I know it sounds crazy but I make $1800 hats.
Let me tell you how this came to be AND how it’s very much NOT a new business for me.
Do you ever just do something for the love of doing it? That love you experience is the only real “reward” in it. There’s no profit to be made, no business developed from it, no art show, or etsy store.
A few years ago, my mother-in-law bought knitting supplies for me as a Christmas gift. At the time, I appreciated the gesture but part of me thought–“I can’t do this” and “I’ll never have time to knit” (I might have also thought, “Only old ladies knit.”)
Needless to say, I found the time. I picked up some cool yarn, watched a few YouTube videos, and made a hat.
Of course, once I made that first hat, I went down the entrepreneurial rabbit hole in my head–I thought, “Now I’m going to have to start a business making hats…I’m going to need an Etsy store…maybe I can be in a farmer’s market.”
Remember: I only made 1 hat.
Rather than simply allowing myself the joy of doing something for the sake of doing it–I started to get in my own way.
Earlier this year, we had Amy Everhart on as a guest speaker of my mastermind tribe, Amy’s a writer and clarity coach. She talked about how creativity and play are vital ingredients to our success, especially as leaders.
Here’s the deal–we need an art, an outlet, a craft or hobby that is completely unrelated to our profession or passion.
This helps us with balance, focus, and getting outside of our head.
Now, I make 3-4 hats a year.
And given the hours I put into each of them, they cost around $1800 a piece (much more if a Pom-Pom is involved).
Sometimes I give them away, sometimes I make them for a particular person (Phoebe is a frequent recipient) but the point is, I just knit hats for the sake of knitting.
For the sake of play.
For the sake of taking a time out.
For the sake of doing something so completely unrelated to my day to day operations as an entrepreneur and leader — just to do it.
What about you? What’s your craft? What’s your lifelong or just sometimes project that is just for you?
If you don’t have one–is there anything that you did in the past that you would like to revisit (even if it’s something from your childhood)? Is there anything that you haven’t tried before but has been sparking your curiosity?
Lean into your creativity, lean into trying something new, lean into expanding your mind and capacity as a leader.
Ready to live your best life? Let’s talk, here’s a link to book your Getting Acquainted Call so we can see how I can help you.
