Wrapping Up 2018 and Starting Off 2019 on the Right Foot
2018 was a wild and courageous year for me (and my entire family!). We moved across the country three times, left our traditional jobs, launched a few businesses, and squeezed in raising a family. Now that we’re a few weeks deep into 2019, it is time to refocus (and reflect!) on what worked and what did not work in 2018.
Rather than showing you all the pretty and perfect things (which social media does an excellent job of showing us!) that happened last year for RX Ashlee, I am just going to jump in and give it to you straight.
FACING CHALLENGES IN 2018
Launching, creating, and growing a business from scratch is really friggin’ HARD.
Being the first to do something “different” in a group of traditionalists is CHALLENGING.
Whether you’re paving the way for a new industry or if you’re the first in your family to make a big change in your career... it’s simply TOUGH.
...And I am no exception to this rule. For the majority of my life, I’ve been the first. The first kid to go to college in my family, the first to move out of the state, the first to do a non-traditional residency in a traditional clinical residency, the list goes on.
RX Ashlee is one of the first female-led healthcare businesses aimed at supporting high-level professionals amplify, elevate, and re-energize their careers.
When you’re doing something new, you have to explain why the work you’re doing is important and learn how to stand up for yourself and your mission. You have to be brave. You have to be willing to get really REALLY clear on your finances. You have to be willing to put your heart out there to possibly get crushed.
No matter what, though, you have to always remember your goals and come out the other side with even more confidence in what you’re doing.
For me, this meant having to put my foot down and turn down multiple high-level positions in order to continue on my path of creating RX Ashlee so that I could have the bandwidth and energy to help the people I really wanted to help.
It also meant that I needed to get over how uncomfortable I was with recording podcasts (I used to hate the sound of my awkward voice!) and videos (seeing yourself on video IS weird… at first) because, ultimately, how I looked or sounded couldn’t stand in the way of the content I was creating for my clients.
It also meant working on creating the healthiest version of myself so that RX Ashlee would be sustainable. More often than I’d like to admit, I got so caught up in the weeds of running this business and being a parent that I kinda (okay, completely!) neglected my mental and physical health in 2018 – and it’s something I’m prioritizing much, much more in 2019.
I TRULY believe that these challenges made me a better and stronger individual, businesswoman, partner, and parent. But it’s these types of challenges that can derail and scare away so many people from doing what they truly want to do, so don’t forget to reach out your support system and take time for yourself when needed.
Overcoming Those Challenges One Step at a Time
I will let you in on a little secret here: similar to having to kids, starting your own business or pivoting your career doesn’t really come with a specific instructional manual.
Actually, there are so many loopholes and things you have to figure out on your own, it can be completely overwhelming. This is the #1 reason why I believe in business coaching - this keeps you on TRACK and focused on your own personal goals.
One of the trickiest aspects of running a business is figuring out who to trust and who has your back. This really has been one of the most difficult experiences for me to navigate. I, also, can spend an entire blog post talking about how many people reach out to me asking for support, but are not willing to compensate me. This has been incredibly difficult for me, but each unique experience has made me realize: Who do I ACTUALLY want to work with, who do I want to support, and where do I want to spend my energy.
Personally, I used to think that the people who would poke fun at my blog or laugh at my new title as a career coach were the majority. It turns out that I just needed to focus on the RESULTS to see the truth: clients are landing or creating their dream jobs and they are really THRIVING and HAPPY.
OVERCOMING PERFECTION PARALYSIS
If you’ve ever found yourself struggling with starting a new project because you haven’t done anything like it before...welcome to perfection paralysis.
It happens to the best of us and, sometimes, it can feel impossible to overcome.
Perfection paralysis means that you’ve been pushing things off and not taking action because you are WORRIED about the outcome – even though you haven’t started anything yet.
You may be concerned about what others will think or failing because your work wasn’t PERFECT.
Here’s the thing: if we wait until we’re 100% perfect at every single thing we do, absolutely nothing would ever get done. Even this blog itself had be struggling; I have literally 1 day to write this, but it is important to me to get it out to you guys – so here I am living in the “DONE is better than nothing phase!”
If you’re waiting to be perfect at something before you even show it to other people, you can try creating a beta group to get feedback and see how real people feel about the work you’re doing rather than ASSUMING that they’ll think the worst.
It’s time to step past the worries that perfectionism can conjure up and realize that us being worried means that we’re invested – and that it’s worth our time and energy.
WAS 2018 THE BEST YEAR YET? Y.E.S
Something I am extremely proud of is that this blog alone has reached hundreds of thousands of people spanning from all over the world. I’ve had clients from Australia to Japan to England to New York to Orange County who reach out to me for help elevating their careers, launching their businesses, and nailing their interviews.
Whether I was working 1:1 with clients or directly helping people with downloadables, one thing became crystal clear to me: many of us want to do BIGGER things in our careers.
Overall in 2018, RX Ashlee was a good year:
Joined the Pharmacy Podcast Network and launched the RX Buzz that has been ranked Top 30 Business Podcasts consecutively on Apple iTunes
Launched an interview prep course that supported over 35 professionals into feeling more confident prior to their interviews (re-launching in March… stay tuned!!)
Worked with over 60 professionals on a 1:1 basis
Booked monthly speaking engagements
I was published in the American Medical Association for openly talking about how to manage a medical marriage
I traveled across the country to spread the mission, philosophies, and goals of RX Ashlee
I landed (and created) my dream job at the USC School of Pharmacy
I created a business that also hired other freelance businesses (graphic design, content writers, attorneys, accountants, etc)... Growing the cycle of business and supporting other solo entrepreneurs is I love this one the MOST!
All of these I am extremely proud of, and worked REALLY friggin hard at. It feels GOOD to be proud of your work!
MAKING 2019 THE YEAR OF RESULTS
To make sure that I was starting 2019 off on the right foot, I made sure to wrap up 2018 by spending a few hours with a mindset coach. This new year will have me practicing yoga, building more mental clarity, reflecting, and regaining my focus along with putting more emphasis on my mental health.
So, here is the skinny: If you set up goals for yourself in 2018, but didn’t see them all come to fruition, it’s time to invest in yourself.
That may be investing time in setting up the right micro-goals or investing in working with the right people to coach and support you through anything you’re facing. Invest in the things that are important to you, because NO ONE has the time to do it all.
Make sure you’re CELEBRATING your wins and sticking to the perseverance principle.
But, let's get one thing straight: it is absolutely impossible to wake up one morning and magically have everything you’ve ever wanted.
EVERYTHING takes energy, time, intention, dedication, commitment, AND patience. You have to stick yourself out there and be willing to show up for yourself!!!
Remember: you don’t need permission to focus on yourself, take risks, or make big changes to your career. Only YOU can know your purpose and true calling, so it’s key to recognize that, sure, there will be some shortcomings or challenges, but you can absolutely make it through.
After the past few years of sacrificing A TON and putting in a lot of hustle, my husband and I are finally (kinda!) reaching calmer waters. We moved around a ton and experienced a lot of challenges, but we finally ended up at home doing what we love and it is AMAZING.
This year, I am looking forward to reaching new heights, helping even more people, and tackling my next big milestone: writing a book!
That being said, this blog is going to be retiring (for now!) so that I can really focus on creating a book that will be used to help so many people get in touch with their true #careergoals. That doesn’t mean I’m not here for you, though, just shoot me a message or sign up for my newsletter to keep in touch. :)
With each and EVERY year that passes, the vision and groundwork I laid out for myself years ago is paying off and becoming more and more of a reality. I can’t wait to see how we all do this year!
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