A community is devastated by a cyclone, and a woman is forced to find a different way to make a living. Read how she creates possibilities.
I was ready to explore new possibilities for earning and making a living.
I told myself, "Yes, I admit. It's tough now—the restrictions of the pandemic and the limitations due to this storm. I am struggling daily, and I am working with zero revenue. I realize my onsite workshops for school kids will not resume anytime soon.
But the fact that you're moving through these tough times with grace proves that you have it in you to figure out a way to create an earning for yourself even with these limitations. There has to be a better way!
There were so many real-life stories published online. Every day, I immersed myself in learning about them. I read stories about coping financially during the pandemic, and there was much to learn. Even though the economy suffered, many people thrived in their businesses during COVID-19. I also read about people transitioning their onsite business to making an online version.
I came from a creative and educational background. I wanted to see how education technology companies were navigating these lockdown times. I was fascinated to know how academic companies leveraged technology to reach more people.
So I read articles, listened to interviews, and learned how they handled their business. Some education technology companies consistently reported they generated more revenue during the lockdown times.
One report on an educational technology company documented an unprecedented number of business registrations. It indicated that people from all over the world are choosing to leverage technology and create digital-based businesses.
And the people who already had established businesses online generously opened doors for other newbies. They were doing this because they reported a surge in demand. Their websites were getting thousands of visitors each day. People were enrolling in online courses and online programs. They could see that online education was now a thing that people rapidly accepted as a mode of learning and communication. Established brands and businesses offered their paid courses for free, helping people start their businesses.
What a supportive and encouraging environment this was.
These examples demonstrated how one could turn the most trying times, the most limiting phase, into an opportunity full of possibilities, goodwill, and making a difference in the lives of many.
When I read these stories, I could see that just like me going through the struggles of surviving during a cyclone and adapting, learning, and improvising to move forward, people at large were also adapting, learning, and improvising. They were now open to leveraging the power of technology to communicate and learn and earn a living. This revelation inspired me. I could also be creative and use technology to create a living online and offer services as a business.
I wasn't clear on how to go about it, and I knew there would be a learning curve and that it would take time and hard work. But I could see possibilities to communicate with people online, share my skills professionally, and contribute and be part of the digital economy.
These moments and stories inspired me, and I had time to think, explore, reflect, and learn from these examples.
I kept immersing myself in reading and learning and joyfully followed these nuggets of inspiration. One story and then another one and then to another until one day, I came across a business program website.
This program was all about validating a business idea. This educational accelerator for people with ideas for an online business was a great opportunity! Others, just like me, wanted to explore the possibility of creating a digital business.
It struck me. I paused. The question came to me again-
What do I already have that I can use?
I deeply reflected on my strengths. My background in teaching storytelling workshops has helped me develop storytelling skills and communication and interpersonal skills. After every workshop, I collected direct feedback from parents, kids, and school authorities. This habit developed my questioning and interview skills.
I then reflected on my weakness. I don't have a business degree. I don't run a large company, and I don't have a business mentor.
I have tested every workshop module over time and improved my storytelling workshop services. This constant improvement of my programs has increased my confidence in my workshop and working with children.
That's when an idea sparked in me. I have so much experience helping customers get what they need from a product or service. How about I use my experience building customer relationships and assisting idea-stage entrepreneurs in solving customer problems? They could learn ways to communicate and empathize with their customers to create better offerings.
What would it be like to teach this personally to people with a vision for starting a business and dare to create world-class products and services? I saw the possibility of creating a small package 1-on-1 offering for new entrepreneurs.
When you joyfully follow your interest, you are more naturally inclined to keep refining, reworking, and rebuilding ideas until something seems "right."
And this process of refining, reworking, and rebuilding has helped me gain confidence in my work and has helped improve the solution I offer. Why not teach this fun, practical method of solving customers' problems to others who are dabbling with a new idea for a business? Why don't I turn this into a system and offer it as a program for startups and budding entrepreneurs? Wouldn't it help and support the visions of future founders and business owners? Wouldn't it contribute to the entrepreneurial community? Would it give me a meaningful way to earn?
Yes, It would! This idea was promising, and something in me knew this program was for me to take.
Ah! I was delighted to see that I had something valuable to offer. Something that I've loved doing so far could be translated online and help others too. I felt so much joy knowing I could create a business based on the knowledge, skills, and experience I already had. Even though I didn't know the ultimate result, I knew I would go on this journey, take this road, and validate this business idea.
I had a firm conviction in me. If I could help people in the idea stage solve customer problems, they would be confident to move forward with their idea and invest in building them. But it was my duty to test my teaching and method and see if it could create results for them as I imagined. I needed to do this to avoid creating a sub-par product. Only then would it be fair to offer the service professionally. So I set this benchmark for myself, and validation would help me do this systematically.
I was joyful to know that this service could support the visions of people with ideas. They might not have a business degree. They, too, could be going through tough times and surviving, just like I did with the cyclone, but they dared to imagine and create world-class products and services and were willing to learn.
I knew this validation process would not be easy, but I resolved to be patient with myself.
I signed up for the workshop. My heart was full of gratitude for having this opportunity to join the program. My eyes sparkled in wonder to know I would be able to learn. I attended the class with this sense of wonder and delight.
After the workshop ended, I knew this was the direction I needed to go. I was ready to take the leap of faith and test the waters with complete commitment and integrity.
I jumped in and signed up for the accelerator program.
Deepti is a storyteller at heart, a lifelong lover of learning, and an advocate for empowering the visions of aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide. Deepti hails from Kolkata, India.
02092023A2/4
Next week - Part 3 in this monthlong series, Make Your Way.
im4u.world's mission is to give you the tools to change the world.
Make a difference in the world. im4u.world can show you how.
Click here and subscribe for free.
Please share this story with your friends, family, and co-workers.
Social media re-imagined from im4u.world.
Coming in 2023.
Comments