How To Unlock More Success

Behind the Scenes with VJ, Part 2.

Do you quietly harbor the fear of success? In one moment, you are excited about possibilities; in the other, you fear the outcome of those possibilities. Many of us (including me) face those inner struggles.

 

Last week, I shared with you some of the quiet struggles I faced when I founded NOTIQ and how I navigated them. Today, I wish to continue this journey with you and share how you and share how you, too, can overcome yours.

 

The Desire For More

After founding NOTIQ in the Summer of 2019, right before the onset of the pandemic, I began searching for the best way to serve my clients. As a customer of other brands, I sincerely do not appreciate it when all a brand does is ask me to buy-buy-buy without considering some form of value-add to me. This perspective made me uneasy about sending emails to my clients, inviting them ONLY to make a purchase. I wanted more—a deeper connection and meaningful relationship with my clients. I secretly desired for them to be more than clients—I wanted them to be friends.

 

This desire for more led me to search for what I could do.

 

This search eventually inspired me to start and do something different that is only sometimes done by many business founders. First, I began writing inspirational content on social media, sharing positive and uplifting words to encourage the very dark season the pandemic brought. Then, in January of 2022, I took a leap of faith and began writing Elegant Secrets.

 

You and our entire community embraced Elegant Secrets from its early start. For the first time in my business, I started receiving what I call love notes from different parts of the world. Elegant Secrets became a beautiful labor of love for me each week.

 

As Elegant Secrets rapidly grew, I received countless emails asking me for earlier episodes. Some readers wanted to read every single post without skipping. The more I wrote, the more the requests mounted. I couldn't keep up.

 

These overwhelming requests inspired me to begin a new search for a digital solution that would allow you to search, reference or read the content. The end result of this search is what you can now experience: the School of Elegance. This new platform will not only house the previous Elegant Secrets content but also offer new and exclusive material, providing you with a richer and more comprehensive learning experience.

 

The Quiet Fear of Success

I'll be honest. Moving Elegant Secrets into the School of Elegance came with fears. I must confess that I had grown comfortable with keeping Elegant Secrets in a cozy environment where you all know me. I quietly feared the world discovering and mocking my idea. I feared I wouldn't be taken too seriously. Can you relate?

 

After announcing the launch of the School of Elegance last week, I was pleasantly surprised to receive overwhelming support from our community and a brand-new sponsorship. This sponsorship will help cover some of the operational costs for hosting the content in the School of Elegance. It will also enable me to offer the premium access subscription at a significantly lower rate to keep the lights on and make it more accessible to everyone in our community.

 

I share this with you because if I had allowed my quiet fears to keep me from following my heart and trying something new, I may have never been discovered by this sponsor. This entire journey has taught me a few lessons.

 

Lessons for unlocking more success.

1. Your idea cannot remain a baby forever. It's time to let your idea grow from adolescence to adulthood.
2. You'll never know how valuable your idea is if you don't move forward with it.
3. Success often goes to those who are willing to start.
4. Sometimes, speed is more important than resources.
5. Someone needs your "passion" project.
6. Your "passion" project may be your "purpose" project.
7. Commit to what you believe and build with excellence. You never know who is watching.

 

What's New

I plan to send out new 5-minute publications to guest or premium subscribers at the School of Elegance. These new publications will contain prior and new exclusive articles, and resources on topics related to Etiquette, Elegance, Personal Image, and Public Speaking. The goal is to provide you with uplifting inspiration and ideas to enhance your personal and professional value wherever you go. I hope you can join us at SchoolofElegance.com. 

Warmly,

VJ, Founder, Designer & Publisher