We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Metcalf a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Courtney, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
Burnout was a huge problem for me early on in my business. I was saying yes to projects that didn’t feed my passion, because I wanted to get as much experience as possible. I overcame burnout when I started saying, “no,” and not feeling guilty about it. I think oftentimes as a Black woman, I’m told that I have to be exceptional and excellent to fit the norm. I don’t agree. I believe in being a kind person. I believe in saying no and creating boundaries. And I believe that I have something exceptional to offer my clients, and that’s what matters most to me.
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 Courtney and I own a marketing, content, and branding company called Essence Socials & Branding. I love being able to help women of color owned brands grow and thrive. I focus on connecting brands with their target audience, creating conversations with your audience, and converting the audience into lifelong customers. I am especially focused on mindset, meditation and gratitude. I created my gratitude journal called “How are you doing, really?” Available on Amazon, to help people tap into their creativity and create their best and highest self.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were: thick skin, the ability to adapt, and the ability to build relationships. Over 80% of my business is word of mouth, and I love that so much. I love being able to have other people tell my story based on their perception of my skills.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My biggest area of growth this past year has been systems. I seriously underestimated the value of having standard operating procedures and automation. I was working twice as hard on the small things like scheduling, invoicing, etc. And a lot of that time I could have spent focusing on bigger-picture business things. I promise you if you implement systems into your business, it will change your level of growth and help with time management.
Contact Info:
- Website: essencesocialsandbranding.com
- Instagram: @essencesocialsandbranding
- Youtube: Essence Socials and Branding
- Other: TikTok – @essencesocials
Image Credits
Blue sweater images – Jeff Hall Denim Jacket Images – Orlando
