Compassion is key.
And now, a moment of radical transparency. I had a really tough week last week. Our childcare isn’t as consistent as we’d like it to be (thanks, America), I have a chronic illness that is usually controlled but wasn’t last week, and in the course of working with my doctor to find the right treatment, I had some seriously scary side effects from a medication that sort of rocked me in an existential way, you know?
My body and my life’s circumstances forced me to slow down, to focus on my health and my family, and to take an unplanned break from building my business. Not exactly ideal for two months in when I’m still trying to garner the momentum of my official launch in July. All of this had me feeling down, so when everything started falling back into place and I felt like myself again, my perspective on what I’m grateful for was staggering.
I am so incredibly grateful for my wonderful and supportive husband, who carries my load when I can’t, my vibrant and joyful children, who know I’m good inside even when I’m struggling on the outside, my empathetic and patient friends who answer my calls and make me feel less alone, and my brilliant and dedicated clients who see my as a whole human being and give me grace.
Yesterday was a beautiful fall day, and I was able to attend a lovely event at the historic Carnegie Library of Homestead with a client (and friend). I saw some familiar faces and met some new folks. And I felt like myself again! What a joy and relief. The event was hosted by the Chatham Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship, and I was reminded of an incredibly important tenet of entrepreneurship - that consistency is key. Then I also realized that I haven’t been consistent (in the way I normally am) in the last two weeks, but I didn’t feel bad about it. Because while consistency is key, sometimes compassion is even more important.
Entrepreneurship is hard, and you’re not alone. One of my favorite things to do is to help my clients embrace that both of those things are true. When the going gets tough, sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself some grace and ask for help. I’m here to help you do that.
If you’re new here, I’m Shannon Parris, an equity-first management consultant, or as my clients think of me, a trusted, outsourced business partner. I help under-resourced entrepreneurs and nonprofit professionals activate their strategies, optimize their operations, measure and maximize their impact, and foster equitable environments so they can boost their capacity, resolve complex issues, and do the hard work of changing the world.
I plan to use this space to write about my experiences, hopefully in ways that will offer value to my readers. It’s not in my nature to try to sell things. I’m a nonprofit nerd; I just want to help. But what I’m learning about being self-employed is that I get to make choices about how to prioritize my values; I get to do what I want. So this blog may not follow the rules or best practices, but I hope that it does help someone. If there’s a topic you’d like to me to write about, please do let me know.
