“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~ E. M. Forster
We learn when we succeed and we learn when fall.
It would be wonderful if I could tell you that the Hungry for Balance Online Retreat is now full. Unfortunately, I need to postpone my online workshop due to low enrollment. This was not an easy decision to make, but it is the right decision for me.
I wish I could offer this online experience for free, but in addition to wanting to help people practice the art of life balance I also want to make money for the value and services I provide above and beyond my blog.
I honor this decision and plan to offer this online retreat again in the fall of 2009. In the meantime, I will be:
- Polishing my online retreat.
- Facilitating a pilot program to receive feedback and to improve the process.
- Working with a marketing coach to build a strong marketing strategy and marketing materials.
- Internalizing the lessons I am learning from this experience.
photo credit: darkmatter
Although my retreat did not go according to plan, I have enjoyed the adventure of building this course and look forward to seeing what is waiting for me down the road.
great post today~~
Over the last 4 yrs, nothing has turned out the way I expected it! I have found, the more I fight life’s surprises, the harder they are to adjust to 🙂 so I am just relaxing and let myself be molded into whatever I am supposed to “be” at the moment 🙂
Annette´s last blog post..I Need a Nap :)–or Maybe More Coffee
Hi Stacey,
What I think you’ve done so well is to have put yourself out there, offering this, not knowing how it would be received. That it didn’t go as planned – maybe there’s a reason for that – one that will be revealed as you continue down this path. I see it as an unplanned chance to make it even more what you want it to be.
Stacey, I know that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into developing this retreat. Keep your faith strong that the efforts you are putting in WILL pay off. It might not be on the original schedule you had planned. Keep on believing in this whole concept of life balance – you’ve convinced me many times over just how important that all is. What you are saying makes a difference…
Lance´s last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
Thanks for this post. What came up for me when I read your post was: hey, you got to do a dry run of creating and promoting your course. I get the sense that’s an opportunity a lot of people want — maybe they wish for a “Holodeck” like in Star Trek: The Next Generation where they can promote a product or service to computer-generated people before doing it in the world. It sounds like you got to have a holodeck-like experience. That’s how I thought about the first teleclass I ever gave where 3 people signed up, anyway — hey, I got to do a dry run.
Chris Edgar | Purpose Power Coaching´s last blog post..Everyone Has Different Places To Grow
Stacey- your honesty is refreshing. I can tell you from my point of view that your low enrollment is a product of the times and nothing to do with you. If things were different I would have been banging on your online retreat door! I hope when you run it, I will be ready to be there, because I know it will be priceless value. Do not be discouraged- next time you will have more people than room will allow!
Jay´s last blog post..Inner Noodle’s Guide to Dream Analysis-Step 4
Stacey,
I love the Forster quote! When I read it I felt like I was being hit in the back of the head, like someone was trying to tell me something for so long and I finally hear it. Duh!
Bravo to you for doing what you feel is the right thing. Getting a business of any sort of the ground can be a hair-pulling experience. The important thing is you’re trying, and learning from each painful step of the way. I remember Edison saying he didn’t fail 999 times in inventing the light bulb, he just found 999 ways that didn’t work! As Lance says, keep the faith.
Daphne´s last blog post..How To Write A Personal Creed
Annette – I’m all for planning and setting goals, but there is also something to be said about going with the flow and embracing life’s surprises. I suppose I’m living with a balance of both.
Lance – Thanks for your comforting words. I loved putting myself out there and enjoyed being out of my comfort zone. I’m happy with my decision and believe this adventure is going to lead me to my next experience. I’m not looking at this as a failure – I’m looking at this as an opportunity to learn.
Chris – Exactly! I got to get my feet wet by building my online retreat and by marketing my services. Now I realize what else I need to do the next time. Thank you for sharing the story of your first teleclass. We have to start somewhere right?!
Jay – Thank you for your support. I’m learning that I need to learn a lot more about marketing.
Daphne – Your Edison story helps me put things into perspective. I have the same attitude as he did…I didn’t fail with my past services, I just found a few ways that don’t quite work. I don’t know who said it, but I’m back to the drawing board.
I think it’s wonderful you are turning this into a learning experience.
Hi Stacey
I think we tend to need to try a number of things or a number of ways before we get there. I think of it as improvements every time. If it worked out the first time, perhaps it won’t have been as good.
Hang in there!
Try to enjoy it – I know it is sometimes hard.
Juliet
LifeMadeGreat | Juliet´s last blog post..Overcoming The Barriers Of Introversion: Starting The Process
Hi Stacey, I love the quote : We learn when we succeed and we learn when fall. If I may add failure is a feedback, we grow stronger because of our failures.
Stacey, I know you’ve been working so hard on this, I am sure you will achieve a bigger success on your online retreat next time.
Just enjoy the process. 🙂
Arswino´s last blog post..I Want To Be Extraordinary !!
Even though it’s hard to delay plans, you turning it into a learning experience is great. I’m a firm believer in learning more from our trials than our tribulations.
Life balance is so important, and just being here, supporting each of us as we learn our way around is so important to me. I value your input, views, and observations………………..:)
LisaNewton´s last blog post..Riding the Los Angeles River
Hi Stacey
I want to acknowledge you for the wonderful group of people that you have assembled around your blog.
It is so heart warming to read the supporting, comforting comments.
Well done !!! : )
Hilde
Hilde´s last blog post..Give yourself permission to shine …
Vered – Life is a learning experience or nothing at all.
Juliet – I’m enjoying it! I’m enjoying the creative process of building the retreat’s website. I’m enjoying putting myself out there. I’m enjoying being transparent about the lack of enrollment. And I am enjoying all of the loving support I am receiving from this community. Thanks Juliet.
Arswino – I love the process!
Lisa – Thank you Lisa. It is a dream to be able to support others through the practice of life balance.
Hilde – I am so blessed to “know” these wonderful people. It is such an honor to have connected with so many beautiful souls (including yours) and my heart is simply overflowing with joy.
Stacey,
With my startup , I am startign to see the value of taking turns – it is better to stop, rethink and be more prepared the next time around than let our egos trample what can be.
I applaud your courage and grace in this matter. I hope to always be able to tell the truth to myself about my own endeavors as well!
All the best to you 🙂
Maya´s last blog post..The One Hundred: A Guide to Pieces Every Happy and Balanced Soul Must Embrace: Simplicity
Maya – I try to remember that all great things have evolved over time. I’m also feeling good about my decision to be transparent about my process and my progress towards success.
“There is no failure; only feedback” is the NLP supposition that I live by. Still, your post is a wonderful reminder to me that I need to look more deeply in areas that I am not succeeding.
You’ve got the Universe rooting for you. Success should not be too far off!
Abundance always,
Evelyn
Evelyn Lim´s last blog post..Making Sense Of Life Events
I’m so happy you see positive side and it sounds like you’ve got a plan in place. Marketing is critical – I learned that so long ago, and while I don’t always do the best job, it really is what it comes down to. I also commend you for not putting it out there for free and believing in your value. In my book that says so much!
Good luck with the polishing, coaching and marketing. If anything I believe the time is NOW to market such a retreat. People need peace and balance during hard times.
Stacey, I am reading your blog for a week or so and your information is high quality and with really good vibe.
I also believe that if you have the best content in the world and not enough marketing, it is hard to get world to a wide audience.
You already have an establish audience and information is good.
You need really small tweak in marketing and you should be good (maybe expend your network of partners and promote through their list).
You definitely have much more experience blogging and marketing then me, but if you ask me I would advice to get familiar with Jeff Walker (Product Launch Formula). He is really good guy and teaching how to give value and promote any product or service.
No doubt you will get it done soon
Stacey, as I mentioned to you already, and as Lance has pointed out too: everything happens for a reason. It does! There is a reason why this is not happening now. Maybe it’s the marketing, maybe it needs more polishing.
Anyway, since I’m the lucky freebie winner for this retreat, feel free to ask me anything and use me as a guinea pig. Oh and I used to work in marketing and might help out (for free) on that part too if you want.
It’s all in the journey dear.
Mindful Mimi´s last blog post..Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat
Evelyn – “There is no failure; only feedback” – I firmly believe this! Thank you for being part of my Universe.
Stacey Shipman – Marketing seems so overwhelming and I’m really looking forward to meeting with my new marketing coach next week.
Peter – Thanks for the feedback. One of my first marketing goals is to figure out how to better reach moms who are feeling out of balance.
Mimi – Thank you so much for your support. Although I tell others all the time that life balance is a journey, it feels great to have you remind me that it’s all in the journey.