Last night, as I was carving pumpkins with my family, I had an epiphany… Your business is like a pumpkin. Yeah, I just compared my business to a gourd. As strange as that sounds, there is a lot of truth in that statement. Think I’m crazy? Read on so I can prove my theory.
1 CHOOSING THE PERFECT PUMPKIN is a lot like choosing a genre of photography to specialize in. When you first started, you thought that any pumpkin would do. Then you grew up and gained some experience. While the patch is LOADED with options, it doesn’t mean that every pumpkin out there is the right fit for you. There are things to consider before you can make the final decision. Are you going for something simple or complex? Big or small? Traditional or modern? The choice is yours. Learn from your previous experiences and take the time to find that perfect pumpkin because it’s out there.
2 YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE CRAP that’s filling your pumpkin before you can transform into something special. While it isn’t always fun to scoop it all out by the spoonful, it is a necessary step. But don’t fret! There are resources and tools available to help you accomplish this step in the carving process. Of course, if you choose to, you can always outsource the tasks you don’t want to do. Just don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. There’s beauty in the mess and you need what’s inside, in order to grow.
3 DESIGN IT HOWEVER YOU WANT IT. It’s YOUR pumpkin. There are no right or wrong ways to carve it. In a world full of pumpkins, no pumpkin will ever be exactly the same. You may have a thousand pumpkin carvers in your market, but that’s no reason to throw in the towel. Make your pumpkin stand out from the rest. Invest your time and energy into making it unique. Stop following the lines that will make your pumpkin look like all of the others. Show the world what your pumpkin is all about and don’t apologize for it. While it may not be perfect, it will be perfectly yours.
4 INVEST IN THE RIGHT TOOLS that will help make you be successful. And I’m not just talking about buying a fancy carving set. It’s not about what you have, it’s about what you do with what you have. No one will be able to tell what exactly you used to accomplish your carved pumpkin, they will only see the results of your hard work. However, if you find that you are struggling with your carving skills, there are RESOURCES AVAILABLE to help make you a better pumpkin carver. Be honest about what you’re struggling with and focus your attention there.
5 EACH YEAR, YOU’LL ONLY GET BETTER. There’s nothing more valuable than experience. As each year passes, you will only become a stronger, more efficient pumpkin carver. The beautiful thing is that as you grow and improve your skills, you’re not bound by the very first pumpkin you carved. You get to continue creating and sharing your talent with the world. The key is to continue challenging yourself by trying new techniques, tackling new pumpkins and carving a more intricate design. You got this.
