We were lucky to catch up with Alyson Borowczyk recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alyson, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Developing confidence in myself as a business owner is a continual task. Imposter syndrome strikes me even today, after 5 years in business, because there will always be a little part of me that feels like I’m not qualified or I didn’t deserve my success. Even still, I’ve come a long way from my first networking event in 2021. My best friend, who was also starting a business, gave me the courage to go to one of the first in-person networking events in my area since the COVID-19 shutdown. It was exciting to get out of the house and be around people again, but I was scared. I had been conducting my then little business from my home for 2 years, really growing based on word of mouth. I hadn’t had to truly market myself in any way – nor did I truly consider myself, at the time, as a CEO or entrepreneur.
Despite my fears, I went to this event with my friend, and it lit a fire within me. I all of a sudden had the courage to at least put myself out there. As my business continued to grow, it certainly had its fair share of growing pains, but we started to develop a good reputation and as the good reviews and referrals came in, I started to feel even more confident in my ability to be able to do this.
As I said earlier, however, building confidence is a work in progress. Projects – and people – come along that are difficult, and sometimes I question my ability to be able to handle being an entrepreneur. But ultimately, the quality that allowed me to make it this far is persistence. I haven’t lacked self-doubt – that’s for sure – but I also never gave up. I persisted through the pain, the heartache, and the worry.
I firmly believe that feeling 100% confident in yourself before you act is a true barrier for some people, holding them back from their ultimate potential. I may never be 100% confident, but I will always believe in myself, 100%
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m the CEO of Omnia Design and Social (formerly Alyson Kelly Design), and an Instagram content creator with my account, @the_evolving_entrepreneur. My goal on this account is to share with other work from home moms my journey and how they can stay true to themselves, their families, and their ultimate vision for their personal success. I also love to feature my dog, Pierogi, a fluffy cockapoo with an attitude who’s by my side all day as I work.
Though my IG account grew a large following largely due to my reels on branding, I shifted my professional focus a little bit to include the human side of business ownership. I was starting to feel suffocated by the thought of portraying myself as some sort of industry expert or thought leader, when my real passion was found in connecting with other female business owners who loved what they did but felt daunted by the process.
Very soon, I’ll be launching my new website that will feature everyday moms who are building businesses and staying true to their families and to themselves.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Ultimately, I believe perseverance, tenacity, and openness to learning and personal and professional growth have been most impactful on my journey. There were SO many times the going has gotten tough as an entrepreneur, and if I didn’t have the courage to persevere through those obstacles, I would’ve given up a long time ago. Being tenacious is important because business isn’t always pretty and everyone, sadly, isn’t always nice. You have to be able to stand up for yourself and your employees and advocate for your own voice in oftentimes very difficult rooms. And lastly, being committed to continue growth and development is absolutely critical, no matter what industry you’re in. Our work is always evolving, and the ways in which we do business need to evolve as well.
For those of you who are early on in your entrepreneurial journey, if you simply remember that this IS one of the hardest things you will ever do, and you will have bad days, BUT the creative autonomy and personal freedom you garner is more than worth it.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
For the brand new Evolving Mompreneur website, I’m looking to get to know other mompreneurs who balance business and family (or who are trying their best to). I want to feature moms who are kicking but in business but prioritizing their family first, always. Business size is not an issue – small to large businesses are welcome. Please contact me at [email protected] if you’d like to get featured!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alysonkellydesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_evolving_mompreneur/
Image Credits
Mark Duggan, Nickel City Headshots
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
