Decades ago, Sarah "Poodah" VanDrunen used to say that to me all the time, when I would fumble through an interaction or stumble through a Young Life skit. "What are ya, new??" she would tease. And we would laugh about how awkward newbies are and the accuracy of her verbal poke.

This week, I'm new all over again.

I'm embarking on Jon Acuff's "30 Days of Hustle" to help prod me into doing the stuff of running a business that I'm not a pro at. Stuff like reaching out to former clients with emails, asking to reconnect. Stuff like trying to set up coffees with potential new clients to see how we at The Well can help them succeed. Stuff like COLD CALLING and SALES and all the other terrifying words that haunt introverts' dreams.

It's got me feeling like I'm new. Fumbling. Stumbling. Second-guessing this "running my own business" thing and wishing for a desk job.

Here's my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for the month: Connect with 5 potential clients, and generate one new one by 1/31/2016.

Now that I've said it, I'm hoping it will be a little easier. At the very least, now I've GOTTA do it. Here's hoping I'll be a little more proficient as 2016 unfolds.

Here I come, year. What are ya, new?

Over the past eight months I have been an employee for Well Communications Group. Prior to May 2016, I was an intern for Well Communications Group while finishing up my last year of School as Northwest Nazarene University. One of WCG’s main clients I NNU which is rather fun because now I am able to design for the very university I graduated from.
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There are a number of things I really appreciate about working for Well communications Group. I’d say the first thing would be how versatile the company is. What I mean by that is that Well Communications Group is sort of like a Graphic Design broker. It collects clients and then delegates projects among its employees. Consequently, as an employee I am not stuck in the same design style all day long, but I get given a variety of different styles and clients to design for. Sometimes I am given the task of really creative and illustrative designs while other times my jobs are more productions work, including type setting and text layout. I thoroughly enjoy this, because it is expanding my creative mind in many different fields at once and keeping me from getting bored of doing the same thing over and over again. Well Communications Group is also very good about making you feel like part of the team, and a necessary asset to the Company. I feel like I have enough freedom to really explore my own creativity within the parameters set by the project at hand. Additionally, my input and critique is welcomed and appreciated.

My daughters are at Young Life camp this week. They are having the "best week of their lives" at Young Life's Malibu Club resort in British Columbia. And today is Day 5, where they will take their turn navigating the Ropes Course, an obstacle course on wires and ropes, suspended 20+ feet in the air. It's a thrilling adventure... but the hardest part is that first step.

I'm feeling a lot like that today.

Last fall, I began the journey to expand my business beyond my solo freelance gig. I've done some studying, I've read quite a bit, I've even taken the leap of faith to hire my first employee. But going "public" is something I've dreaded.

Maybe because the more who know what I'm up to, the more public the possible failure. I'm afraid of not being totally on top of all the necessary tasks of running a "real" business. Showing people my imperfections as I hone the system is scary.

But earlier this week, while taking a very rare two days off, my old Fultz Design email box filled up. I kept getting messages from clients that their emails were bouncing back. It seems that fate - and GoDaddy - were pushing me out of the nest, ready or not.

So this morning I took a deep breath and sent out the email.

The one that said "Fultz Design is now Well Communications Group!"

And I prayed. And started filtering through the Delivery Status Notification (Failure) messages, hoping that parenthetical word wasn't an omen.

As I did, I was surprised by something I should have expected.

Several replies weren't auto-generated. They were from real people. Friends. Colleagues. Vendors.

"Congratulations!! So cool to see you growing your business and creating success!"
"Good for you sweetie!  Proud of you. But not the least but surprised!"
"Congratulations, Jenny!  I'm so excited for you and your new adventure!  I look forward to working with you and your new team!  May God bless you in your work! "

It's amazing what a little encouragement can do to a fearful heart.

So here we go, taking that first scary step. My knees will be knocking, just like my girls on the Ropes Course. But as those ahead, behind, below and above shout words of encouragement, I'll press on, one step at a time. And I'll try my hardest to enjoy the adventure!