Lesson #3: What do you have to believe to succeed?
The most important lesson I’ve learned about being a creator
I’m writing a mini MBA series to share some of the lessons I’ve learned building my Etsy store, Wonton In A Million. To start from the beginning, see Lesson #1: Does the idea matter? And to learn how I built it by doing just a little bit each day, check out my Skillshare class on “How To Start (And Finish!) Your Very Own 365 Day Project.”
In April 2015, I started Wonton In A Million.
In May 2015, I went to Iceland with a group of 8 beautiful, creative souls.
We made a film. Art director extraordinaire and creative genius Quân Mai directed it.
And I learned from my travel companions the most important lesson I’ve learned about being a creator to date:
You have to want what you want more than X.
X is: more than you care about being embarrassed.
X is: more than you care about bothering people with your social media promotion.
X is: more than you mind asking your friends to wait while you take the perfect photo.
X is: more than you mind failing.
X is: more than you want sleep.
X is: more than you want to be warm.
X is: more than anyone else.
Because when you let people see you commit, magic happens.
Because when you quit your comfortable and fulfilling tech job of 10+ years to start a fashion company, you’re giving other people permission for rebirth too.
Because when you believe unequivocally in your vision for your film, your friend will get into subzero water for you — staring down a glacier — to help you get your last, magical shot.
Because when you climb mountains, cross rivers, and scale cliffs for perfect photos — for a living — you give people permission to fight for their art too.
And when you share your poetry, your entrepreneurial prowess, your creative ingenuity, your heart — oh, the courage you gift.
And so the most important thing I know right now…
When people realize you’ll insist on figuring out how to make it, with or without them, they will want in. I promise. I’ve seen it.
Thank you Kym Pham for this once-in-a-lifetime trip — and to my travel companions for living and breathing this lesson for me.
Thank YOU for reading — and for joining me on this journey to figure out how to make it with Wonton In A Million.
Follow me on Instagram for daily dimsum goodness. Shop Etsy for products inspired by your favorite meal of the weekend. Get in touch at cynthia@wontoninamillion.com.
Check out my Skillshare class on doing your own 365 day project for how I built the business by doing just a little bit each day.
And stay tuned for more mini MBA lessons from my year of building my Etsy business.
Other posts in this series:
- Lesson #1: Does the idea matter?
Yes. Of course it does. But maybe not in the way you think. - Lesson #2: How do you find the time?
Every week, I spend at least 20 hours on Wonton In A Million. This is 20 hours outside of the work I do full-time as a designer at a fintech startup. I get asked “How do you find the time?” — a lot. Here’s how. - Lesson #3: What do you have to believe? (This post)
In May 2015, I went to Iceland with a group of 8 beautiful, creative souls, and I learned from my travel companions the most important lesson I’ve learned about being a creator to date.
If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy…
- Lessons learned from founding 2 startups
Why I left the life of a founder. - What you get when you learn how to code
I learned how to code via AOL profiles (who remembers those?). The internet is very different now, but one thing that I’m sure remains the same: it is still just as thrilling as it has always been to write that first line of working code.
