know, the key here is to have
my own things. So I can, you know, I can
be responsible for whatever my growth is going to be.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Mm hmm. And we were talking about that growth too,
and you mentioned that this timing aligned with the birth
of your son.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, it was my scapegoat shout out so much.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
And you already have an older daughter and then you
have your son.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
What was what was the thought process like in like
okay or how did they factor?
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And I guess I should say.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
And in your decision to say I'm done with this,
you know, and I can still take care of my babies, right.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
It was huge for one. You know, at the time,
my partner and I we are my ex husband should
we were in a position where we couldn't afford another
daycare situation. My daughter, she was in school, but it
was a private school, so it was a pretty hefty
tuition for that. And it was you know, you're kind
(16:14):
of in this weird cycle of get a job, but
now I need a sitter, pay for the sitter, can't
pay for the sitter if I don't have a job.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
So it was like, you know, where does the cycle end?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Where does the cycle end? So I'm just like, exactly,
I'm working for the sitter.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
It was just it was it wasn't gonna work, so
I had to figure something out, and I thought this
was the most flexible way to do that. There really
wasn't much precedent for it, but it was my immediate
need and it wasn't so, you know, I want to
sit here and be like I really wanted to spend
time with him, but the reality was the alternatives were
(16:52):
not great, like you know, janky daycare situation, being beholden
to not very reliable people that part that part, yeah,
or going to job and going to work full time
and grinding away just to give it.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
All away just for this, like idio incremental increase, I
think people that don't have kids, and I don't have kids,
but I have a lot of friends with kids.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
And I hear about this.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
But like any incremental increase, it typically goes back to
your kids in some way, shape or form, whether it's
increasing care.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Cause or Okay, we got to put an extra.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Gas because now they're playing sports and doing different activities,
you know, and it's I don't know if people really.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
And I spend like a great chunk of my day driving,
So that just was you know, becoming less and less doable.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
After like two pm, you can't find me.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
No, no, not on the streets, which is why she's
trying to get back out exactly in this when you're
going through this transition to V, did anyone try to
talk to you out.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Of it where they're like, not a great idea?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Well, my boss, for one, it was toxics him, but
what's up? But yeah, most of the people that I worked.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
With actually, ooh, you're coworkers, my.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Coworkers, namely this one developer that I worked with, which
is the reason that I learned how to do that
stuff on my own, because he would he was he
was the worst. It was back this is back in
the day, right, and I'm sure this still happens. It's
probably a little more micro these days, but it was
back in the day where they would straight up tell
you like, you don't know how to do this, you
don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Sit down.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
So it was a lot of like good luck out there,
it's really hard, and which is funny because we were
all actually or no, he was remote at the time,
and you know whatever. But he was just so entitled
and like, oh, it's taken me years to do blah
blah blah. And I kind of get that now it does.
It takes time, but the amount of like you can't
(18:56):
do this, it's gonna be too hard, you know. I
think as far as it wasn't difficult to leave my
job for my family, like they kind of understood that
because everybody was like, oh, it's because the baby. This
that in my mind it was like, now I want
to do my own thing, but I'm gonna use this, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I love yeah, Oh you understand that, right, okay, sure.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
But the starting my own business and my own workload
from scratch, everyone was sort of like this a lot.
You're doing a lot, are you okay? You know, so
it was more like concerned, not too much down talking.
The down talking came from the team at work.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Yeah, And I don't know why I'm surprised, but I am,
you know, And I think.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Maybe it's again like the differences in time and settings.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
You were, like you said, in a spot where you
were passionate about it, and I imagine other creatives and
folks that are doing development are like that type of
div they're passionate about it as well.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
But I've been in work settings where we.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
All like group complain, and so when one person quits,
you get a lot of like chats or emails.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Like oh I wish I was me, I wish I
was leaving. Congrats girl, where are you going? Opening?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
You know? So I think that's really interesting to have
the coworker aspect of like this was the only really
negative voice in your ear. Family's good, you're good, can't
be good, and coworker's like good luck?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah. Yeah, No.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
It wasn't super common, and working remotely wasn't common either,
so I think that's where the extra micromanagement came from
as well. It was like a big fear of like
I'm gonna lose touch of what she's doing. I can't
control it, you know, And it was crazy. But yeah
a lot of folks were like, what are you doing?
(20:44):
Good luck? Good money?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So, speaking of what are you doing right, tell us
a little bit about the beginning, right, how did what
were you offering at the beginning, and how did you
get started? I know you mentioned like the networking and
growing the client pool, but what were you offering?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
So I started off my excuse me, my career in
design with graphic design and print. So I Actually the
first jobe I had out of college was working for
a print company and we would sell up sell printing services.
So that's what I knew. I had connections with like
wholesale companies and things that I still knew how to
(21:25):
work basically, So I was selling graphic design, print branding,
you know, anything under the graphic design sun.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So offering graphic design and building that client pool.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
What were some of the early projects that you took on.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Oo, man, that is so good. Remember a lot of
logo design. I want to say, so many business cards.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Now that I remember.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Actually, I'm trying to picture my portfolio back then, so
many business cards. Those were my wheelhouse. They had very
quick turnaround, super simple, and then I could upsell the printing,
which was nice.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, you're like, yes, I also offer week week Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
And at the same time I was starting a business
based off teaching kids steam so science, technology, engineering, art,
and math.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
That's wonderful. You can exclude me from the math, but
the rest of it sounds. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So that was fun, and that was a way to
stay connected with my daughter when she had going on
and fit into the school world.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah, that's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And again like the space that not working for an employer,
which has this very formal structure, you're able to create
that you know, Okay, I want to work on something
that allows me to connect with my kids. And also, hey,
I'm flexing my skills and graphic design and offering all
these different services and upselling check check love that.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Okay. So I think this is a good spot for us.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
To us for a moment, and then when we come back,
we'll talk about what you're doing. Now, okay, sound good,
sounds good? All right, welcome back to the Big Quick Podcast.
Here we have our special guests for today, Ms Beerhan
Barnett and the Creative Genius. She's still here with us.
(23:22):
So the right before we went to break, we were
discussing your offerings at the beginning of your self employment
right of creating these businesses that you have. Let's fast
forward a little bit. What does it look like today?
Tell us about the different things that you have going on,
and yeah, she is a little all of the things.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
There are less things now, which smarter me, but less
doesn't mean more anyway. Yes, because Prince is dead, so
I'm definitely.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Not doing that anymore.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Nobody uses a business card anymore. So that's not a thing.
But so now I am still community creativity from like
an art direction, perspective and visibility for bipop folks, which
on popular term I know, but it's I'm still kind
(24:12):
of hard pressed to find an umbrella term for black
and brown people without sounding like a weirdo. But anyway,
so what that means and what that looks like nowadays
is I started this collective called come Through Come Through Media,
and it is. It actually started off as a Mastermind group.
(24:35):
I wanted to connect to other creatives, creatives of color
specifically because at those networking slash mixer events they felt
really stale and even more so for women for people
of color, it was like there were a few, very
few of us, and we're not all the same.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
No, you would be at those mixers like, oh, there
are the two other like brown dots, let's go ma,
And then one of the roundouts wasn't.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Cool exactly like dang, you know, you're like, oh, you're that.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Like it.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
So, in an attempt to meet my people or find
people that I could, you know, go on and on
about with my creative projects and potentially learn from and
create with, I started come through as a Mastermind group
in January of twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Hello pause, you know what.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Anyway, So that started off in twenty twenty and it
was just like a great time for delving into ideas.
I really enjoyed connecting with people. Everybody was very receptive,
which was really surprising because I'd never really done something
where I've led a group or I was always sort
of like, you know, checking things out and trying to
(25:57):
meet people that way. But it was definitely special to
meet this group of folks who was like, what do
you do? And We're like, we don't know yet, Let's
hang out. And we would start every group meeting with
what are you passionate about? And that actually was just,
you know, so important because it opened a lot of
conversations and a lot of ideas, Like it was just
(26:18):
such a big door for we need more of this,
we don't have enough of that. So it was a
really great research ground and so from that was born
culture Stock. We met some great photographers who wanted to
share their space with us and make photography brand photography
specifically available and accessible for Brown folks, and so we
(26:43):
started with that and hosting those photography events. They've continued
to evolve. Now we've got, you know, a nice library
of images that everybody wants to pick from all the time.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So yeah, so what happens when we make something great?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Right? So we're I'm also spending some time creating a
stock library, which then evolved into more of a digital platform.
It's like the Etsy for creative resources that feature bipoc
folks either in front of or behind the lenses, behind
the apple pen, whatever you want. So there's that, and
(27:24):
that's called curated by we check us out, curated by
we dot com plug. I feel like I'm missing something.
And as a day job, right, I'm like, well, I
actually make money. I still am a designer for some
folks and have my clientele who you know, I still
love to create for as far as designing things for
(27:45):
products or online stuff, any kind of like digital media marketing.
Still in that game, trying to squeeze myself out.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yes, and we'll talk about that too.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
So in this, I love that you shared all the
different facets of what you're doing. Because a kid multi
hyphen it, We'll say, yes.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Oh we finally got a term. We like, Yes, Yes, I'm.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
So in this and talking about all these different facets.
How has it been for you to or what has
the evolution been, like you know, of saying okay, like
print died, right, and.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
So that that said, well, okay, business cards are no
longer viable. I had to which we love love this word, right, pivot.
I need to pivot and then offer something different.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
And how were you able to make those pivots and
still be passionate about what you're doing?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Well? I think the common thread amongst all these things is,
you know, a desire to apply creativity and vision and
big picture ideas to things. So that's always been consistent
as a personal mission, right, is to create at a
higher level, to always find a new way to translate
(29:01):
somebody else's vision or my own through design, through art,
et cetera. So I think it's been fairly not simple, right,
because sometimes you have to change all the logistics behind.
I think that's more difficult is the pivot includes, Oh
now I have to rework how I'm supporting this service
because it's not just like I do design. It's like
(29:23):
I do design. So I have to have this type
of portfolio, and I have to have this type of
you know, service or skill set, and so that's where
it can get challenging and where the pivots have been
time consuming. I shall say, mm hmm, but they it
hasn't been hard for me to sort of change my
mind about things. That's actually probably too easy. That can
(29:45):
be my biggest problem is just getting down to a
solid idea because sometimes it's like I have too many
and I.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Don't know where to somebody.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
It's like, how do I pick which one of these
I really want to pursue When they're they're all bomb,
you know, right.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
I keep going back to those posts. People will be like,
you don't have to monetize it, like every hobby doesn't
have to be monetized, because my thing is I want
to monetize everything. I'm like, somebody needs this, literally, but
I just like to see things like see where it goes.
I'm just curious about the journey. And that's that's problematic.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It is I bet you've learned a lot of things
so and pick up on stuff throughout that journey though
as you're going through and you're like, oh, I have
this idea, so I started this, and then you know,
maybe it turned into something different than the initial seed
that was planted, but something still grew Yes, yes, you know,
you get beautiful here. So in this right and we've
(30:41):
talked about the pivot. We've talked about the logistics of
the pivot. The pivot is in part to account for
new ideas and things like that, but also to sustain
your business. So in sustaining the business, have you experienced
ebbs and flows in terms of clientele and project opportunities,
cash flow?
Speaker 1 (31:03):
What has been like to all of them?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
At times it seemed like a really shaky roller coaster,
and especially at the beginning, I you know, I didn't
know anything about building a sales process or any kind
of funnel or even like budgeting cash flow those kind
of things, or how to strategically build up, you know,
an actual financial foundation for what I was doing. I
(31:29):
was just so concerned with attracting work that that became
like the main focus. And then I jumped on that
like feaster famine roller coaster, and that was hard.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
How long would you say you you did the feaster
famine roller coaster?
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Probably a couple of years. It was really difficult because
I just couldn't get a handle on it. You know,
there were a lot of unknowns, like I didn't know
things about like how you know, it's important for freelancers
to have retainer accounts, to have that consistent cash flow
coming in, how to do it, who to reach out to,
(32:05):
you know, what my goals should be financially, that kind
of thing, And it started building it up over time.
But yeah, that was difficult. That was difficult for sure,
that uncertainty of oh, this was a really great month,
and then getting really confident and not doing enough marketing
and then the next few months were like really rough
and you're in a drought and I didn't necessarily prepare
(32:27):
for that. I mean, it still happens, you know, it
happened to me in the last year. So I'm kind
of in that space of rebuilding and going back to
some of those core skills. So the cash flow thing
is real. It's also real to be in weird space
(32:47):
with knowing how to set boundaries with clients. That was
a huge challenge. Yeah, it's the having your contracts and
making sure that they actually benefit you. You know. I
used to be one of those was like I just
copied this off of a few contracts I found online,
And that's what you got to do because I don't
know about y'all. But I didn't have the legal fee,
(33:08):
the fund to have somebody a lawyer or you know.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Anybody else.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yes, legalism didn't even exist when I started out, it
was non existent. So I just you know, took from
here and there to build contracts. And even then I
would like find myself in holes, you know, because I
didn't cover, for example, like how many revisions or all
the little additional things. So that was an interesting game,
(33:34):
learning to say no to people. I don't want to
work with this person.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Oh yeah, what was that like?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
When you say, well, do you remember the first person
you're like, I don't want to work with you anymore.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
My very first freelance client, she.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Was a terror.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
And I had no idea. I just was fresh out
of this, you know, this very popular build your business program,
this online course, and I met her in that space
and we were both really excited to start our own thing,
and I was like, hey, my thing serves your thing,
and sort of vice versa. She was sort of at
the beginning of the wellness online space, and so I
(34:15):
really wanted to support that and she just, whoof she
ran me ragged for very few dollars and it was
just like constant changes and calls and micromanagement on a
different level because it was like, I have hired you
to do this, this and this, and I felt like,
I think it was some of the PTSD from the
(34:35):
company i'd worked with and being very beholden to clients
and people and having an employee mindset where I was like,
I got to do the things because I said I
would do this and that, and she's not happy. I
got to make her happy. And it wasn't until I realized, like,
I don't have to make anyone happy. I just have
to fulfill these services and you know, make sure that
(34:56):
I'm checking off my boxes and if it's not, it
didn't flow her boat. Well that's too.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Bad mm hm, because you can't make everybody happy, no, right,
And at the end of the day, like you want
folks to be happy, but yeah you can, right, Like
you can't determine that, right, they have free will, and
you also don't know if it has anything to do
with you exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I used to take it pretty personal, and I'm at
the point now where people will be like, oh, I'm sorry,
and I'm like, oh, I don't care. You want to
change this, that's cool?
Speaker 1 (35:25):
That's cool.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah, here's the extra hourly rate for that, because that's
a thing that's time. But otherwise, like, I don't take
it personally, it's not about me.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Oh that's so real. I love that.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I love that growth and like even the most painful
steps in entrepreneurship, right, you learn something from it. And
I heard a quote today I think it was in
meditation this morning that said, you know, there are only
two outcomes, either you win or you grow.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
And so in these types of situations like.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, maybe I didn't necessarily win on the financial firm,
but I grew a hell of a lot.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
You know, fail forward. I've always been a big fan
of that. Lots of people are like, oh, fear to failure,
and I'm like, I'm not because I learned something. I
won't do that again.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Not me, not me, and not with her. I love that,
all right.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
So in this what is one thing your business or
successful venture that's happened that like you didn't expect hmmmm.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I had an answer for that, and I'm like, what, Oh,
I don't know. I didn't expect to be good at
the sales piece so much. I definitely thought I was
going to be someone who had a certain set of
skills and that would be the most toubtable thing, right
(36:48):
Like that would be the thing that would pull people in.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
And I'll call that, don't you what I do exactly?
I need what I do. I can do the things.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
And it was very much about the work. But I
think I've been surprised by how much I enjoy the
relationship building piece and the sales piece, which is the
reaching out and you know, getting talking people into a vision.
Like I've got a good handle on words and wordsmithing
(37:18):
my way into things and connecting with people, and that's
the piece that I really enjoy and it really serves
me now in this place where you know, I've got
my own thing going. I still have, you know, my
handful of clients and things. But I think come Through has,
you know, had its little success because it's all about.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Connection and slanking community. Slanging community, yes exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
Yes, yes, I love that it is accurate like that
is actually how Verrha that I met I was through
come Through through a mutual friend at the time that
introduced us and there we connected and it had a
chance to I've had a chance to go to a
few come Through events and we were able to even
partner on some So when you say slang a community,
we are in community because of what you created.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah, exactly. Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
I love that. I'm very proud, as you should be,
because not everybody slangs community with the same like passionate
and intent, right, Like there is this big thing about
commodifying community. Yeah, and while everybody eats bee like that's
the thing. But at the same time, like charging folks
for general knowledge or just to be in community, it's
(38:30):
not always like where's the return on investment?
Speaker 1 (38:33):
You know what I mean? Like there's some groups that'll say, hey,
like go ahead.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And pay thirty five dollars to join our group and
be a member, and you're like, what am I getting?
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah? You have.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
You know, we tried that model and it felt so gross.
M it felt super gross. It was hard to upsell,
like cause, and then there was a core piece of
it where I was like, I'm trying to serve this community.
One of our biggest challenges is that we don't come
from a place of I've got what is it when
you're talking about startups and things like that, we don't
(39:08):
have the friends and family round available.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Oh that's a lot of people's first like their first round, right.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Exactly, that's their first round. That's what you're supposed to do.
And it's just like, I can't eat off the people
I'm trying to help feed like that, This doesn't make
any sense.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Say that.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
It's like asking my teenage daughter to help me with
the bills. She's gonna be like, what.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Right, I'm trying to eat too.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
No. But so that just was like an icky piece.
So I flipped it and was like, no, people need
to pay to be part of this, to gain from
our community, to get value from our community, you need
to pay to have access to us. Yes, not the
(39:49):
other way around.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
And in that of like like you're saying, it was
weird trying to get food from someone that you're trying
to feed. And yet again, right, everybody has to eat,
be like including you. So in this ebb and flow
of trying to figure out how do I support community
and support myself, have you at any point in time
considered you know, hey, Okay, I'm.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Still going to do my things right because I'm passionate
about that.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
And when you're passionate about stuff, you don't ever really
stop doing it, Like you might slow down, it might
not be as much, but you're gonna keep doing it.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Right, But have you.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Ever considered, you know, damn, maybe I do need to
find something like we're turning to.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Like an organization or company type of thing.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Yeah. In the last year, I you know, I experienced
some some personal hardships and it left me in a
place of prioritizing rest, which I say left me, but
really I needed to just do that and take a pause.
I you know, shut down a lot of projects. It's
turned down a lot of clients and things, a lot
(40:51):
of financial stability in order to have mental stability.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Why do we have to pick one, right? Why do
we have to pick.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
One that was a thing? So after that experience and
being trying to lead, you know, a team and trying
to grow a team, you know, come throughs in a
place where it needs to scale, and that takes a
lot of funding. That takes a lot of cash flow
(41:20):
and being able to put money before, you know, being
able to lift off events and whatever other things we
want to run. So I thought, you know, I got
to a place where it's like it just wasn't sustainable
anymore to do that, and you know, take care of myself.
So starting from an empty sort of space, or not
(41:42):
empty space, but sort of like I have all these
great things going that I need to uplift. But now
as far as the money pool is empty, it's getting dry,
it got dry, got empty, it's refeeling a little. But
so yeah, I definitely have romanticized finding an ideal company.
(42:05):
And I think the timing as well, like where companies
are being held more accountable for the way that they
treat their employees or the way that they set up
something with more of a lifestyle in mind, I felt
a little more. I feel a little more comfortable engaging again.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And the idea of like, Okay, I'm willing to work with.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
You right right and exactly, and.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
That's the goal I think right now as people are
holding companies accountable, is like I don't just work for you,
you know what I mean? And some functions in some positions, sure,
but in the type of work that you do, like no, no, no,
we're working together. I'm working with the clients. I'm working
with you know, the people that are coming in.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
So yeah, and it's a good place to be in,
I think at first, and you know, I've told you
this I really wanted that ideal tech job with the
six figures and the one that all the tech talkers
are trying to show us all how to.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Do so easy. Just put this for your rents. Shut up.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
It's not a thing, you know. I think if I
were in my twenties and I was, you know, willing
to do the boot camps and maybe go through like
the courses, and I'm not doubting that. I think, if
you've got the mental bandwidth to do that, do it.
And I'm not too good to do it, but I'm
too tired to do it. So at this point, I'm like,
I'm not going to go back and get this certification
(43:28):
and that certification to fit into this pocket. I'm like,
now I'm getting more comfortable with just being where I
am and setting that up in a space where it's like, Okay,
where are the companies that need who I am? Because
I was doing it the other way around and that
was getting real frustrating, you know, and the.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
Rejection was hard. No, it hurts.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
It hurts, especially the ones that come like months later,
the emails that come.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
In there, like those people who reviewed your resus. I
remember this and it's like, damn I didn't need this today.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
This is like iPhone memories reminding you of a photo
from ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Sober face book was like screwing people up and like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Done dirty?
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Can we not the old boyfriend or whoever?
Speaker 2 (44:13):
I't know, Like just because I didn't delete the picture
doesn't mean I want to be reminded of it exactly anyway. Unnecessary, unnecessary,
but yeah, I love too. One of the things that
you what I heard you've mentioned.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Was you know who I am? I want them to
want who I am and.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Just being yourself. And I love that because I think
so often it's about what we do right, like what
we can't offer, and even when we interact with each
other sometimes I just moved up to La.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
It just it's been about two years now at this point.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
But in that moving up, like, I've noticed that as
I'm getting older, in this space where I'm not working,
it's not when I meet someone, Hey, Hi, I'm Chris,
you know, and what do you do? It's more so
that people are really like interested in who.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
I am, Like what do you like? Oh my gosh,
I'm a sagittary used to you know? Like I love Renaissance.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
Too, Like, yes, it's that type of vibe like they
are friends that I have up there.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I don't actually know what they do.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
That's nice, it is, it's really.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Nice, you know.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
And so I love that idea of like if you
do return to a corporate space or company organization, of
just being yourself, you know, full fully and wholeheartedly and
coming in and saying like, yeah, my skills are bombed.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
But I'm an even cooler person.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
Right, Yeah, cool, I bring a lot to the table.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Yes, it's yeah, I love that. I love that. Okay.
Our producer Hannah HB HB on the visuals giving us
the five minute morning.
Speaker 2 (45:39):
So I do want to ask quickly like what is
one or two things? What is something you wish you
had known before making this, making the sleep, making this transition.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Who I think it would have been really helpful to
have the budgeting and the fiscal things under control, or
at least have a plan for them, because I know
it's common to say like don't leave until you have
three months around, but really it's like have a year
in mind. Oh okay, I'm gonna push it all the
(46:16):
way through because and it's not to say you have
to have a year funded, but have a sales plan
for getting through that first year because it's a bumpy ride.
And yes, you may get a few clients, but in
order to at least match what you were making before,
you're going to have to have a sense of how
to keep the cash flow going. I think right now,
(46:38):
I'm always seeing on social media people are selling courses
about courses on how to sell courses. You know, I'm
just like this, not like everybody can't have a side hustle.
Side hustle is have a second job, have a second
full time job. You know, the expectations that people should
have when they're approaching those things. There's no at rich quick.
(47:02):
And when I left my position, I wasn't necessarily trying
to get rich quick, but I was trying to remain sustainable.
And even that, I think expectation was a little too high.
So I think having those expectations meant about like financially
being stable, because when you're financially stable, you can manage
the rest fairly.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
Well, let's just say that.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
I love that, and it's I'll share my experiences y'all
will know. But I did not do that when I
left my job last year. Either I received a separence
package which was cute and very and then all the
bills hit continuously month after month like they did, and
I was like, oh, okay, so thank you for sharing
(47:47):
a tip for folks that are considering it and that
are planners, right, because I took a leap and we
both left and yeah, you know, learned these lessons. And
there are some people that are like, you know, the
leap is going to be right for them. It's spiritually right,
it's the timing is great, all of that right. And
there are some folks like your planners. And if it
makes you more secure to plan, yes, hey, here's the heads.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
Up your three months. Is it really going to be enough? Sis? Like,
plan for the.
Speaker 3 (48:09):
Year, plan for the year.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
Absolutely? All right?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
So lasting, what is your motto your message that you
want to leave with the people?
Speaker 3 (48:19):
Ooh model message. My motto is is just what I
mentioned earlier, fail forward, Be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and
plan to fail a lot and get excited about it.
Learn to love failing because there's so many gems in
something that didn't quite go right. H that if you
(48:40):
spend too much time wallowing and things or being upset
with what didn't work out, you're gonna miss some really
key things about what is working and what is valuable
to continue with. Mm hmm, so definitely failing forward.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Fail forward. Enjoy the pain of.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
Growth, Yes, enjoy the pinion.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
We didn't necessarily feel it as we were teenagers, right,
hitting puberty, hitting that stride. But I mean plants don't
feel it either, They're just growing, right, So growth can
be uncomfortable when you're making these types of transitions, But
enjoy it and like you said, pull the gems out
of the shit.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Yes, right, Like that client, it didn't work out, but hey,
I learned, I won't do that again, right, Yeah. Just
have a good sense of.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Humor, Yeah, have a great sense of humor, and enjoy
the ride.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for him. It has
been a lovely conversation we probably having.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
I would love to so thank you so much for
being on the big quit and don't forget y'all quitters
win too. All right, talk to
Welcome to the Big Quit with Chris.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
This is the podcast where we talk about what it's
like to be a part of the Great resignation or
if you're like our guests today, you were part of
the wave before it even happened, before it really blew up.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Right, So I'm excited to.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Have with us today, Miss bier Hen Barnett, a creative genius.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I just want to go ahead and put that out there.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
So, before we hop into the questions and you have
this great conversation to share with folks, I want to.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Just start by, you know, giving you a chance to
introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Love to hear you know your name, give us a
little zodiac sign if you want, and please tell us
your favorite song off of Renaissance.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Got real?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Okay, my name is Vidin Barnett. Wait now, no, I'm
completely lost. Of course, my name is vid Hen Barnet.
I am an art and creative director. I was born
in Minnesota, raised in Southeast LA. What's up Chutington Park?
If you know about that? Dam And as far as
(01:13):
birthday zodiac sign, okay, I'm a Scorpio.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Aquarius rising Scorpio Sun, Taurus Moon, yes, very sultry, very
lots of things, all the things, and favorite song off
of Renaissance That is very hard to choose. I'll just
say that. But in my top three, my first love
(01:42):
was Cozy. That was immediate. Yes, I loved it. It
was warm, it was fuzzy, it was also real spicy.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It is warm.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yes, I could you know. That's the go to for
a pick me up. I think Cozy was really great,
But after a few more listens, I really love cuff
It and there's what is it? Hm. It's so hard
(02:11):
to choose, but those are my top two. Those are
my go tos, Cosy and cuff It. Cuff It's like
I haven't been in the streets in a really long time,
so it motivates me to.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Get back out there in the treets.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Right. I love that, And like so many of the
great sections of this album, right, Cozy and cuffeter.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Right next to each other.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yes, I'm currently a part of All Up in your
Mind slash. America has a problemhive. I actually cannot stop
what that booty do When America has a Problem comes on,
and literally every time it starts, I'm like, and it
says America America has a problem, like America.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
America has a problem, and does it does? Okay, and
it's Beyonce, yes, yes, like it's four weeks girl, let
go of my neck.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
You need.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I can't go a day without.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It, can't can't go a day. I literally I'm studying
the other day.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
And so there was like a unique characteristic trait on
this lot and I literally zoomed in.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You need, well, you.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Can't even say that word anymore, and it's just like
ping literally literally, and it's like Beyonce, ay what she
was doing?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Okay, she knew, she knew, she knew. So all right,
so let's get down to business or out of it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Shall we say?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Right, yes, be with the pop culture references. Love it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So if you're here, like we mentioned, you were part
of this, like before it was even a big movement,
right before the Great Resignation had a name, before this
new corporate term of like quiet quitting popped out.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I was just reading about that.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I still kind of don't get what that is.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
It literally just means not going above and beyond your
job description.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Oh, it means just doing your like what you're paid
to do and not anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
And interesting, Yeah, now, they're terming that quiet quitting, which
is funny, very cool.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Many thoughts on that. I'm a little old for that one, I.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Think, Well, tell me your thoughts on it, Like on
this idea of going above and beyond of a job
description and letting your your position, your role, your work
really kind of like dictate part of your life to
the point where you're like, Okay, I'm willing to do
more than what's asked and more than what I'm being
paid for.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's oh, that's good. I would say for me specifically,
you know, I'd love to not speak for everyone I
feel that, so I'll just say that I've had the
grace to do something that I love for all of
my career. You know, I've definitely had roles where I
(04:58):
had to do things I did I love doing a lot,
but a lot of times that was in service of
a bigger goal. So I kind of came up in
you know, design and that field, that space by just
doing like menial things. But I had a chance to
see how all of those would build up to something
(05:20):
and to other skills, and how they've helped me in
other ways. I think that's where I'm a bit old school,
where I'm still like that person who likes to go
to the dictionary just to see what other.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Words the words that you're looking for.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
But that was weird. But yeah, I think that sometimes,
depending on the job and the people you work with especially,
it can be really rewarding to go above and beyond.
If you like what you're doing and if it's really
in that space and you want to grow, sometimes I
think it's okay to do that. It's definitely important to
(05:54):
have boundaries. It's not to say that it's important not
to just do whatever, bend over backwards and run yourself
into burn out those kind of things, because I've definitely
been there too. But I do think that if you're
in a role where you like the work that you're doing,
(06:15):
you get along with your team, you see that you
guys are all working towards something similar. It feels good
to sometimes like be that girl, you know, just don't
always just don't be that girl all the time all
the time.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Right, Like it's okay for somebody else to like work
on that until eleven thirty on a Friday, you know, please.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So, And I love what.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You mentioned too, that you've always been in a field
and doing things that you love, you know, and with
that experience as a creative, it can be tough because
it's it's ebb and flow, you know. So I would
love to kind of like rewind and talk about like
how you got to where you are now and starting
back with the transition from working for a company as
(07:00):
an employee and then making this move into it. Let
me just tell y'all, Beeren is a business owner. Okay,
multiple businesses Okay, so that transition. Would love to talk
about that with you, Like what was that like going
from this employee setting to now doing your own thing,
working for yourself.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
First and foremost. I think it was just really liberating.
So when I did do it, it's been about Actually
I can time it really perfectly because it happened when
I had my son ten years ago. Yeah, so it
was really out of desperation to get to just not
return to the office and the confines of you know,
I was working with someone who's like a very heavy
(07:40):
on the micromanaging. Micromanagement. Oh and that was a lot.
Even when I started working from home at that time,
it was like we were on Skype, So that tells
you a lot. But we were on Skype and it was.
It still felt like a lot of micromanagement, even when
I was trying to work from home and doing that
(08:01):
with a new baby in arms. Which funny, that's where
I'm at.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I'm doing now, not the same different babysame bit different.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
But yeah, so it was really uh, my attempt to
reclaim my time come on now, you know, to to
have ownership over you know, my lifestyle, and that came
with a lot of things. But I'm really grateful for
myself and taking that chance because it was definitely hard
(08:36):
and it took me a lot of time to build
up a life, a sustainable life. I should say, mmm, yeah,
that's huge being able to pay the bills.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
The bills, and we'll we'll talk about money a little
bit later, but I do want to ask, what was
like the biggest adjustment for you going from that type
of setting to again now it's it's you, it's the boat, right.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I'm definitely a big picture girl. So the biggest adjustment
for me was handling the details, was organizing my time,
the time management. I mean, that's still kind of difficult
at times. They get a little overloaded alone.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It just goes out to what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I love ideas, you know, like ideas, Yes, I can
do that, but the little things of you know, organizing
projects from start to end and all of that, that
took me a lot. And honestly, one of the bigger adjustments,
the most impactful one was creating a client pool. You know,
(09:43):
how was I going to find people? Because I didn't
necessarily leave a job where people came with me. You know,
it was like who's with me? It was like I'm
out here, I'm doing this thing. Hit me, I'm still okay,
stop that. So, yeah, I had to start from scratch
(10:06):
figuring out how does one you know, make these connections
and you know, all of that. Just finding clientele and
then building up where I didn't have to search anymore.
Market is hard, getting referrals. That was like the holy
Grail of all things and all the doors and windows
opened finally, but that took a long time.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
It took years, actually, oh years, really years.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, I was in the networking game strong those for
a few years.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
What was it like then, right, because now we think
about I can tell y'all, I have a visceral reaction
to the phrase networking mixer.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
It makes me, you know, just in my mouth just
a little bit, Hi.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So? Yeah, oh my gosh, oh that's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
All right. Well, and that you moved to the next
person and see, like is there anything here?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
You know, they become a wee bit it's souless.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, but I can be weird that.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
What was it like building your network, like back in
the day when you when you first are transitioning from
again a company to it's you, you're running.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
It, me I run it? Yeah, Well hmmm, I want
to say, because it's hard not to compare these days,
obviously because we're in this post pandemic life, but it
was a lot easier. At the same time, it's you
just have to learn things. You have to learn to
(11:31):
talk about yourself and get comfortable with that. That was
hurdle number one. I can be long winded. I can
be long winded. So it was really difficult to narrow
down like, Okay, once you learn all those hot tips
about your niche, what you do for people, and who
you do it for, and putting all that into a
couple of sentences and stuff, well, I just left my
(11:53):
job and I'm just trying to like there was a
lot of that, but it was it was kind of fun.
I went to things that you know, I gravitated towards.
I did a lot of like hackathons. Oh yeah, at
the time I was learning how to you know, be
a front end developer and programmer all that code before
boot camps.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Really before they had before it was so like widely popular.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Exactly, so a lot of was you know, YouTube university
shout out right. Yeah, So I would go to like hackathons,
I would go to like event networking mixers, those kind
of things. But you know, if they were like women oriented,
tried to be in groups that of people that I
wanted to work with, so that wasn't it wasn't too bad.
(12:42):
You know, I'm one of those people who's like nervous
if I'm not talking to somebody in a weird place,
the awkwardness makes me talk, So that helped.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Me sometimes those types of like quirks and things that
really work out to your benefit, especially in these types
of settings where like you say, you have to put
yourself out there because.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Another term I hate, put yourself out What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Does it mean go outside like just like literally put
yourself out there?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Maybe? Yeah, I don't I guess it depends on the person.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
But in these spaces where you're needing to meet new
people to again and create this sustainable right seeing for yourself,
for your family, like to continue to move forward, so
you don't have to necessarily rely on an organization or
company at that point in time. So yeah, definitely understand
like going to these mixers and like, but I love
what you said about being in spaces with the people
(13:34):
that you wanted to partner with, that you admired, that
you wanted to work with, and things like that, And
I think that makes a big difference the community that's
around you and supporting you as you're building these things.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, And honestly, like it was a way to absorb
and learn from people because the folks that you know.
At first, I started out going to a lot of
tech startup things. I wasn't there yet, but you know,
I wanted to figure out how they what are they doing?
Is it really a golf course kind of situation or not? Honestly,
it's like a bunch of quirky weirdos. And I was like,
(14:06):
I'm not too far.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah, Like these are my people.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
These are my people, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I love that. I love when you find space, and
you're like you too, and it's like, yes, I love
this thing too so much. I love that. I love that,
and I love that you share too.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Like that you didn't necessarily have everything, You didn't have
all of the skills that you have now as soon
as you left, you know, was there eighty point in
time or the family back up? What was your thought
process like as you're making this transition and saying like, Okay,
done with this, done with the micromanaging.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Be a skype, your micromanaging me, be a skype.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
You serve all of the smoke. But when you say okay,
I'm done with this, I'm ready to go. Like what
was your thought process like around that?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Honestly, I was just so fed up, Like there was
no real period. I was fed up. I wanted to
do my own thing. You know, I come from a
background where people like me didn't have a lot of opportunities,
and I think, like most first gen immigrant kids, like
(15:08):
I want to buy mama house. You know, that's always
the plan and on the purview, and I just felt like,
I'm not going to do that if I continue working
for somebody. You know, the key here is to have
my own things. So I can, you know, I can
be responsible for whatever my growth is going to be.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Mm hmm. And we were talking about that growth too,
and you mentioned that this timing aligned with the birth
of your son.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, it was my scapegoat shout out so much.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
And you already have an older daughter and then you
have your son.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
What was what was the thought process like in like
okay or how did they factor?
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And I guess I should say.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
And in your decision to say I'm done with this,
you know, and I can still take care of my babies, right.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
It was huge for one. You know, at the time,
my partner and I we are my ex husband should
we were in a position where we couldn't afford another
daycare situation. My daughter, she was in school, but it
was a private school, so it was a pretty hefty
tuition for that. And it was you know, you're kind
(16:14):
of in this weird cycle of get a job, but
now I need a sitter, pay for the sitter, can't
pay for the sitter if I don't have a job.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
So it was like, you know, where does the cycle end?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Where does the cycle end? So I'm just like, exactly,
I'm working for the sitter.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
It was just it was it wasn't gonna work, so
I had to figure something out, and I thought this
was the most flexible way to do that. There really
wasn't much precedent for it, but it was my immediate
need and it wasn't so, you know, I want to
sit here and be like I really wanted to spend
time with him, but the reality was the alternatives were
(16:52):
not great, like you know, janky daycare situation, being beholden
to not very reliable people that part that part, yeah,
or going to job and going to work full time
and grinding away just to give it.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
All away just for this, like idio incremental increase, I
think people that don't have kids, and I don't have kids,
but I have a lot of friends with kids.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
And I hear about this.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
But like any incremental increase, it typically goes back to
your kids in some way, shape or form, whether it's
increasing care.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Cause or Okay, we got to put an extra.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Gas because now they're playing sports and doing different activities,
you know, and it's I don't know if people really.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
And I spend like a great chunk of my day driving,
So that just was you know, becoming less and less doable.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
After like two pm, you can't find me.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
No, no, not on the streets, which is why she's
trying to get back out exactly in this when you're
going through this transition to V, did anyone try to
talk to you out.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Of it where they're like, not a great idea?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Well, my boss, for one, it was toxics him, but
what's up? But yeah, most of the people that I worked.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
With actually, ooh, you're coworkers, my.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Coworkers, namely this one developer that I worked with, which
is the reason that I learned how to do that
stuff on my own, because he would he was he
was the worst. It was back this is back in
the day, right, and I'm sure this still happens. It's
probably a little more micro these days, but it was
back in the day where they would straight up tell
you like, you don't know how to do this, you
don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Sit down.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
So it was a lot of like good luck out there,
it's really hard, and which is funny because we were
all actually or no, he was remote at the time,
and you know whatever. But he was just so entitled
and like, oh, it's taken me years to do blah
blah blah. And I kind of get that now it does.
It takes time, but the amount of like you can't
(18:56):
do this, it's gonna be too hard, you know. I
think as far as it wasn't difficult to leave my
job for my family, like they kind of understood that
because everybody was like, oh, it's because the baby. This
that in my mind it was like, now I want
to do my own thing, but I'm gonna use this, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I love yeah, Oh you understand that, right, okay, sure.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
But the starting my own business and my own workload
from scratch, everyone was sort of like this a lot.
You're doing a lot, are you okay? You know, so
it was more like concerned, not too much down talking.
The down talking came from the team at work.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Yeah, And I don't know why I'm surprised, but I am,
you know, And I think.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Maybe it's again like the differences in time and settings.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
You were, like you said, in a spot where you
were passionate about it, and I imagine other creatives and
folks that are doing development are like that type of
div they're passionate about it as well.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
But I've been in work settings where we.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
All like group complain, and so when one person quits,
you get a lot of like chats or emails.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Like oh I wish I was me, I wish I
was leaving. Congrats girl, where are you going? Opening?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
You know? So I think that's really interesting to have
the coworker aspect of like this was the only really
negative voice in your ear. Family's good, you're good, can't
be good, and coworker's like good luck?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah. Yeah, No.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
It wasn't super common, and working remotely wasn't common either,
so I think that's where the extra micromanagement came from
as well. It was like a big fear of like
I'm gonna lose touch of what she's doing. I can't
control it, you know, And it was crazy. But yeah
a lot of folks were like, what are you doing?
(20:44):
Good luck? Good money?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So, speaking of what are you doing right, tell us
a little bit about the beginning, right, how did what
were you offering at the beginning, and how did you
get started? I know you mentioned like the networking and
growing the client pool, but what were you offering?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
So I started off my excuse me, my career in
design with graphic design and print. So I Actually the
first jobe I had out of college was working for
a print company and we would sell up sell printing services.
So that's what I knew. I had connections with like
wholesale companies and things that I still knew how to
(21:25):
work basically, So I was selling graphic design, print branding,
you know, anything under the graphic design sun.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So offering graphic design and building that client pool.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
What were some of the early projects that you took on.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Oo, man, that is so good. Remember a lot of
logo design. I want to say, so many business cards.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Now that I remember.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Actually, I'm trying to picture my portfolio back then, so
many business cards. Those were my wheelhouse. They had very
quick turnaround, super simple, and then I could upsell the printing,
which was nice.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, you're like, yes, I also offer week week Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
And at the same time I was starting a business
based off teaching kids steam so science, technology, engineering, art,
and math.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
That's wonderful. You can exclude me from the math, but
the rest of it sounds. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So that was fun, and that was a way to
stay connected with my daughter when she had going on
and fit into the school world.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah, that's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And again like the space that not working for an employer,
which has this very formal structure, you're able to create
that you know, Okay, I want to work on something
that allows me to connect with my kids. And also, hey,
I'm flexing my skills and graphic design and offering all
these different services and upselling check check love that.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Okay. So I think this is a good spot for us.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
To us for a moment, and then when we come back,
we'll talk about what you're doing. Now, okay, sound good,
sounds good? All right, welcome back to the Big Quick Podcast.
Here we have our special guests for today, Ms Beerhan
Barnett and the Creative Genius. She's still here with us.
(23:22):
So the right before we went to break, we were
discussing your offerings at the beginning of your self employment
right of creating these businesses that you have. Let's fast
forward a little bit. What does it look like today?
Tell us about the different things that you have going on,
and yeah, she is a little all of the things.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
There are less things now, which smarter me, but less
doesn't mean more anyway. Yes, because Prince is dead, so
I'm definitely.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Not doing that anymore.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Nobody uses a business card anymore. So that's not a thing.
But so now I am still community creativity from like
an art direction, perspective and visibility for bipop folks, which
on popular term I know, but it's I'm still kind
(24:12):
of hard pressed to find an umbrella term for black
and brown people without sounding like a weirdo. But anyway,
so what that means and what that looks like nowadays
is I started this collective called come Through Come Through Media,
and it is. It actually started off as a Mastermind group.
(24:35):
I wanted to connect to other creatives, creatives of color
specifically because at those networking slash mixer events they felt
really stale and even more so for women for people
of color, it was like there were a few, very
few of us, and we're not all the same.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
No, you would be at those mixers like, oh, there
are the two other like brown dots, let's go ma,
And then one of the roundouts wasn't.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Cool exactly like dang, you know, you're like, oh, you're that.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Like it.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
So, in an attempt to meet my people or find
people that I could, you know, go on and on
about with my creative projects and potentially learn from and
create with, I started come through as a Mastermind group
in January of twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Hello pause, you know what.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Anyway, So that started off in twenty twenty and it
was just like a great time for delving into ideas.
I really enjoyed connecting with people. Everybody was very receptive,
which was really surprising because I'd never really done something
where I've led a group or I was always sort
of like, you know, checking things out and trying to
(25:57):
meet people that way. But it was definitely special to
meet this group of folks who was like, what do
you do? And We're like, we don't know yet, Let's
hang out. And we would start every group meeting with
what are you passionate about? And that actually was just,
you know, so important because it opened a lot of
conversations and a lot of ideas, Like it was just
(26:18):
such a big door for we need more of this,
we don't have enough of that. So it was a
really great research ground and so from that was born
culture Stock. We met some great photographers who wanted to
share their space with us and make photography brand photography
specifically available and accessible for Brown folks, and so we
(26:43):
started with that and hosting those photography events. They've continued
to evolve. Now we've got, you know, a nice library
of images that everybody wants to pick from all the time.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So yeah, so what happens when we make something great?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Right? So we're I'm also spending some time creating a
stock library, which then evolved into more of a digital platform.
It's like the Etsy for creative resources that feature bipoc
folks either in front of or behind the lenses, behind
the apple pen, whatever you want. So there's that, and
(27:24):
that's called curated by we check us out, curated by
we dot com plug. I feel like I'm missing something.
And as a day job, right, I'm like, well, I
actually make money. I still am a designer for some
folks and have my clientele who you know, I still
love to create for as far as designing things for
(27:45):
products or online stuff, any kind of like digital media marketing.
Still in that game, trying to squeeze myself out.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yes, and we'll talk about that too.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
So in this, I love that you shared all the
different facets of what you're doing. Because a kid multi
hyphen it, We'll say, yes.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Oh we finally got a term. We like, Yes, Yes, I'm.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
So in this and talking about all these different facets.
How has it been for you to or what has
the evolution been, like you know, of saying okay, like
print died, right, and.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
So that that said, well, okay, business cards are no
longer viable. I had to which we love love this word, right, pivot.
I need to pivot and then offer something different.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
And how were you able to make those pivots and
still be passionate about what you're doing?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Well? I think the common thread amongst all these things is,
you know, a desire to apply creativity and vision and
big picture ideas to things. So that's always been consistent
as a personal mission, right, is to create at a
higher level, to always find a new way to translate
(29:01):
somebody else's vision or my own through design, through art,
et cetera. So I think it's been fairly not simple, right,
because sometimes you have to change all the logistics behind.
I think that's more difficult is the pivot includes, Oh
now I have to rework how I'm supporting this service
because it's not just like I do design. It's like
(29:23):
I do design. So I have to have this type
of portfolio, and I have to have this type of
you know, service or skill set, and so that's where
it can get challenging and where the pivots have been
time consuming. I shall say, mm hmm, but they it
hasn't been hard for me to sort of change my
mind about things. That's actually probably too easy. That can
(29:45):
be my biggest problem is just getting down to a
solid idea because sometimes it's like I have too many
and I.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Don't know where to somebody.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
It's like, how do I pick which one of these
I really want to pursue When they're they're all bomb,
you know, right.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
I keep going back to those posts. People will be like,
you don't have to monetize it, like every hobby doesn't
have to be monetized, because my thing is I want
to monetize everything. I'm like, somebody needs this, literally, but
I just like to see things like see where it goes.
I'm just curious about the journey. And that's that's problematic.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It is I bet you've learned a lot of things
so and pick up on stuff throughout that journey though
as you're going through and you're like, oh, I have
this idea, so I started this, and then you know,
maybe it turned into something different than the initial seed
that was planted, but something still grew Yes, yes, you know,
you get beautiful here. So in this right and we've
(30:41):
talked about the pivot. We've talked about the logistics of
the pivot. The pivot is in part to account for
new ideas and things like that, but also to sustain
your business. So in sustaining the business, have you experienced
ebbs and flows in terms of clientele and project opportunities,
cash flow?
Speaker 1 (31:03):
What has been like to all of them?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
At times it seemed like a really shaky roller coaster,
and especially at the beginning, I you know, I didn't
know anything about building a sales process or any kind
of funnel or even like budgeting cash flow those kind
of things, or how to strategically build up, you know,
an actual financial foundation for what I was doing. I
(31:29):
was just so concerned with attracting work that that became
like the main focus. And then I jumped on that
like feaster famine roller coaster, and that was hard.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
How long would you say you you did the feaster
famine roller coaster?
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Probably a couple of years. It was really difficult because
I just couldn't get a handle on it. You know,
there were a lot of unknowns, like I didn't know
things about like how you know, it's important for freelancers
to have retainer accounts, to have that consistent cash flow
coming in, how to do it, who to reach out to,
(32:05):
you know, what my goals should be financially, that kind
of thing, And it started building it up over time.
But yeah, that was difficult. That was difficult for sure,
that uncertainty of oh, this was a really great month,
and then getting really confident and not doing enough marketing
and then the next few months were like really rough
and you're in a drought and I didn't necessarily prepare
(32:27):
for that. I mean, it still happens, you know, it
happened to me in the last year. So I'm kind
of in that space of rebuilding and going back to
some of those core skills. So the cash flow thing
is real. It's also real to be in weird space
(32:47):
with knowing how to set boundaries with clients. That was
a huge challenge. Yeah, it's the having your contracts and
making sure that they actually benefit you. You know. I
used to be one of those was like I just
copied this off of a few contracts I found online,
And that's what you got to do because I don't
know about y'all. But I didn't have the legal fee,
(33:08):
the fund to have somebody a lawyer or you know.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Anybody else.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yes, legalism didn't even exist when I started out, it
was non existent. So I just you know, took from
here and there to build contracts. And even then I
would like find myself in holes, you know, because I
didn't cover, for example, like how many revisions or all
the little additional things. So that was an interesting game,
(33:34):
learning to say no to people. I don't want to
work with this person.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Oh yeah, what was that like?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
When you say, well, do you remember the first person
you're like, I don't want to work with you anymore.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
My very first freelance client, she.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Was a terror.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
And I had no idea. I just was fresh out
of this, you know, this very popular build your business program,
this online course, and I met her in that space
and we were both really excited to start our own thing,
and I was like, hey, my thing serves your thing,
and sort of vice versa. She was sort of at
the beginning of the wellness online space, and so I
(34:15):
really wanted to support that and she just, whoof she
ran me ragged for very few dollars and it was
just like constant changes and calls and micromanagement on a
different level because it was like, I have hired you
to do this, this and this, and I felt like,
I think it was some of the PTSD from the
(34:35):
company i'd worked with and being very beholden to clients
and people and having an employee mindset where I was like,
I got to do the things because I said I
would do this and that, and she's not happy. I
got to make her happy. And it wasn't until I realized, like,
I don't have to make anyone happy. I just have
to fulfill these services and you know, make sure that
(34:56):
I'm checking off my boxes and if it's not, it
didn't flow her boat. Well that's too.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Bad mm hm, because you can't make everybody happy, no, right,
And at the end of the day, like you want
folks to be happy, but yeah you can, right, Like
you can't determine that, right, they have free will, and
you also don't know if it has anything to do
with you exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I used to take it pretty personal, and I'm at
the point now where people will be like, oh, I'm sorry,
and I'm like, oh, I don't care. You want to
change this, that's cool?
Speaker 1 (35:25):
That's cool.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah, here's the extra hourly rate for that, because that's
a thing that's time. But otherwise, like, I don't take
it personally, it's not about me.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Oh that's so real. I love that.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I love that growth and like even the most painful
steps in entrepreneurship, right, you learn something from it. And
I heard a quote today I think it was in
meditation this morning that said, you know, there are only
two outcomes, either you win or you grow.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
And so in these types of situations like.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, maybe I didn't necessarily win on the financial firm,
but I grew a hell of a lot.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
You know, fail forward. I've always been a big fan
of that. Lots of people are like, oh, fear to failure,
and I'm like, I'm not because I learned something. I
won't do that again.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Not me, not me, and not with her. I love that,
all right.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
So in this what is one thing your business or
successful venture that's happened that like you didn't expect hmmmm.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I had an answer for that, and I'm like, what, Oh,
I don't know. I didn't expect to be good at
the sales piece so much. I definitely thought I was
going to be someone who had a certain set of
skills and that would be the most toubtable thing, right
(36:48):
Like that would be the thing that would pull people in.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
And I'll call that, don't you what I do exactly?
I need what I do. I can do the things.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
And it was very much about the work. But I
think I've been surprised by how much I enjoy the
relationship building piece and the sales piece, which is the
reaching out and you know, getting talking people into a vision.
Like I've got a good handle on words and wordsmithing
(37:18):
my way into things and connecting with people, and that's
the piece that I really enjoy and it really serves
me now in this place where you know, I've got
my own thing going. I still have, you know, my
handful of clients and things. But I think come Through has,
you know, had its little success because it's all about.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Connection and slanking community. Slanging community, yes exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
Yes, yes, I love that it is accurate like that
is actually how Verrha that I met I was through
come Through through a mutual friend at the time that
introduced us and there we connected and it had a
chance to I've had a chance to go to a
few come Through events and we were able to even
partner on some So when you say slang a community,
we are in community because of what you created.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah, exactly. Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
I love that. I'm very proud, as you should be,
because not everybody slangs community with the same like passionate
and intent, right, Like there is this big thing about
commodifying community. Yeah, and while everybody eats bee like that's
the thing. But at the same time, like charging folks
for general knowledge or just to be in community, it's
(38:30):
not always like where's the return on investment?
Speaker 1 (38:33):
You know what I mean? Like there's some groups that'll say, hey,
like go ahead.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And pay thirty five dollars to join our group and
be a member, and you're like, what am I getting?
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah? You have.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
You know, we tried that model and it felt so gross.
M it felt super gross. It was hard to upsell,
like cause, and then there was a core piece of
it where I was like, I'm trying to serve this community.
One of our biggest challenges is that we don't come
from a place of I've got what is it when
you're talking about startups and things like that, we don't
(39:08):
have the friends and family round available.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Oh that's a lot of people's first like their first round, right.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Exactly, that's their first round. That's what you're supposed to do.
And it's just like, I can't eat off the people
I'm trying to help feed like that, This doesn't make
any sense.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Say that.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
It's like asking my teenage daughter to help me with
the bills. She's gonna be like, what.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Right, I'm trying to eat too.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
No. But so that just was like an icky piece.
So I flipped it and was like, no, people need
to pay to be part of this, to gain from
our community, to get value from our community, you need
to pay to have access to us. Yes, not the
(39:49):
other way around.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
And in that of like like you're saying, it was
weird trying to get food from someone that you're trying
to feed. And yet again, right, everybody has to eat,
be like including you. So in this ebb and flow
of trying to figure out how do I support community
and support myself, have you at any point in time
considered you know, hey, Okay, I'm.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Still going to do my things right because I'm passionate
about that.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
And when you're passionate about stuff, you don't ever really
stop doing it, Like you might slow down, it might
not be as much, but you're gonna keep doing it.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Right, But have you.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Ever considered, you know, damn, maybe I do need to
find something like we're turning to.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Like an organization or company type of thing.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Yeah. In the last year, I you know, I experienced
some some personal hardships and it left me in a
place of prioritizing rest, which I say left me, but
really I needed to just do that and take a pause.
I you know, shut down a lot of projects. It's
turned down a lot of clients and things, a lot
(40:51):
of financial stability in order to have mental stability.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Why do we have to pick one, right? Why do
we have to pick.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
One that was a thing? So after that experience and
being trying to lead, you know, a team and trying
to grow a team, you know, come throughs in a
place where it needs to scale, and that takes a
lot of funding. That takes a lot of cash flow
(41:20):
and being able to put money before, you know, being
able to lift off events and whatever other things we
want to run. So I thought, you know, I got
to a place where it's like it just wasn't sustainable
anymore to do that, and you know, take care of myself.
So starting from an empty sort of space, or not
(41:42):
empty space, but sort of like I have all these
great things going that I need to uplift. But now
as far as the money pool is empty, it's getting dry,
it got dry, got empty, it's refeeling a little. But
so yeah, I definitely have romanticized finding an ideal company.
(42:05):
And I think the timing as well, like where companies
are being held more accountable for the way that they
treat their employees or the way that they set up
something with more of a lifestyle in mind, I felt
a little more. I feel a little more comfortable engaging again.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And the idea of like, Okay, I'm willing to work with.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
You right right and exactly, and.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
That's the goal I think right now as people are
holding companies accountable, is like I don't just work for you,
you know what I mean? And some functions in some positions, sure,
but in the type of work that you do, like no, no, no,
we're working together. I'm working with the clients. I'm working
with you know, the people that are coming in.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
So yeah, and it's a good place to be in,
I think at first, and you know, I've told you
this I really wanted that ideal tech job with the
six figures and the one that all the tech talkers
are trying to show us all how to.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Do so easy. Just put this for your rents. Shut up.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
It's not a thing, you know. I think if I
were in my twenties and I was, you know, willing
to do the boot camps and maybe go through like
the courses, and I'm not doubting that. I think, if
you've got the mental bandwidth to do that, do it.
And I'm not too good to do it, but I'm
too tired to do it. So at this point, I'm like,
I'm not going to go back and get this certification
(43:28):
and that certification to fit into this pocket. I'm like,
now I'm getting more comfortable with just being where I
am and setting that up in a space where it's like, Okay,
where are the companies that need who I am? Because
I was doing it the other way around and that
was getting real frustrating, you know, and the.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
Rejection was hard. No, it hurts.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
It hurts, especially the ones that come like months later,
the emails that come.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
In there, like those people who reviewed your resus. I
remember this and it's like, damn I didn't need this today.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
This is like iPhone memories reminding you of a photo
from ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Sober face book was like screwing people up and like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Done dirty?
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Can we not the old boyfriend or whoever?
Speaker 2 (44:13):
I't know, Like just because I didn't delete the picture
doesn't mean I want to be reminded of it exactly anyway. Unnecessary, unnecessary,
but yeah, I love too. One of the things that
you what I heard you've mentioned.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Was you know who I am? I want them to
want who I am and.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Just being yourself. And I love that because I think
so often it's about what we do right, like what
we can't offer, and even when we interact with each
other sometimes I just moved up to La.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
It just it's been about two years now at this point.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
But in that moving up, like, I've noticed that as
I'm getting older, in this space where I'm not working,
it's not when I meet someone, Hey, Hi, I'm Chris,
you know, and what do you do? It's more so
that people are really like interested in who.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
I am, Like what do you like? Oh my gosh,
I'm a sagittary used to you know? Like I love Renaissance.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
Too, Like, yes, it's that type of vibe like they
are friends that I have up there.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I don't actually know what they do.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
That's nice, it is, it's really.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Nice, you know.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
And so I love that idea of like if you
do return to a corporate space or company organization, of
just being yourself, you know, full fully and wholeheartedly and
coming in and saying like, yeah, my skills are bombed.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
But I'm an even cooler person.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
Right, Yeah, cool, I bring a lot to the table.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Yes, it's yeah, I love that. I love that. Okay.
Our producer Hannah HB HB on the visuals giving us
the five minute morning.
Speaker 2 (45:39):
So I do want to ask quickly like what is
one or two things? What is something you wish you
had known before making this, making the sleep, making this transition.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Who I think it would have been really helpful to
have the budgeting and the fiscal things under control, or
at least have a plan for them, because I know
it's common to say like don't leave until you have
three months around, but really it's like have a year
in mind. Oh okay, I'm gonna push it all the
(46:16):
way through because and it's not to say you have
to have a year funded, but have a sales plan
for getting through that first year because it's a bumpy ride.
And yes, you may get a few clients, but in
order to at least match what you were making before,
you're going to have to have a sense of how
to keep the cash flow going. I think right now,
(46:38):
I'm always seeing on social media people are selling courses
about courses on how to sell courses. You know, I'm
just like this, not like everybody can't have a side hustle.
Side hustle is have a second job, have a second
full time job. You know, the expectations that people should
have when they're approaching those things. There's no at rich quick.
(47:02):
And when I left my position, I wasn't necessarily trying
to get rich quick, but I was trying to remain sustainable.
And even that, I think expectation was a little too high.
So I think having those expectations meant about like financially
being stable, because when you're financially stable, you can manage
the rest fairly.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
Well, let's just say that.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
I love that, and it's I'll share my experiences y'all
will know. But I did not do that when I
left my job last year. Either I received a separence
package which was cute and very and then all the
bills hit continuously month after month like they did, and
I was like, oh, okay, so thank you for sharing
(47:47):
a tip for folks that are considering it and that
are planners, right, because I took a leap and we
both left and yeah, you know, learned these lessons. And
there are some people that are like, you know, the
leap is going to be right for them. It's spiritually right,
it's the timing is great, all of that right. And
there are some folks like your planners. And if it
makes you more secure to plan, yes, hey, here's the heads.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
Up your three months. Is it really going to be enough? Sis? Like,
plan for the.
Speaker 3 (48:09):
Year, plan for the year.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
Absolutely? All right?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
So lasting, what is your motto your message that you
want to leave with the people?
Speaker 3 (48:19):
Ooh model message. My motto is is just what I
mentioned earlier, fail forward, Be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and
plan to fail a lot and get excited about it.
Learn to love failing because there's so many gems in
something that didn't quite go right. H that if you
(48:40):
spend too much time wallowing and things or being upset
with what didn't work out, you're gonna miss some really
key things about what is working and what is valuable
to continue with. Mm hmm, so definitely failing forward.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Fail forward. Enjoy the pain of.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
Growth, Yes, enjoy the pinion.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
We didn't necessarily feel it as we were teenagers, right,
hitting puberty, hitting that stride. But I mean plants don't
feel it either, They're just growing, right, So growth can
be uncomfortable when you're making these types of transitions, But
enjoy it and like you said, pull the gems out
of the shit.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Yes, right, Like that client, it didn't work out, but hey,
I learned, I won't do that again, right, Yeah. Just
have a good sense of.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Humor, Yeah, have a great sense of humor, and enjoy
the ride.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for him. It has
been a lovely conversation we probably having.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
I would love to so thank you so much for
being on the big quit and don't forget y'all quitters
win too. All right, talk to
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