Well its been about a month since the launch of ‘zanita.com’ and I figure its a good time to reflect and talk further about my journey up until this point - in conjunction with skincare brand Dr. LeWinn’s new campaign #idiscovered - which is an initiative encouraging people to share their life’s learnings.
I started this game back in 2008. From there I basically stuffed around for 4 years - of course building up a following and being a known member within the blogging community, but with little dedication and consistency - I fell behind the pack. For me, blogging wasn’t a viable career because no one had stepped up and given me a chance. It was a bad attitude because I was really waiting on someone else to give me success, it was wrong because most people are just out there trying to work it out for themselves.
#idiscovered that you need to build your own opportunities on the path to success.
I signed onto the Fellt network around 4 years ago, that was when I first started to realise that I might be able to give this a go full time. I had begun to improve on my skills and my talents were commercially viable. Talent is so often misconstrued as something that people are born with or comes naturally - when its truthfully something that is built over time. Once upon a time there weren’t many people who would have considered me a talented photographer and blogger - but everyday as time went on I progressed into something that was recognised, to the point where I’m today I consider myself a professional. Yay!
#idiscovered that talent can be earned through hard work and tenacity.
I was so happy once I realised I could survive on my blog alone. I didn’t really set out for it to be that way, I just loved what I was doing and improved through perseverance. I didn’t really have a goal regarding what I wanted to achieve, I just knew I wanted to keep going. The trouble with having your own business - if you take a break for holiday, your money stops flowing. I didn’t want to have keep working this way forever, so for the first time in my life I realised that having a plan and a goal was necessary if I wanted to build further into the future.
#idiscovered that by making no goals - I was choosing to not progress further in my business.
So now we have zanita.com - It’s an exciting new chapter in my life. How did I get here? To run a business alone (and well!) you have to have a pretty extensive skill set. For me it ranged from being a writer, a photographer, a model, an accountant… I needed marketing skills and planning skills plus loads more. Fact is, I can’t do all of that! I’m actually a dreadful planner and an even worse accountant - but know my own strengths well. Finding a partner was the next step in the equation, someone who I trusted and had all the right attributes I needed to take things further. Enter Gustav!
#idiscovered if you can’t master all aspects of running a business yourself, find someone who can fill the voids.
Approaching 30 I’m now discovering the most exciting chapter of my life - I know the direction I’m heading because I set my own ship sailing there. It took some time to get to this point, I’ve been learning all the way through my blogging career. If I had set my focus a little earlier, perhaps I would have achieved even more at this point - but there’s no value in wondering about what could have been. Looking forward to sharing more exciting things with you all on the site - and finding some incredible talent to do the same!
#idiscovered running your own business is incredibly hard work but every bit earned is yours to enjoy.
Nothing better!
In a few of days I’m going to post about another discovery, what I learnt about my own photography skills while coaching you all in the same trade (through the #zanitaacademy).
Meanwhile, have a look here and you’ll see what other people have shared under the #idiscovered hashtag. If you share your own discoveries and tag @DrLeWinns, you’ll be in the running to win a $270 Dr. LeWinn’s product kit! What’s more, the first 5 of you that share a discovery under that hashtag – and also tag me – will win an additional secret gift! Boom!
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