So I said I’d tell you week to week what it’s like for me to start a new food business … and now I’m regretting it a bit. Partly because I haven’t had time to do much ‘starting up’ lately. But also because I know it means I’ll be baring myself to you; myself and my struggles more so than my successes, as the struggles are so often more illuminating.
A few months ago, when I told a ‘marketing person’ about bearing myself, they said, ‘maybe leave the personal stuff out of it Ange’.
This confused me for awhile, made me hesitate about jumping in. I started thinking that what I wanted to do with this tell all method was embarrassing. ‘Cringe worthy’ even.
Like I was planning on walking into my work with no clothes on, expecting people to talk to me normally.
But then it hit me. If I’m not willing to be honest, what’s the chance you’ll want to be? And I also got completely SICK of having conversations with food business owners that go like this:
ME: ripping the clothes off my business in an attempt to make them feel comfortable (pointing out the flabby edges, cellulite and stretch marks as I go)
THEM: framing me up a glossy photo of their business successes: gym-buffed, tanned and a full house every night.
No one has a full house every night… not forever… or do they?? Are some businesses really just as buffed and fabulous as they present themselves to be?
HOW WOULD WE EVER KNOW IF NO ONE WILL STRIP DOWN WITH ME??
So I’m putting the challenge out there to you all. Who wants to get business-naked? I can make it super easy for you, because YOU can stay completely anonymous if you like. I promise that anything you tell me will be retold by me in complete anonymity, unless you want exposure. All I ask is this: if you want to help build up a world where real conversation about food business can happen, then tell me stories, real stories, short stories, long stories, but NAKED stories about the hard stuff you’ve faced while setting up your food business. Anything. I don’t know how I’ll use it – depends on what you write. But I promise we’ll all feel less awkward in our nudity – more alive! more ready for all that this business world throws at us.
Please send stories to angela@wanderingcooks.com.au
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