Crossing the finish line of your new product or service launch is exhilarating. But what about getting to the finish line? What’s that like?
It was an exciting day when I crossed the finish line and launched the membership for my online learning platform – The Wise Owl Academy. As proud as I am to have made such an important resource available to small business owners, I was also grateful when the launch was over! It reminded me of the time I walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk back in 2008…
The Build Up
First there is all the training prior to the big day. You can’t expect to walk 20 miles a day for 3 days straight and successfully cross that finish line without building up to it. With the launch, the training part was the outlining of the offer, creating the videos and materials for the classes, learning my way (and stumbling a lot) through the LMS platform. And as exhausting as it all was, that was the easy part!
The Practice Runs
Then the practice runs – pushing yourself to actually go 15 or 20 miles in a day. Similarly, the successful program, course, or membership requires a dry run with your beta group to make sure everything is set up correctly, understandable, and well received. This is your chance to make mistakes and course correct, improve, tweak your strategy, with a small group in a safe environment all before the big day arrives. Because when you finally cross that finish line, you want to do so strongly.
Creating a Buzz
Next comes building interest, creating a buzz. In the 3 Day Walk, that involved a lot of sharing (social media posts and blog posts) and fundraising events. With my membership launch it was an email campaign and a social media blitz to get people signed up for my Masterclass (where I gave a lot of great tips absolutely FREE with no obligation!) so I could offer them the opportunity for membership in The Wise Owl Academy. Followed by another email campaign and social media blitz for registration.
In both the 3 Day Walk and the Wise Owl Academy launch, I worried whether I was being annoying. Was I posting too often? Were people going to unsubscribe? Would anyone actually support me? I really didn’t want to be annoying! And there’s a lot of vulnerability that accompanies putting yourself out in the world this way. As a fellow small business owner you’ve done this. You know what I’m talking about.
Actually Running the Race
And finally the big day arrives. You are as prepared as you can be. And it’s go time.
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” ~ Alexander Graham Bell
As you stumble through the big day, you have moments of joy and excitement. You survived day one and you’re feeling good. You got your first new member as soon as the Masterclass ended. And just as many (maybe more) moments of frustration and sheer exhaustion. Now is when you find out you are susceptible to blisters, straining your hip flexors, and forgetting to hit the record button when you launch into your Masterclass presentation. Doubt creeps in. You second-guess yourself. You wonder why you started this whole thing in the first place (okay, maybe it’s just me???). Now is when you find out that no matter how prepared you thought you were, you are still human… and mistakes will still be made.
Crossing the Finish Line
And yet, you manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Your eyes are focused on the finish line and you’re just plodding along in that direction, hoping and praying you make it. And then, somehow, maybe you aren’t even sure how you got there, you step across the finish line. Exhausted. Elated. Proud. In desperate need of a long nap.
When all is said and done, you know it was worth the doubt, the worry, the pain, the mistakes, the being human, just to be in this place. And it feels fantastic. You celebrate with family, friends, colleagues. Maybe you take a few days to yourself to recover. You know you have done well.
Moving On
But you’re not one to rest on your laurels. Because you know that success is fleeting. And that every ending is a new beginning. And you are already looking for your next adventure.
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~ C. S. Lewis
What goal are you working on right now? Let me know so I can celebrate with you when you cross the finish line! And if you are a knowledge-hungry small business owner who wants the peace of mind of knowing that all of your legal ducks are in a row, check out the Wise Owl Academy!
