Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chelsea Meagher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chelsea, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Whew, getting right to it! I grew up in an environment where I was one of extremely few that looked or acted like me. I had big curly hair, tanned skin, curvy shape, and I was always chatting or sharing my latest obsession. I couldn’t have been more opposite than the people around me. I felt judged, alone and often thought something was seriously wrong with me because I wasn’t getting the attention my classmates would receive or my friend group would abandon me for having different views across subjects. Growing up this way allowed me to reflect at an early age and to carry that on into my adult life with self-awareness and have a deeper understanding of who I am as a person. Because I was able to learn the process of reflection and growth so early on, I’ve been able to stay confident in who I am, my beliefs, my morals and truly being myself in every instance. It’s also such a healthy lifestyle to have confidence and know the energy you bring to any situation. Trying to be someone else is draining and unnatural. However, if you’re not a totally confident version of yourself, you have your whole life to find what makes you you and to own that. Just keep growing and learning and you too can walk in confidence.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m Chelsea! The founder of The Sole Circle where I design for brands. I’m on my 3rd year of full-time business and it’s already looking so different for me this year in such a cool way. I’m working to expand The Sole Circle financially and grow my team to the highest-quality, efficient freelancers. I have a few exciting internal projects starting off the year, including a website redesign, a podcast test launch and a start at long-form content (hello, youtube!). These are milestones that align with my ultimate goal of reaching my target audience directly, alongside speaking opportunities and interviews, like this one! All efforts made by The Sole Circle are benefitting the greater goal of supporting the creative community in an inspirational and cozy way.
One of my upcoming releases will include a waitlist with 3 package offerings to work with The Sole Circle. If you’re interested in working with me, but aren’t sure where to start. Just send me an email saying “hey! I saw your interview on Voyage” and I’ll send you over a brand template for free!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My top 3 skills for today’s success are absolutely
1. Communication
2. Requesting Feedback
3. Perseverance
Communication is incredibly important to new or existing clients. Responding promptly to inquiries or questions from those interested in working with you will be a large proponent to them hiring you and keeping you around. The more you stay in touch (whether it’s an update or a response) the more you keep people at ease. So, make sure you’re responding promptly to those inquiry texts, emails, DMs and contact forms!
Requesting feedback is how I got as far as I have in my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by insanely talented and intelligent people from the very beginning. Feedback is how you grow and asking others for a proper run through of your work can help you improve at a rate much faster than doing it alllll on your own. Ask for thoughts from people who you look up to, people within your industry, friends or acquaintances that are in positions you aim to achieve. Think of each person in your life (and even friends of friends) and request feedback. Get on a call and grow through the advice!
And finally, perseverance – the most important trait to have as a business owner. It’s not all daisies and sparkles being a creative entrepreneur. Running a creative business requires a healthy environment to reveal the best work and if that environment isn’t perfection, the whole creative service lacks. Through the toughest of times, you must persevere, pivot when need be, and keep going strong. Nike says “Just do it.” for a reason. The only possible way to grow and achieve are by pushing your own boundaries and finding that there are no limits.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I’ve had many inspiring role models in my life and they all came at different periods of my creative journey. My earliest career memory was working at a print shop where my boss (Larry, the owner) was such a hard-working, loving, caring human, while being direct when something was done incorrectly. Larry taught me how to get Sh** done by fuel of passion, how to build relationships with customers, how to persist on the hardest days, and how to truly be obsessed with your work, in a healthy way.
From my experiences working with Larry, I learned skills that clients rave about now. I’m quick to update clients, I listen to their needs before discussing solutions, I deliver on time, I create with my all and I genuinely care about every client that has chosen me to work on their future.
And now that I’m in tears, I’ll say it’s so important to soak up all of your experiences and learn from them to either implement or be aware of in your daily and business lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thesolecircle.com
- Instagram: the.solecircle
- Linkedin: Chelsea Meagher
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
