Perfection.

Blog Post January 9, 2020

I couldn’t have explained it better than the one cartoon meme that appeared on my Facebook feed at the end of the last decade.  The drawing featured a thin, happy, “together” woman on one side of the frame with the caption, “12/1/19.”  Opposite her, on the other side was the same woman, now chubby, stressed, “overwhelmed” with the caption, “1/1/2020.”   That’s totally how I felt.

Admit it.   You felt it too.

Why do we have to feel so “perfect” at the holidays?  Why do we believe as though we are
“obligated” to do so much and that it all has to be perfect?  The rush of shopping – endless shopping for the perfect gift, the perfect tree and decorations, the perfect dinners, the drinks, more shopping, more dinners.
More drinks.  Oh, and fit work in along the way. And then like a tsunami it’s over and we rush like mad to do everything we did at the beginning, now in reverse.  Take down the decorations, return the gifts, perfectly organize our homes, perfectly organize our lives.  Start that diet.  Commit to a dry January.

It wasn’t until a couple of days ago, after my daughter left for school in the morning (at the literal crack of o-dark-30) that I felt like I could do something for myself.  It was still before dawn and quite chilly, so I lit a fire.  A fire in the fireplace in the morning is like heaven to me.  I brought all my work into my living room.  Bundled up on my couch with blankets, our dog, Charlotte, and amidst the cracking and sizzling of the pre-cut fire logs from Publix, I finally felt the stress leave my body.  For the first time in I can’t remember when, there wasn’t 1 million things to cross off the day’s to do list. The only sound was the snap, crackle, pop of the fire and the gentle breathing of the little dog at my feet.  For the first time in over a month I felt refreshed, re-energized.  I felt focused. And grateful to let go of all that perfection that stressed me out over the holidays.  Coffee helped, too.

At last I could turn my attention to the thing which excited me the most.  Working with Direct Me Anywhere clients. It’s true.  Now that the holiday craziness was over, I could dedicate my full attention to it.  As I sipped my coffee, I pondered why in the world did I ever want to launch a new venture as an off-shoot of Lindsey Films?  And why now?  My daughter is in her Jr. year of high school.  After she graduates next year, I’m “free to move about the country” so to speak.  So why begin something new, now?

If I dig deep, I think it’s a calling – no joke.  After being blessed with over 30 years of abundant work, and a dream career hanging out on film sets across the country, I felt the need to use my talents to help others achieve their business goals.  The only way I know how to do that is through my media – which is video production.  But not in the same way I had done for all those years. Astronomical budgets, Hollywood actors, New York ad agencies, and a crew of thousands. That was fun, but how realistic is it to the small business owner today?    How could I help people without large budgets, and without all the trappings of traditional production promote their product, sell their service, create awareness?

And that’s why I created Direct Me Anywhere as a solution for small business owners who need to build their brand, tell their story, share their message online with video, and do it affordably.  This is what excites me.  This is what brings me joy.  Helping others with something they need. Nothing could make me feel more honored than to be trusted with someone’s story and watching them succeed.

Some of my friends who are working in the high-end world of production kid me for telling people they can have a quality product shooting with an iPhone. Or who think there’s no way to get perfect lighting from a ring light and a window.  Or perfect sound with a $19.99 mic from Amazon.  And I get that. That’s what I had been taught to believe.  Wouldn’t it be just perfect of every small business owner had the perfect budget to hire the perfect crew to bring all the perfect equipment and edit the perfect end product at the perfect time?

Oh, Perfection.

2020 is the year I want to suggest to small business owners and entrepreneurs out there to let go of perfection.   If we wait for the perfect day, or the perfect budget, or the perfect opportunity, we would never come out of the chute.  As entrepreneurs, we are risk takers.  We are accustomed to do things when traditional situations aren’t perfect.  When things are uncomfortable.  Take a leap this year and do something that’s a little uncomfortable, a little outside of your comfort zone.  For some of you it may be hiring new staff or moving out of your home office into a building.  Or going after that dream client.  Or switching gears and starting something totally new.  For me, going out of my comfort zone is creating a company that I hope will help lots of people market a product, tell a company story, or share a great testimonial using video in a different way than I was taught to believe.  I am so excited about letting go of perfection in my goal to help others rock their businesses with video.   I can’t wait to work with each of you!

I’m a big “quote” person. There’s a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I truly love.  It says,

“The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within, not from without.”

All the best for success, abundance and a healthy dose of imperfection in 2020,

Pepper