I had the pleasure of over-hearing a conversation the other day while I was on the train between two people I had never met that left me inspired. They were discussing the idea and importance of being your authentic self, and how great people like Ellen and Caitlyn Jenner are for supporting, and being positive examples of, inner strength. In today’s society, one that can be marred with negativity, it’s so encouraging and uplifting to witness strong individuals and the mediums in place to support them, and BE WISE Magazine is no exception. Started by Ceciley Hallman out of Salt Lake City, Utah, BE WISE Magazine is all about uplifting and inspiring its readers. Launched in 2012, the magazine features candid essays and inspiring columns from people from all walks of life, all in support of self-worth, encouraging the power and influence of wisdom. Today, Ceciley is chatting with us about how her business came to be, how it has affected and changed who she is for the better, and the importance of pursuing your dreams, big or small. –Sabrina
Why did you decide to start your own business?
I have always wanted to do something worthwhile with my life. I have never been much of the “9-5” type — I definitely enjoy making my own hours and being my own boss! Discovering my own dream meant realizing my sincere desire to help others discover and/or build their dreams as well. The sole purpose is to inspire, uplift and motivate others, and yet BE WISE Magazine has also been beneficial for me in my own personal life.
When you first decided to start your own business, how did you define what your business would be?
Honestly, I feel like parts of my business are constantly being redefined, however, the goal is still the same. BE WISE Magazine is (and always will be) dedicated to uplifting, inspiring, and teaching people to understand that they are of infinite worth and the importance of being wise. My hope is that it brings everyone who comes across it the courage to stand strong, remember who they are, and never give up.
Image above: Ceciley (right) and her sister (left), who helps her with the magazine.
What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting off?
Don’t give up. It sounds cliché, but it really is so true. If I had given up when things got difficult, I never would have seen what BE WISE Magazine had the potential of becoming. We still have so much more room to grow but we have been far more successful than I ever dreamed we would be, so I can’t ask for anything more.
What was the most difficult part of starting your business?
The most difficult part of starting my business was comparing my “beginning” to someone else’s “end”. I was so caught up in how many followers I had and I would become discouraged that my business wasn’t where I “thought it should be”. I often had to step back and realize that I was just starting out, so I wasn’t going to be exactly where I might like to be (or where someone else was) in terms of success. My journey was not going to be the same as anyone else’s and I had to realize that that was just fine.
Can you name the biggest lesson you’ve learned in running a business?
You might be able to do it alone, but you’re always better off collaborating with others. For the longest time I did EVERYTHING on my own, and when I say everything, I mean literally everything: I did all of the photography, wrote the articles, did the graphic design and layout work for the magazine, created the web design, wrote every blog post, ran all of our social media sites, and produced a couple-hundred-page magazine once every two months. That’s a LOT of work for one person to do. I had a hard time letting go of the different responsibilities and delegating it out to others to complete for a few reasons: 1) I was afraid it wouldn’t get done. 2) I was afraid it wouldn’t get done the way I wanted it to. 3) I was afraid I would lose some of the credit. If you notice, each of those statements being with, “I was afraid….” This was all new to me and I wasn’t sure exactly what I was doing. I love the quote, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” I was literally allowing fear to keep me from being successful. Once I started allowing others to help me or contribute my magazine grew immensely. I had the opportunity to collaborate with incredible people and BE WISE Magazine was of far more worth because of their contributions. I now have my darling little sister helping with BE WISE The Blog and a variety of photographers and writers from all over the world who consistently contribute. It makes my life a whole lot easier and has been one of the best ways to draw in new traffic to the magazine.
Can you name a moment of failure in your business experiences?
My biggest failures have been birthed from simply doubting myself and the potential of BE WISE Magazine. Since the beginning, BE WISE Magazine has been growing, slowly but surely, to be more and more successful, so luckily I haven’t had any major failures with the magazine itself, but often my confidence in its success falls short. If I have certain expectations, and those expectations aren’t perfectly met, I become discouraged. It’s important to have faith, not only in what you are doing, but also in yourself. The times when my business wasn’t running as smoothly or successfully as it could have were the times I lost sight of the goal and in my abilities to achieve that goal.
What has been the biggest sacrifice you’ve made in starting your business?
The biggest sacrifice in running my business has definitely been my time. I have spent countless (unpaid) hours working on developing my business and magazine. All the hours of researching, emailing, photo-shoots, collaborating, designing, and producing the magazine really add up. I never realized how much time and effort would be required in owning a successful magazine! I still feel like I don’t have enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I would like to.
Can you name your greatest success in your business experiences?
My greatest success has definitely been receiving emails or messages from people who have been inspired or uplifted by my magazine. There is nothing better than knowing that you made a positive impact in someone else’s life. Even if we only had a positive influence on ONE person’s life, BE WISE Magazine will still have been a complete success. I know that there is a reason I was inspired to create this magazine and I know it has the potential to change lives. I truly believe that God has placed it in the hands of those who needed it. He has been the greatest “business partner” I could ever ask for.
What business books/resources (if any) would you recommend to someone starting a creative business of their own?
This might sound silly but Google, Pinterest, bloggers, and other entrepreneurs have been my very best resources. I have learned so much through the example of others and I am constantly inspired by their own business endeavours.
In your opinion, what are the top three things someone should consider before starting their own business?
It is so important for you to find something that you truly love, believe in, and enjoy. Running your own business is not always a simple task. There are many ups and downs. If you don’t completely love, believe in, or enjoy what you are doing it either won’t last long or the journey will be long and difficult. I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE creating and owning BE WISE Magazine. Sure, there are difficult times, but I believe in what BE WISE represents and sincerely believe that it is worth the effort.
via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1Fq1kO3 From Sabrina Smelko
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