What a Change in Seasons Can Do for Your Business

Summer has been my favorite season since I was a kid. It’s hard to beat that summertime vibe: the days are longer, the clothing is more casual, and impromptu weekend trips to the beach punctuate the hottest months of the year. Although the changing of the seasons is inevitable, the timing is often unpredictable (as I type this, it’s 100 degrees outside and this summer heat looks to be sticking around for awhile).

A change in seasons is good: it’s healthy for us and for the earth. But when it comes to business, is change our friend, or a mortal enemy?

In my last post, I declared the ability to change and adapt to be among the most crucial for success in any field. This is particularly true for freelancers and entrepreneurs, especially those like me who are the name and face of their own business. As time passes and we evolve as humans and individuals, it’s only natural that this change will manifest itself in our work.

Like I tell my LinkedIn bio clients, it’s smart to keep your professional profile fresh, even if you’re not necessarily looking to make a career move. Organizations shift, companies downsize, and industries crash through no fault of our own. Change will happen regardless of what we might do to prevent it, so why not prepare ourselves as best we can to be able to roll with the punches once it does?

This time last year, I had just returned home from a summer road trip. My pal and collaborator Corey Carbo and I unveiled a big project together, and I learned what it was like to work with an illustrator. This year, my husband and I took a trip to Montréal over Labor Day weekend, and the 30-degree temperature change between Austin and Québec was—quite literally—a breath of fresh air. I’ve always relished my time in other places: hearing other languages being spoken, taking public transportation in a new city, even walking around and just seeing things that are altogether new to our eyes helps to keep our brains nimble and take ourselves out of our everyday routines.

As summer shifts into fall in Austin (eventually!) I’m using the change as fuel to move forward in my business and be more bold about who I am and what I do. With a list of speaking gigs coming up at the Texas Conference for Women and Austin Design Week, among others, I am incredibly honored to use my platform at these events to share my knowledge and passion for communicating with others. And I’ve got a big website revamp coming up at the end of the month that has me so excited, I can hardly wait.

So embrace change. Don’t be afraid to evolve. Growth is good. (And don’t forget to update your bio!)

(The image for this post is from my recent ‘headshots, but make it fashion’ session with Jessica Arroyo Photography. If you’re in the Austin-area and in need of new headshots or portraits, she’s who you want!)