Episode 002: What Do You Do When Nothing Seems to Be Working?

The T.E.A. with Albie Knows

Whether it’s in your business or in your personal life, have you ever had those moments when it just seems like nothing you do is working? Like you just can’t catch a break or get “it” right, whatever “it” is? Yeah, I’ve been there!

So what do you do when you’re in the thick of all these feelings? What do you do when nothing seems to be working?

Spoiler alert: there isn’t a one size fits all answer.

But in this episode, I want to share with you some of the most common “it’s not working” complaints I’ve heard (some I’ve even said myself) and what you can start to do to “fix” it.

• Marketing

• Social Media

• Client Relations

• Work-Life Balance

• Finances

Whether you’re a seasoned designer, newbie entrepreneur, or somewhere in the middle, no one is immune to feeling, at least once or twice, like you have no clue what you’re doing! But here’s the thing, you can’t succumb to the weight of the doubt otherwise you’ll risk making zero progress. Instead, discern what’s not working, why it isn’t working, and then come up with a plan to fix it.

Today's episode is a very truncated list of all the things that you could possibly feel just aren’t working for you but the overall approach is the same no matter the area that you’re struggling with…

1. Identify the struggle
   …and not with vague, cliche terms, but with very explicit and clear language. Until you can be completely honest about what’s not working, you’ll never figure out why it’s not working, much less how to fix it.
   
2. Visualize the solution
   …and I don’t mean just being all “woo-woo” about the end goal, although there’s some woo involved. I mean being very very clear about what it would look like if this thing was working for you. How do you know it’s not working exactly? What does the alternative look like. See that and hold on to that. Hell, write it down!
   
3. Create a plan that actually addresses each piece of the problem
   …and gets you closer to the solution you’ve envisioned. You may have to start at a very uncomfortable (and unpopular) beginning, but in the end, it’ll pay off. Marketing not reaching the right people? Might be time for a rebrand. Social media getting too overwhelming? Consider a following/follower purge. Client relations are a constant struggle? Rethink the services you’re offering. Work like balance totally non-existent? Outsourcing might be just what you need to create white space. Coping with an unhealthy money mindset? Maybe a therapist can help you work through those mental blocks.
   
4. Execute and commit
   …to whatever your plan is. You know exactly how you want things to look and feel when they’re working so now we just follow the breadcrumbs till we get there.

I’d love to hear from you guys, about specifically what isn’t working for you, whether it’s in your business or the peripheral pieces of your life. If I get enough feedback we can do a followup Q&Albie episode addressing what you guys share!

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