From Panic Attacks to Pricing Schemes

I have two phoenix tattoos to remind me the importance of rising from the ashes. And I’m sure any phoenix could tell you that going up in flames isn’t fun, but it definitely gets easier each time. My new business Dikayo Data was created unexpectedly last week when the career track I was on fell through. And I’m here now to tell you how to re-frame what seems like failure into a road to success in three vital steps.

Nudges Can Be Necessary

It would be nice if all of us had the self awareness and courage to constantly pursue our potentials. However, there’s this thing called “feeling comfortable” that tends to get in the way. Often we stay in situations that are holding us back from our ultimate goals because the idea of investing in ourselves fully and wholeheartedly scares us. The problem is: Sometimes, like in my case, the choice that I deemed to be more “comfortable” wasn’t in fact more comfortable at all. I had no more sense of security being a contractor than I do being a business owner. Taking ownership over the skills you have and relying on them to feed you seems intimidating, but if nothing is in fact secure in this economy, we might as well carve out our own spaces to exist and grow.

No Knowledge Learned is a Waste

Nearly all of the knowledge I am bringing into the running of Dikayo Data comes from what I learned working for someone else. Regardless of whether the skills I brought into those jobs were valued or not, I can’t deny that I’d be way less informed if I hadn’t been there. My most recent immediate boss is not only a better writer than I am, but has skills in data visualization and event organization that I would never dream of having. I am the queen of falling into work environments that end up being toxic, but never before have I learned so much by merely observing someone’s craft first-hand. You may resent the outcome of events when leaving a job, but don’t let that prevent you from taking away the pieces of gold that are yours to take away. As you identify the warning signs you missed in order not to fall into the same situation again, also make sure to internalize the unique opportunities you got from your employer that you could never obtained yourself and most importantly, the role models you met along the way.

Nothing is Worth Giving Up

Whenever a plan of mine falls through, panic is always my first reaction. But what I’ve realized lately, is that it doesn’t have to be the last - or even the most eventful. This isn’t something I’m capable of alone. I’m lucky to have people in my life who know about my tendency to panic and know how to get me from that state to an empowered one. I will never take that for granted. And it’s important for me to say to all of you that no disappointment, failure or miscommunication is the end of you, though it may feel that intense at the time. The key is to either ask yourself what empowers you, or find a friend and ally who already knows and can remind you.

Sometimes the empires built out of adversity are the strongest ones.