A few thoughts on seven years…
Seven years ago on June 8, I was laid off. Eight days later, I officially registered Melanie Lynn Communications (MLC) as a sole proprietorship. I don’t know if I really had any expectation of what MLC was going to look like in that moment. I figured I’d give it a go and see if I could make enough money to buy groceries and carry on paying my mortgage.
What I knew was communications and public relations. What I didn’t know was how to run a business. I also didn’t realize how much I would feel a connection and a hidden drive into the world of entrepreneurship. It quickly morphed from doing a few projects here and there to active outreach and really proactively working to connect with people and leverage my existing network.
And I quickly realized I wasn’t alone. In Canada, 98 per cent of businesses are small businesses. And more than half of Canadian businesses have fewer than four employees and fall into the micro-business category. More than half.
That’s when I started to realize I was in fact “legit.”
Over the last seven years, I have learned and grown into being an entrepreneur. A title I originally felt I didn’t qualify for, I now feel like I deserve. I’ve worked hard to build something that doesn’t exactly follow the traditional structure of a PR agency. I didn’t want that. I wanted to create something more focused on community than billable hours and a place where clients knew me for the work we were doing and not just for a monthly invoice. I started MLC with a focus on building relationships and that core value remains the foundation of who we are today.
It’s easy to get distracted by what other people are doing and compare your business to other small businesses. If they are doing it that way and growing that big and that fast, should I be? Am I doing it wrong? Having that core value about relationships and really staying true to what I want MLC to be is what I continue to go back to. My goals are my goals and it doesn’t matter what someone else is focused on.
And it’s not just about me. Sure, it started with me and a laptop at my kitchen table, but it’s so much more than just one person. Over the last seven years, I’ve had the privilege to have the support of other communicators and professionals who have lended their time and expertise to MLC clients. They have worked together with me to brainstorm, collaborate and strategically build communications plans, content, assets and other elements needed to elevate the brand of our clients.
I am beyond proud of the community of people I have around me each and every day. They inspire me to do better work and give me confidence to try new things (podcast coming soon!).
In 2016, I didn’t set goals with a timeline. I was focused on a strong foundation and building something I could be proud of. It’s 2023 and that hasn’t changed. I want to create something strong and sustainable that I can remain proud of. And right now…that’s exactly how it feels.