The Ultimate Driving Machine in Your Creative Business

Dream Car - BMW 6 series

via bmwusa.com

I’m a car girl. How could I not be? I grew up in the Motor City!

My father was an engineer at Ford Motor Company way back when, family & friends were (and happily still are!) employed by the auto industry, and I worked for Ford and various marketing suppliers partnering with automakers.

I also love to drive and have fond memories of many cars:

  • My Dad’s Triumph Spitfire – Okay, I don’t actually remember this one but am told my responsible parents drove this 2-seater with infant me in the boot of car.
  • The ’61 Austin Healey Bug-Eye Sprite finally restored to its glory (I rode in the boot of this one, too!).
  • The early ‘70s red Ford Gran Torino station wagon that, while a magnet for accidents, provided tank-like protection for its occupants.
  • Mom’s first car, a Mercury Comet whose floor boards turned to rust (when you shut the door, rust would fall to the ground. My sister, who was about 3 at the time, would scoop up the rust & proudly hand it to our horrified mother).
  • The bright yellow AMC Concord wagon that attracted swarms of bees and sent me running in many parking lots.
  • Dad’s Lincoln Town Car – It felt like we were gently sailing a ship down the road.
  • My first new-car purchase, a 4×4 Geo Tracker soft-top convertible, fun on & off the road!
  • My manual Taurus SHO – The employee pricing was a definite perk of working for Ford; this thing was loaded!
  • My BMW 325 sports coupe – I totally understand why it’s called the Ultimate Driving Machine! I’m a loyal fan & will always be a BWM girl.

 

So I love cars and love to drive … and I’ve always felt driven, to figure things out for myself, to create, to learn. What does this have to do with your creative business and how does it help you?

Entrepreneurship is a lot like cars and driving. Sometimes your ride is fun, fast & furious, other times it’s easy, gentle, smooth sailing, and sometimes you’re left scooping up the pieces.

When you’re in the market for a car, you determine the features you want and carefully consider & assess your options. You take a few cars out for a test drive. You seek input from others who have a particular car, experience with a certain manufacturer, you ask about the service and support you’ll get when you need maintenance or something goes wrong. You focus on the benefits and the characteristics you like most.

 

Let’s approach your creative business the same way.

What are your entrepreneurial assets or “features”?

Inquisitive Creative Sensitive Sense of humor
Tenacious Innovative Adventurous Risk taker
Independent Playful Encouraging Inspiring
Imaginative Fearless Witty Collaborative

Come up with a few more of your own!

To get those creative juices flowing: What assets of your car or preferred mode of transportation relate to your business? Considering my BMW, I immediately think of control, stability and agility.

 

 

Just like the components of a vehicle come together to make a powered driving machine,
how can you harness the power of your entrepreneurial assets?

  • Create a framework & structure – As creatives in business, many of us are resistant to structure & routines, especially when we’re first starting out in business and have left the confines of a corporate job. Routines supportive of your natural talents, skills, personal and business health & wellness will provide you with much-needed structure to help keep you motivated, focused, and creatively firing on all cylinders.
  • Set up systems – Save yourself time, energy & money by creating systems for success in your personal & business life. If you find yourself doing something more than once, chances are you can create a system for it. And once you have established systems, it’s much easier to delegate systems, activities & tasks that clog your creative engine.

 

Where will you turn for ongoing maintenance & support?

Seek out colleagues, mentors, coaches & consultants and service “technicians” who will help you build and grow your business in a way that works for you.

 

Focus on the benefits of entrepreneurship:

  • You’re able to do what you love
  • You can focus on areas where you thrive
  • You are creating value for clients & customers

 

 

Now pull these components together so you can be the Ultimate Driving Machine in your creative business!

 

About the author, Kelly

Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.

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