Sometimes it’s not the dream that needs to change. It’s you.

I had an idea 8 years ago that turned into a cool project, but ultimately floundered and fizzled out. Recently I’ve decided it was time to try again. Why did I come back to it so many years later? Because it was a great idea executed poorly that deserved another shot. And crucially, the Jonathan from 2008 needed to learn and grow. A lot.

DesignHope came on the scene in 2008 right as the economy was tanking. People were being laid off left and right, and I thought it would be cool to help those who were starting their own companies by providing the winner with a free logo and website.

It didn’t quite go as we had hoped. We were busy, the process took too long, and when we were ready to launch the site, the winner’s iPhone app (i.e. the main product) wasn’t finished. We lost all our momentum and finished with a whimper instead of a bang.

It wasn’t a total disaster, but it was bad enough that we didn’t do another DesignHope the next year. Or the year after that.

Eventually I started considering it again — with some ideas about how to fix the problems we had with the first one. But something was missing.

The truth is 8 years ago we had no idea how to run a business. We were just trying to do something nice. It never occurred to us the the winner wouldn’t have an actual product when it was time to launch everything. Naive, I know.

In 2012–2013 we started studying business, interviewing people smarter than us and creating videos to help train other web shops over at Kicktastic. We didn’t make a lot of money from the membership platform, but we gained so much knowledge that our own businesses flourished.

Turns out that was the missing piece. A young, struggling company doesn’t just need to look nice. They need help with finances, processes, profitability and actual marketing.

Once I realized we missed that the first time, I started to get excited about DesignHope again. Pair that with my family’s decision to travel full-time (again another years long transition) — my schedule opened up and I was able to be more intentional with my time.

Our industry likes to talk about failing fast, moving on to the next thing and “pivoting.” What they don’t like to talk about is that sometimes that takes time. Not months, years.

It’s ok to let a dream sit while you grow into the person you need to be to shepherd it into existence.

I couldn’t have relaunched the new DesignHope without those in-between years learning about business. And I wouldn’t have the time for pro-bono work if I hadn’t drastically altered my suburban lifestyle and refocused my priorities.

So I just wanted to stop by to say that it’s ok to have audacious dreams. It’s ok to fail at those dreams. It’s also ok to let that dream sit while you grow into the person you need to be to shepherd it into existence.

It’s not always the idea that needs to pivot. Sometimes it’s you, too.

By this point you may be wondering what this DesignHope thing is all about. If so, the new and improved version lets you nominate your favorite small, worthwhile, non-profit or local brand to win a complete business tune-up. This time we’re going to consult, design, build and grow their business instead of just making it pretty. Go here to learn more.

And finally — Do you have a great idea that’s gathering dust? That you didn’t feel like you were ready for the last time you checked? Take a few minutes, re-examine yourself and see if it’s time. What you find may surprise you.