Four years ago today I fired off some snarly text messages to my friend Kim in the middle of dinner.
I was eating what would become my traditional pre running race dinner: a moderately sized plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
And I was bricking it.
The cause of my angst?
I was running the 5K Turkey Trot the next day.
You know, the Thanksgiving running race that many people run DRESSED UP AS TURKEYS.
Definitely something to be suuuuuuuuuuper nervous about.
The thing is, I had never RUN a race before. And I had decided to RUN, not walk (although some people can walk faster than I could run at that point).
There’s nothing heroic about running instead of walking, but to me, who had only started running about 10 weeks prior — straight off the couch, in terrible shape — it was a HUGE deal.
Spoiler alert: I did it!
Here’s how:
I had a plan and I followed it. I had a buddy (Kim) and we did it together. Now Kim runs ultra marathons and does incredible things like this. But for that race she was my buddy, there to help me stay on track, even though I had sent some bananas text messages the night before.
I also had a plan to get me to the starting line and a coach to help me train.
To recap:
- I had a plan to get myself all trained up.
- I had a coach to help me train.
- I had a plan for running the race.
- I had someone to help me during the race.
That might seem like a lot for a 5k, but things that look like “not a big deal” to other people can be “kind of a big deal” to you if you haven’t done them before.
Here: Have a Plan
It’s becoming a little bit of a tradition for me to give you a little some-something right before Thanksgiving, so here ya go!
Ok, it’s not really so much of a plan, as it is a worksheet so you can make your own plan or process documentation. It should eliminate the feeling of “WHERE SHOULD I EVEN START” when it comes to planning and process.
What the HECK is process documentation? (“Katie, I’m too TIRED for this right now.”)
It’s your “How I get things done” plan. This article I wrote for Green Profit explains it.
This video explains how to download your blank copy.
And here’s a link to your blank copy!
You can use this worksheet to plan all kinds of things, like:
Order fulfillment process (What happens when someone places an order? How do you get it to them?)
Inventory update process (What software do people need access to? When should they do updates?)
Blog posting process (What if you want to hire help? How do tey take your rough draft and get it on our website exactly how you like it?)
Social media scheduling process (How do you sit down and batch a bunch of social media posts?)
Email creation process (What are the steps to getting your email out the door?
Why take the time to write out your process?
- So you can hire help and easily train your helper
- So someone else can easily pick up your business and run it for a while if you become ill
- So that you can grow and scale your business
So that you have reminders and checklists to tick all of the boxes, even when you’re tired
This video explains how to donwload your blank copy.
About That Buddy
Many of my loyal readers are sticking their toes into the world of ecommerce for the first time right now. Either to sell plants, sell courses, sell garden coaching or to sell something like custom container planting services.
Ecomm is no joke even though it helps to laugh about it a little (warning – YouTube link that will start playing!) so you don’t cry.
To that end, The Garden of Words has teamed up with AmericanHort to present a 3-part Ecommerce Mastery Series starting December 9 and running through February. You can sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 workshops. This series is generously sponsored by Epicor. Thank you Epicor!
One big benefit of this series? YOU GET COACHES AND BUDDIES. And lots and lots of plans & worksheets. Anyone who signs up for at least one of the workshops, in addition to the workshops and plans, gets to join our Ecomm mastery Facebook group where you can ask the GOW team and each other whatever you want during the course of the series.
Want to know more about this collaborative series and/or just have a laugh?
Tim Did it and So Can You!
Snaps for GOW client Tim Wiethop, third generation grower and retail greenhouse operator. He buckled down and helped us help him launch a brand new WordPress ecommerce website (with WooCommerce shopping cart) in time for the holidays. Nothing like zero to ecomm in 3 weeks, right? (If you see anything wonky, please drop me a note. 500 eyes are better than 5.)
Holiday Housekeeping
I hope you get some real time off with no emails and no phone calls. Everyone needs a chance to re-set before 2021 because guys, gardening isn’t slowing down.
Here’s some info to know about our upcoming time off if you’re a current GOW client or interested in working with us.
Thanksgiving
- Offices closed Thursday, November 26-Sunday, November 29. Katie will be on call for client emergencies at 317-313-8366.
Year-End Holidays
- Katie out of the office December 19-January 3
- Offices closed December 24 – January 3
- Katie on call for client emergencies December 24-January 3
Work with us!
We’re all booked up for new projects in 2020, but scheduling out for work starting January 15, 2021. If you want to get on the schedule, grab a discovery call time slot here.
It sounds cliche, but if you’re reading this, I’m grateful for you.
Have a great week!
