Keep Working on Your Dreams: Fierce Kindness Update

Hello! So, I thought it was past time that I gave you a Fierce Kindness update 🙂

I am extremely grateful for your support and enthusiasm as I grow Fierce Kindness from scratch! And if you wondered how Fierce Kindness started, click here.

OK, so I have always been a “silver linings” gal. When something “bad” happens, I will always find the positive. Of course some things are so “bad” (usually health or loved one related) that the silver lining is only seen later – and often must be searched for. But for now, I’m talking about smaller “bad things”.

And. At the end of January this year, my wonderful (full-time) operations manager at The Coaching Tools Company, Mary, resigned. We are a tight team of 3 full-time people and 2 part-timers.

I was devastated and shocked. I had believed Mary enjoyed her job and enjoyed working with us, and that she was very happy.

And she was. Except that she wanted something we couldn’t provide – that big company experience and the opportunity to rise and rise and rise. Instead of being a big cog in a small wheel, she wanted the opportunity – and challenge – of being a small cog in a big wheel, and then learning how to become a bigger cog!

It was a double blow as we had become friends; I was going to miss working with her every day.

The day she resigned, both of us were in tears on and off the whole day (and into the weekend too!) I put this down to the fact that we cared for each other deeply.

Silver Linings…

Right away, there was my first silver lining: now we get to be “just friends”. We get to grow our friendship on a more even keel – without me tiptoeing around because (5 days out of 7) I was her “boss”.

Silver lining number 2: Because Mary was leaving, we focused on documenting our remaining business processes – and getting super clear on our priorities. This has also made it super easy for me to say “No” to requests I receive.

And so, to silver lining number 3.

Because we’ve hired someone part-time to “replace” Mary, I decided to use some of the money we’re saving to hire a copywriter – for Fierce Kindness!

NOTE: for us it’s all about finding the right person, and then being flexible to make the job fit them. So ta da: Michela!

So back to silver lining number 3.

You may have noticed that I struggle to do “short”. That’s because (to me) everything is inter-linked and contextual. And I have so… many… ideas!

I kept beginning to write the copy for the Fierce Kindness Home Page – and before I knew it, I’d written “War and Peace” again! And each time, I was no nearer to having created an engaging “Home” page.

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. Christian D. Larson

Roll on Courtney Fanning (now that’s a name worthy of Gone With The Wind!) of Big Picture Branding. Courtney is a copywriter I found at the end of last year via a Google search for a homepage template. I downloaded the template and signed up for her newsletter.

So, a little while after Mary resigned, I had the idea of reaching out to Courtney about her “Copywriting” days. Would she help me get my “Home” and “About” pages finished?

We had a 30 minute call where I talked super-fast, gesticulated wildly and barraged her with my questions, ideas, issues and concerns. Well, when Courtney just took it all in her stride, I took a gamble and hired her for the full 2 weeks!

And I am overjoyed with the result and only wish I had got help sooner. Courtney really took me in hand. She used her professional knowledge and skills to package up my ideas into bite-sized chunks. And then we worked together to hone them, and I literally cannot wait to share!!!

Learning number 1:

• Sometimes it takes someone looking from the outside in to prune all your ideas, so that what’s left can shine!

And soon I will make time (inbetween my full-time job at The Coaching Tools Company) to create the key pages for Fierce Kindness using the copy that Courtney and I co-created. And maybe a few other goodies…

So, here’s what else I learned:

2. Boy are those silver linings a real thing, but you must procactively look for and grab the opportunities.
3. Get help when you’re stuck or spinning your wheels. And don’t be afraid to pay for it – if you can.
4. When things go “wrong”, do cry (powerful emotional release), but don’t panic *

* When Mary resigned my first thoughts were, “Oh no, disaster! It’ll take ages to find a replacement – and how could they ever be as good as Mary???” Well, Michela is a delight and a fast learner. My initial panic was rather unnecessary…

Stay focused on your goals…

You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination. Ralph Marston

Since I launched Fierce Kindness in December 2019 (when it was simply a “sign up for the newsletter” page) I have dreamed of a writing a “home” and “about” page so that I can share Fierce Kindness with the world!

This single-minded focus (home and about page) kept me going in circles as I wrote and wrote and wrote. BUT then, when Mary resigned, I saw an opportunity to hire someone to help. And took it.

And once the home page is done, I plan to spread my wings!

Wrap-up

I’m sooooooo excited to grow Fierce Kindness.

And I hope you enjoyed this update; if you’re reading this, and you have your own plans, I want you to remember that (eventually) things work out. If you stay focused on what you want – and open to how those things might be accomplished.

I’m going to keep carving out time to share everything I’ve learned about confidence, kindness, determination, perseverance, courage – and more – with you.

And like I said before, who knows what we’ll all have achieved by the end of the year?

It’ll all work out in the end. And if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end. Sonny Kapoor in the movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Why Fierce Kindness?
• 27 Inspirational Gratitude Quotes & More!
• Be the Hero of Your Own “Liminal” COVID Journey! (how to handle uncertainty)

Change the world, start with you!