By Eva Fydrych
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - André Gide
What may be a very disappointing thing to hear for many people who are just starting out and trying to navigate the landscape, is actually one of the most basic things in business: there are no shortcuts to get where you want to be and nothing will ever substitute hard work. To quote Nicole York from Fstoppers, "Success in any field has always been a mixture of hard work, good product, networking, luck, and a hell of a lot of good marketing."
There are also other factors that contribute to the overall picture and that includes: your confidence and ability to believe in yourself (even if no one else does - a cliche, but so true), vision, determination and persistence, flexibility, willingness to try new things, education, constantly updating your skills, focus, discipline, and - probably most important of them all - ability to take risks and step out of your comfort zone.
Taking Action & Ditching Your Fear
During several years of working and travelling around the world (40+ countries so far), I've seen so many talented people who were simply paralysed by the fear of rejection, who were afraid to do something they haven't done before, who always wanted to stick to the old ways they knew and felt comfortable with.
There is a very good saying that I like to recall from time to time: "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." (André Gide)
Fear is one of the most common factors that stop people from doing things and in the end achieving their goals. Another one is perfectionism - many don't start anything until they are "ready". Well, let me tell you something: you are never fully ready for anything in life. The best approach is to learn as you go and embrace failure as part of the journey. Simple step in the right direction is often so much more significant that all the knowledge that you accumulated over the years if you are too afraid to TAKE ACTION.
When you start doing something, don't call yourself "aspiring". When people look at your work, they can obviously say if you are just a beginner or a professional in your field. They don't need an additional reminder from your side! Calling yourself "aspiring" only shows your lack of confidence and will damage the way people see you. More about it here: https://www.melleesmith.com/stop-calling-yourself-an-aspiring-writer.
Staying Flexible & Avoiding Distractions
I'm often asked for a piece of advice for people who are just starting out and I'm always happy to give it, however I noticed that many aren't really ready to accept it. People tend to look for a magic solution that will take them somewhere without putting much effort, time or hard work.
So here is my piece of advice: be humble and learn how to listen; make sure you are open-minded, adaptable, and willing to accept new ways of thinking / working / doing things - flexibility is the key to so many things. Make sure you actually enjoy what you do and yes - work CAN be fun if you are passionate about it. Leave your fear behind (in the worst case scenario, something will just go wrong - all you need to do is to learn how to avoid the same mistake in the future). Be patient, it all takes time. Surround yourself with positive, ambitious, inspiring, and supportive people. Be selective, focus your eyes on the goal and learn to say "no" to everything else. Don't fall into most common traps: dishonest people promising you unrealistic things (if it seems too good to be true, it probably is), late night parties and after parties that you may mistakenly take for real networking events, getting involved in unnecessary drama and gossiping behind people's backs, and so on. Your image, apart from your skills and experience, is your most valuable asset, so you should always present yourself in a professional way. To put it simply: be the person you would like to meet and work with.
What Do You Want From Life?
Last, but not least, maybe it's time to redefine success. Does making a lot of money or being famous really matters if you are not happy and don't feel fulfilled with your life? Isn't living life your way and being able to achieve your goals not enough to feel satisfied? Why do we always want more? Why don't we pay more attention to things that are truly important: happiness and being at peace with ourselves?
As the times are changing, so are our lives, the way we work, and the way we do things. It's never been more important to embrace change and seek opportunities around us instead of seeing everything as a threat and being stuck in the old ways of doing things.
Fashion Studio Magazine won two prestigious business awards in 2022, one of them for influence, second for innovation. With the ability of predicting trends and social changes in advance and also doing things my way and not following the crowd comes another side of the coin - not being fully understood and often dismissed as unrealistic, unpractical or too future-orientated. However the key to being successful is being prepared in advance and taking advantage of all the opportunities that come your way.
Many people didn't even understand the concept of remote work when I started it many, many years ago, our "Stylish Africa" project that focuses on promoting African culture worldwide (watch this space!), the importance of social media and video content, or even my current interest in technology (AI, NFT, VR) and the way it rapidly changes everything around us. Some also don't understand my constant reminders of keeping the balance and not forgetting about simple things in life, being truly ourselves without pretending and putting a mask in all social situations, ditching all unrealistic beauty standards and embracing natural ways of ageing (without falling into a vicious circle of cosmetic surgery - way too common in the beauty & fashion industry right now), spending time in nature and actually unplugging from technology on regular basis, the importance of focusing on our happiness and mental health, and questioning what's around us (at least from time to time).
And that's OK. :)
Here's to another fantastic year and to following your goals! Thank you once again for your continuous support. The magazine would never be the same without its amazing readers and social media followers. There is so much more to come, stay tuned!
Eva Fydrych
Founder & Art Director
PS
Final thoughts, super important though. Whatever you do in life, stop worrying about people who criticise you and don't waste time explaining yourself. Listen to feedback and always aim to improve along the way, however it's crucial to be able to stay true to your vision and your way of doing things if you already know that it works. Trust your intuition - the right people and projects will follow.
And I wish you all to find YOUR WAY, whatever it is. Happy 2023, guys!
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