Things change.

I'm always going on about how I'm not finished, how I'm a little wonky.
And that may sound like a changing business is a hassle.
But it's not.

Sometimes, change + growth is awesome.

Take, IdeaStorming, for example.
It has changed a LOT in the 2 months I've been offering it.

Let's start from the beginning.

I was inspired to offer IdeaStorming after getting off the phone with a friend. We had just brainstormed a whole bunch of answers and solutions to a complicated business question. When we got off the phone I was experiencing what I've come to call the helper-high.
And I said, “Oh, I wish I could do this EVERY day!”
And Jay said, “Well, why can't you? Don't you think other people would like this?”

Duh!

I called it IdeaStorming because that's what that first session was:

A storm of ideas, inspirations, solutions raining down from every corner. Ideas rubbed up against problems and I felt the thunder.

But in the last 2 months it's become more than that.

It's become a totally personalized priority-finding, solution-generating, movement-inspiring jam session.

Most sessions have a smidge of brainstorming (if that's what the crafter needs), but that all happens before the session (after they return the slice-through-fog questionnaire) . I brainstorm some answers to their specific questions before we ever talk.

But most crafters?

Don't need more IDEAS. They are creative geniuses who are simply overflowing with ideas.

What they need?

Focus. Clarity. Direction.

Instead of being a crazy new-stuff-imagining time, most IdeaStorming sessions are about implementation.
How will you actually DO this.
We lay  out a roadmap to get them from here to there.
We get crystal clear on the very Next Step.

And afterwards, I'm all buzzy from the utter joy in helping someone see their path clearly. In that helper-high, I take mad notes about everything I meant to say, everything that our conversations sparked.
I look up links that we mentioned, I find helpful books, I download the recording.

When I send it all to the IdeaStormers, I get emails back that say stuff like:

Speaking of brain puzzles, all of our conversations did just that… really exercised my brain and helped me move my thoughts from point A to point B without ripping all my hair out!

and

I think I might have sprained my wrist, I was scribbling your brilliant ideas so quickly.

Seriously, I am in AWE of the sheer amount of usefulness your brain can spew out. It was all so crisp, so clear and so exactly what I needed.

It's NOT what I expected.
It is so much better.

How do you turn Ugh, change! to Yeah, baby?

Well, you're going to have to come back tomorrow!  I'll share 3 tips to turn change from ohmygoodnessI'mscrewingitallup to woohoo!
And turn the wonkyness into glowing compliments.
You can subscribe, here, and the message will come right to your inbox.

What's changed in your biz that's been a great thing? Tell me in the comments!

PS. In case it's not totally clear: my rave reviewers gave me permission to quote them here. If we work together, every single thing we say is confidential!

6 Comments on Things Change: a case study

  1. Maryann Devine
    August 13, 2010 at 12:28 am (14 years ago)

    Tara, I know exactly what you mean by helper-high — and I love having it, too. I'll bet you're an amazing idea-stormer.

  2. Pixie
    August 13, 2010 at 12:40 am (14 years ago)

    I've had a huge change in my goals as a knitwear designer, originally I was focusing on indie publishing but now I am focusing on submitting places, this is the first year I have ever submitted anyplace, in fact it was just like 4 months ago. I am really enjoying working with other companies because I WORK WITH PEOPLE. When I was indie publishing it took m e LONGER to knit things and I was so isolated. I really enjoy this more! I was very happy when I changed my focus and goals.

  3. TaraSwiger
    August 13, 2010 at 3:40 pm (14 years ago)

    This is an awesome example of a change making things better!
    Thanks for sharing it!