Small Growth is still Growth

It’s hard running a small business. Independent Artists (authors, publishers, musicians, filmmakers, etc.) aren’t backed by huge companies and corporations and many of us don’t have millions of dollars in the bank. In fact, most small business owners still have 9-5s because, like you, we have bills to pay and families to provide for. But the truth is most people only see the result, the finished book, the mastered track, the Indie film. You don’t see the prayers that go up, the tears that come out, and hope that what you are doing is not in vain. You don’t see the depressed spirits of artists who lack support and feel like giving up. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming that it doesn’t seem as if you are making progress at all.

That’s why noticing small growth is important to me. I don‘t post about my work for applause, fake pats on the back or to look important. I post and get excited about it because baby steps still move us forward. Even when it’s something small and even when it may seem silly to others I am free and I have the freedom of celebrating where I am on the way to where I am going. It’s time we stop waiting until we’ve become Bestsellers to see the value in our work.

In these moments let’s remind ourselves that progress does not have a price tag, it’s not a social media meme, and it’s not a popularity contest. If you went from $0 to $10, you have progressed. If you went from no book sales at a signing to five books sold, you have progressed. If you’ve gone from wanting to publish a book to holding that book in your hands, you have progressed. Even if you’ve only moved from the bottom of the bookshelf squeezed between books where hardly anyone will ever see it, to the top of the poetry section (yours truly) you have progressed! Stop waiting to be some kind of celebrity before you realize the value in your work. Growth is growth no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

If you love poetry, black history, or self-care literature and you are in the Marietta/Atlanta area, I’d appreciate you investing in me by stopping by this B&N (address below) and purchasing a copy of my poetry book, I am Soul or grab and review the ebook on Amazon here. (Listen to my poetry on YouTube here).

Thank you for your time, attention, and support of a small business owner. Remember that support begets support.

Store Location:

Barnes and Noble Booksellers

The Avenue West Cobb

3625 Dallas Hwy

Suite 40

Marietta, GA 30064

Published by

Yecheilyah

Writing to restore Black historical truth through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

16 thoughts on “Small Growth is still Growth”

  2. Yecheilyah, Excellent advice. I was losing my mind last week, feeling more like a machine than a writer. I finally did one small thing that has made a big difference. I use Outlook 2016, and I set up a rule to put all emails with “new post” in the subject into my New Post folder. That way, I can go through my new email more easily, and go to the New Post folder when I’m ready to read and respond. Woohoo! 🙂

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  4. Hi Yecheilyah, first of all love your story. I think it’s very inspiring to young women to learn from your success, your struggles and your drive to keep learning and growing! I’m a small business consultant and a leadership blogger as well. I have recently started a series on my instagram page called #smallbusinesslove where I am planning to feature a few inspiring business owners (like yourself). Let me know if you would like to be featured next. PS: I am not charging any fees, I just want to help small businesses like yours get the community love they deserve.

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    1. You’re welcome! Remember, there is no such thing as a small audience. Whether there are two people following you or 20, those are eyes on you. Work to provide the best value possible for those two or twenty people. You got it👍🏿

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