The events industry is blessed with an abundance of creativity. Each and every industry professional has a distinctive aesthetic and looks at life through a unique lens. When your trade is built on a foundation of artistry, it lends itself to innovation—not only in the execution of events, but in how you do business as well.
When you are continuously pushing the envelope for clients’ events, your creativity stands out from the noise and you create a culture of innovation. This is why so many big and exciting ideas come out of the events industry—from silent discos to virtual reality, some of the most extraordinary concepts have their roots in the minds of creative professionals.
However, it should come as no surprise that, for every big idea that is brought to fruition, there are many others that remain nothing more than passing thoughts and notes in a journal. That begs the question: What is standing in the way of creatives actualizing their innovative concepts?
Here are a few steps to free yourself from the shackles of doubt and lean into the possibilities and potential for the future.
Identify what’s holding you back.
Too much inspiration can ultimately become paralyzing. When you’re coming up with awesome ideas left and right, it can be difficult to focus on taking action on only one. It’s not like finding one passion and sticking with it for life; being the innovators that they are, creative professionals are often looking at many various directions for their business. How are they to choose just one when they all look advantageous? It certainly isn’t easy boiling a million ideas into one concrete vision for your business.
There’s also the question of doubt. When you have so many ideas bouncing around your head, it’s impossible to give each one the proper attention to adequately develop a plan of action. The more you mull about it without taking action, doubt begins to swell. If you haven’t gotten it off the ground already, it’s likely a sign that it’s not meant to be, right? Wrong! When you pair this notion with imposter syndrome and the threat of your peers’ successes, it can seem like the safest route is simply to stick to your comfort zone.
Focus on finding clarity and validation.
It’s hard to get anything done when your mind feels like a jumbled mess. Clarity serves to provide a framework for your ideas, whereas validation combats the doubt that has a way of sneaking in and spoiling your mindset. Once you have the framework for turning an idea into action, you can start actively growing your business through innovation.
Validation then paves the way for success by dismissing the negative thoughts and objections throughout the process. It can come in two ways: an excellent idea may earn an immediate stamp of approval from others or a good idea may be fine-tuned and strengthened with the help of others. Either way, validation serves to remind you that an idea is good and worthy of pursuit—even if it’s not at its final stages yet.
Work with a coach to optimize your approach.
Bringing your ideas to life can be difficult if you’re going at it alone. It’s constructive to have someone to bounce ideas off, so it’s worth hiring a coach to serve as a sounding board to help you navigate the process. It’s human nature for us to get stuck in our heads, but when it happens too often, it can severely limit your ability to make smart decisions and take action. We need alternative perspectives to help us grow and thrive. A strong, experienced coach will help you identify opportunities for your good ideas, find clarity in your plans, and provide validation to move forward.
Before hiring a coach or consultant, it’s essential to first identify where you need the most help in your business. When you zero in on your weaknesses, you can address them head-on. Hiring a coach for general guidance isn’t the best use of your time or money, as they won’t be focused on the area that will help you grow the most. Consider asking trusted industry friends for referrals, particularly those that you’ve noticed making major strides forward. It’s a good start to the search, but you’ll still want to vet each candidate to ensure that you find a coach that is unique to you and your needs rather than the one servicing everyone in your market the same way.
However your process looks, the true key to seeing your dreams realized is to commit to the change. In my 12 years of coaching event professionals, it’s those who truly want to change and are eager to move forward that find the most success. If you want change and you want to discover fulfillment, you owe it to yourself to commit to the cause and take action.
