E26 Transcript
Have you ever taken a first step in your creative practice or business that made you feel like, ‘Okay, I’ve got this’? I can do this! This is gonna be great! Was it a first sale? The first design that truly clicked? something else entirely?”
Or maybe you’re saying – uhhh, hasn’t happened yet! Okay fair point
“What would it feel like if you could just take that first step today? Without having everything figured out, without having the perfect plan in place, and without needing to wait for the right moment?”
What would be possible if you let go of the ‘perfect plan’ and just took the first step?”
Well the truth is, that anything would be possible---
But there’s just one problem, your head is probably interrupting with a whole bunch of what ifs!
“Today, I’m going to share three things I constantly tell myself that help me push through doubt and make progress, even when things feel uncertain. These aren't just motivational quotes—I use them as strategies to help me keep going. You can use them too when you’re not sure what’s next or you feel like you’re stuck. And, these are the same “strategies” (in air quotes) I’ve used to turn small steps into big wins in my own creative business.”
Ok, technically they are “sayings” but they are catchy, memorable and easy to do. So let’s jump in.
Let’s start with strategy (oops I mean saying) number 1: Start Before You’re Ready. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking—'How can I start before I’m ready? Shouldn’t I get everything thought out and the plan down on paper first?' Well, that’s exactly what I used to think too."
“I’m not saying you should toss all your planning and forethought out the window. Planning is important, don’t get me wrong. But the thing that really holds us back is that word 'ready.' You will never feel 'ready'—I promise you that. The truth is, we can sit in that space of waiting to feel completely ready, and that can hold us up for months, even years. But the longer we wait for the ‘perfect’ moment, the more time we waste. The real key here is to just take that first step, even when it feels like you’re not entirely prepared.”
Barbara Corcoran, known for her role as a "Shark" on Shark Tank, has spoken extensively about the importance of taking risks and getting started before you have everything figured out. Marie Forleo often encourages people to take action before they feel fully prepared. She is an advocate of "done is better than perfect," which is basically the ending to the “start before you’re ready” story. Jon Acuff wrote a book called “Start” and a book called “Finis,” both focusing on taking imperfect action and overcoming the fear of starting. And Richard Branson is another figure who has encouraged entrepreneurs to "just start" before waiting for the perfect moment. His motto has often been that if you wait for everything to be perfectly aligned, you’ll never actually get anything done.
While the phrase doesn’t have one clear origin, it’s safe to say it’s part of a larger school of thought championed by entrepreneurs who encourage imperfect action, momentum, and overcoming the paralysis of over-planning. No matter where it came from, it’s just darn good advice.
"I mean, I wasn’t ready when I started podcasting. I wasn’t ready when I launched my membership. Heck, I wasn’t ready when I first started selling my fabric products either! But the thing is—nothing ever feels 100% ready. Ever. And waiting for that 'perfect moment' is just a recipe for never starting at all."
"So I embraced this mantra—Start Before You’re Ready. It was a game changer. It helped me push through all that doubt, that nagging voice in my head that said 'But what if it doesn’t work?' News flash – if you don’t start, it’s guaranteed NOT TO WORK. At least if you start, you got a 50/50 chance.
Instead of waiting for the stars to align, I just jumped in and figured it out along the way."
I’ll say that again – figure it out along the way…cuz you cannot see the entire path from the starting line. You cannot with any certainty plan the entire race from the start. You MUST take a few steps so you can see a little bit more, so you can plan the next few steps.
For me – it’s a lot like patternmaking. I pretty darn good if I do say so myself, BUT – the only way for me to know if I have the right shape, or drape, or nuance, is to cut it out of something and sew it together! Full stop. If something isn’t going to work, that’s the only way to know how to fix it.
"Now, here’s how this applies to you, the fabric creatives out there: whether you’re launching a new product line, setting up your online shop, or selling your first fabric art piece—you're never truly 'ready' when you start. There’s always going to be something that feels unfinished or imperfect. And guess what? That’s completely fine. The key is that the world doesn’t get to see your products, your art, or your ideas until you put them out there."
"So, what’s the takeaway? Just start. Step out there, start before you’re ready, and learn as you go. Seriously. Take that first step, even if it’s messy. Even if you feel underprepared. It’s way better than waiting around for the ‘perfect moment’ that might never come."
"Take action today, even if you don’t feel completely ready. It’s about momentum. Keep the ball rolling, and you’ll figure it out as you go." Start before you’re ready
Now - for saying #2: “You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.” You may have heard this one before, often from entrepreneurs like Stu McLaren or Ryan Leveque, and while it’s similar in nature to the first saying we discussed—“Start before you’re ready”—there's a crucial difference here. The first mantra was about moving past the feeling of needing to be "ready," but this one takes it further. This one is all about getting moving—about the importance of taking that first step, even when you're not sure exactly what you’re doing and….
Here's where it gets interesting: we’re not so much focused on “feeling ready” as we are on being flexible. It's about learning as you go. Flexibility is the key. It’s about knowing that the only way to figure out what works is to try, test, and refine. This idea centers around iteration—the process of starting, figuring out what needs correcting, then adjusting, and then repeating the cycle.
I’ll be honest with you: this is exactly how I learned with this podcast. When I first started recording, I had no idea what the best location would be or if I had the right mic for the space. I didn’t even know if my setup was optimal. But you know what? Until I actually started recording, I had no way of knowing where I needed to improve. The sound wasn’t perfect at first, the timing wasn’t great, but I could only fine-tune by doing it. I had to get it going to figure out what I was missing.
This mindset of "just get it going" isn’t about having everything figured out—it’s about jumping in and learning what needs to change. Whether you’re launching a product, designing a collection, or starting your online store, you’ll never know what works until you try. You can’t fine-tune what you’ve never started.
Let’s say you're ready to launch your new collection. You might worry, “What if my first designs don’t sell? What if my product photos aren’t perfect?” Those thoughts are normal, but here's the thing—you won’t know until you try. And once you try, you’ll learn what worked, what didn’t, and what you can do better next time. You won’t know if the natural light from the window will be enough or if you WILL need to invest in an additional light or two.
This is how creative businesses evolve. You build momentum by doing. In the beginning, you won’t have the perfect strategy or the perfect product, but you will gain insight as you move forward. And that insight—that knowledge—will lead you to refine your approach. Each step forward, even if imperfect, is one step closer to getting it right in the long run.
Today, I challenge you to take that first step. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect, just take action. By getting it going, you’ll have the chance to see what works and what doesn’t—and you’ll refine as you go. In fact, I might dare to say, that’s the BEST way to do it. Start, figure out what you need, and THEN invest in what you discovered.
Take a step today—however small it may be—toward your creative goal. Maybe it’s releasing that first product, or even just setting up your online shop. Don’t wait for it to be “right.” What was right for someone else might not be right for you. Let the process teach you, let your mistakes guide you, and keep making progress. Getting started is always better than guessing what might be right. Just get it going.
Okay, now let’s talk about the third saying: “Be brave enough to be bad at something new.” This one comes from Jon Acuff, and it’s honestly one of the best pieces of advice for creatives who are starting something new and feel the pressure to be perfect right away. And you know what? It’s so important to embrace this idea, especially for fabric creatives. As a creative, new ideas are practically daily experiences. Wanting to make a new product is a given. New and different are almost synonymous with being creative. When you're starting or growing a business, you're bound to do things you've never done before. The reality is, you probably won’t be very good at it at first. Surprise—you’re normal!
You weren’t very good when started walking. You weren’t very good when you started driving. You weren’t very good when you first started sewing.
Let’s take a second to normalize this: not being good at something right away is a good thing. It means you’re learning. It means you’re growing. It’s the beginning of your next big thing, and it’s okay not to be perfect.
Why is it that we delay the things we want to build (a business for one) because – we don’t know something and we’re afraid we won’t be able to do it very well. Welcome to life as a human. You will NOT be good at something you’ve never done before.
This is where bravery comes in. It takes courage to put yourself out there and try something new, knowing full well you won’t get it right the first time. But that’s okay!
In fact, embracing that you’ll mess up in the beginning is key to growing in any area of your business. Embrace it, expect it, welcome it, and ask what did I learn? What do I know now that I didn’t know before I tried that?
Whether it’s a new fabric technique, experimenting with a new software for your business, or trying a different product line—you’ve got to start somewhere. Yes, it might be uncomfortable, and yes, you might make mistakes, but guess what? You will get better. The only way to get good at something new is to actually start doing it. The only way to get to ‘good’ is to walk through bad and mediocre!
I’ve definitely been there. I can think of my first attempts at editing videos for my website. It was a disaster. I spent way too much time figuring out how to trim a clip, and don’t even get me started on the audio! Then there was my first attempt at Facebook ads—let’s just say I wasn’t exactly getting the results I hoped for. But I kept going, and eventually, I got comfortable. The same goes for my first Facebook Live. I’m not going to sugarcoat it—it was terrible. My hands were shaking, I forgot what I was saying, you could tell I was petrified! It’s still out there somewhere. Once a public video always a public video! I look back at it now, and it’s so cringeworthy. But you know what? I did it, and here I am, feeling completely comfortable with it now. It was an awkward, messy, imperfect start, but it was necessary for my growth.
This is why it's so important to embrace the beginner phase. It’s easy to get intimidated when trying something new, but here’s the secret: you don’t need to be perfect when you start. You just need to start. Every mistake you make along the way will teach you something. And at the end of the year, if you keep going, you’ll look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come.
So, how does this apply to you, fabric creatives? Maybe you’re hesitant to try your hand at some social posts, or perhaps you want to launch a new product line but aren’t sure if you’ll get it right. Maybe it’s the idea of creating an online shop or finally taking your art seriously as a business. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to mess up. Take that first step—even if you don’t have it all figured out. You’ll get better as you go.
Don’t wait. Be brave enough to be bad at something new.
So, we’ve covered three powerful strategies (okay, let’s be honest, they’re really sayings that help me stay on track!) and they can help you in your fabric business: start before you’re ready, focus on getting it going instead of getting it right, and be brave enough to be bad at something new. These have been crucial in my own creative journey, and I believe they’ll serve you just as well as you build and grow your business.
At the core, each of these mantras is about progress over perfection. It’s about action over hesitation and growth through experimentation. These aren’t just theoretical ideas—they’re practical principles that will help you overcome self-doubt and take action, no matter where you are in your creative business journey.
So here’s the breakdown:
1. Start Before You’re Ready – Take the leap, even if things aren’t perfect. Momentum is the key because you will never feel ready!
2. You Don’t Have to Get It Right, You Just Have to Get It Going – Focus on starting, adjusting, and refining as you go. It’s about consistency and learning from experience. You have to take a few steps before you can even see the next steps
3. Be Brave Enough to Be Bad at Something New – Embrace being a beginner and understand that imperfection is part of the learning process. It’s a good thing – it means you’re growing and making progress.
Now, I challenge you to take one of these mantras and apply it this week. What’s one thing you’ve been putting off because you’re not “ready”? What’s one creative risk you’ve been avoiding because you don’t think it will be perfect? It’s time to take that first step. Start now—don’t wait for perfect.
If you’re ready to join a community that gets it—a space where you can grow your creative business, bounce ideas around, and get feedback from other fabric creatives—don’t forget to check out The Maker's Path membership. We’re helping each other with the real stuff and pushing our businesses forward. This is the place where you can get the support you need to take action and make progress.
