Written by: Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“You can’t force true things.” This quote comes from a conversation I had with one of my friends a few years ago. I was frustrated about a situation that wasn’t going the way that I had hoped, and it was very upsetting. These five words have stuck with me to this day and will probably stay with me forever. He said, “It will happen when it is meant to.”
Now, let’s dive in to how powerful those words and that lesson can be in the world of business.
From my own experience so far, I have learned that there will always be roadblocks and changes that need to happen for you to succeed. If you are spiritual or believe in spirituality, you might think of this as being tested by the Universe. Sometimes, we keep receiving signs that something isn’t working, but we tend to listen to our egos and ignore our intuition because we want things to work out a certain way.
But what if we release that control?
What happens if we take a step back instead of burning ourselves out and running into a wall repeatedly?
We know that “Rejection is Redirection,” right? If we keep that in mind, maybe the Universe is telling us to change direction. The ego will tell you it’s failure, but your ego is NOT your amigo, so we need to ignore that immediately. Deal? Great!
Why should we pivot?
When I launched my company, The Design Database, I wanted to build a community for ALL Creatives and become a new solution for the freelance market. People around me, peers and strangers, would consistently tell me the same thing: “A community for Creatives is a wonderful idea, but it’s going to be an uphill battle against Upwork and Fiverr.” My response always stayed the same. I’d stand my ground and say, “I’m not looking to compete, I am building an alternative solution for a community that desperately needs more help.”
I still stand by that and always will, but again, the ego likes to play with our minds.
As The Design Database quickly approaches its one-year anniversary, I have really grown as an entrepreneur and my mindset has altered. However, I have not changed my mission or values, but I have created a pivot for my target market. As stubborn as I am, and as much as I wanted to be an all-inclusive platform (I’ve always hated cliques), I’ve realized that the warnings of my peers did hold more significance that I thought.
What pivot did you make?
I had to make a very important decision because I didn’t want to hit a wall and try to fit into a space that may or may not have room for me. The Design Database is making the pivot to be the first freelance marketplace and community designed as the support system for creative women working in visual arts.
As a female Creative myself, it is much easier for me to market to my own community, especially after realizing that 95% of my current customers and audience are women. This decision became very clear to me when I realized that no other platform tailors exclusively to women working in visual arts. 48% of freelancers are women, while only 46% are men. Although there are more women in this market, I bet you can guess who gets the most jobs.
Here's a hint: It’s not the women.
The Design Database will be where that change happens because our community of overlooked and undervalued female and non-binary artists need and deserve a safe space to shine their light and showcase their talent.
Any advice to give to someone who wants to make a pivot?
It’s very important to remember that making a pivot does NOT mean that you have failed. It does NOT mean that you have given up. Nor does it mean that you have sold out. It does however mean that you care SO much about what you do, and you are determined to do what it takes to succeed in the best way that you can.
It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to abandon your vision or values when you pivot. You can still have the same goals. Maybe for you a pivot can just be switching to a different niche or changing the usage for your product. For example, you can have the same goal to sell handbags, but instead of being solely a fashion item, maybe you decide to pivot so the handbag doubles as a super-chic pet carrier, gym duffle, or baby diaper bag instead. You’ve pivoted by adding more functionality and practicality and now instead of marketing to single city girls having Sunday brunch, you can also market to rockstar moms who go to the gym after work.
If you’re feeling stagnant while trying to build or grow your business, my advice to you would be to step back, breathe, and decide if you need to change directions.
Remember it’s not rejection, it’s redirection.
Check out my other articles to learn more about me, The Design Database, and the ups and downs of working in the creaative industry.
Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Courtlyn Jones is a graphic designer and creative entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Founder of The Design Database, a new online platform and community designed to be a support system for Creatives (artists, designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, and more). With her platform, Creatives can connect with clients who are looking to hire now, connect with other Creatives in the community to form partnerships, gain inspiration, and make new friends, and also host and sell their work. She has partnered up with other amazing businesses who share the same mission as her to support Creatives by providing tools and resources to help these independent workers be successful in their careers. Her mission is to help create change in the creative community and bring people together because she believes that when Creatives come together, true magic happens!
