This Thursday (tomorrow) will mark my one year anniversary of me being part of an online community known by the name of seanwes. so much has happened in the span of one year. Let me recap and share a few things. Prior to joining, I was binge listening to all the podcast episodes and then I reached episode 71 - I felt guilty. After every episode Sean and Ben would ask their listeners to leave a positive review if they found that the show helped them.
It was clearly helping me. I joined the community September 17, 2014. Everyone was so welcoming. They asked what my story was, what made me join, and what my interests were. I was able to do a few hangout sessions and connect with other people. I would listen live on my lunch break on my android using a podcast app - I can't recall the name - and I kept losing the live stream. Sean sent me his old iphone 5 - for free.
In my head I kept wondering, “why anyone in the world would do something like this?" Sean didn't know me. I was still fairly new in the community. It dawned on me that he cared about my well being, and that I was able to tune in and listen in on the conversations. His generosity will not go unnoticed.
Soon after, I landed a new job which was perfect timing because Sean had the spousal episode on scarcity mindset. Prior to switching jobs I was working an 8 am to 5 pm, then a 6 pm to 11 pm. It made no sense to me why I should work this way barely making ends meet. I was still living paycheck to paycheck at home with my mom. I was angry and bitter. I did what I was told to many kids, " go to school, get an education, find a (Decent) job and pay the bills”.
Well the bills were barely getting paid, and I was the only one with a degree where I was working. I began to feel undervalued and needed a change. I missed doing design. I felt a dark cloud over me. Half way through the year, when I could finally take a vacation, I went to California.
I LOVED IT THERE! I made it a point to leave the two jobs before the year was over. Thanks to a relative, and a few connections, exactly one year from when I started I resigned to enter packaging design. After switching jobs, I had so much free time left, I realized this was the perfect timing to start practicing hand lettering. This started the journey of Donia Studio.
I started practicing daily and eventually incorporated writing daily; this lead me back to blogging. Fast-forward to January 2015 and I unofficially launched my new blog. I was posting regularly but not really putting the word out until someone called me out. That pushed me to learn a simplified platform and keep going, to share what I am doing. I eventually met Sean and his wife Laci, on their sabbatical while in NYC. We had so much pizza!!! I even had the chance to meet a few other people from the community that day - real people, in the flesh.
Most recently I've linked up with a weekly accountability partner from that community. I needed to push myself to see more results for my goals to happen. Sean talks about accountability in episode 107. While most of the community has taken place online, it's made me recognize that I need to be intentional with the people in my life. There have been outside factors unrelated to the community as well that have helped me grow. I won't go into too much detail, but life is short and it's what you make of it.
Authentic, genuine relationships are hard to come by because you have to be willing to give some part of yourself away. Find your purpose, share what you know, and you're bound to help someone in the process.
The seanwes podcast has taught me so much more in business than all my classes I took on entrepreneurship while in college - and to think I considered going back. You will learn so much more by doing, asking specific questions, getting feedback on ways to improve. You will learn what to do to grow your audience, your business, and make connections with people in all different walks of life. I've learned about money, setting goals, commitments, communication - health even! - It's really endless. I write this to say that a lot can happen in a year. A lot has happened in a year. Cheers to the next year!