Lessons I Learned From the First Year of Lionesse
Image: Olaiya Land
Lionesse turns one year old this week! And wow, what a year it's been.
Shifting from my food & travel blog to a project that felt more impactful, was both scary and liberating.
Things are still shifting and taking form. But we've found our groove. And I've gotta say, it feels pretty damn good.
Which is not to say that it’s been 100% smooth sailing. There were definitely days when tears were shed and curse words were uttered. I’ve learned a lot of important lessons along the way though. Which is what really matters.
So I thought I’d take a moment to both celebrate that we made it through the last year (!!!!!!!) and also to share some of the biggest things I learned from the first year of running Lionesse:
Image: Olaiya Land
#1 Trust Your Gut
Somebody find me a rooftop, so I can shout this from it. Seriously. Trust. Your. Mothereffing. Gut.
For the final year and a half of running my old blog, I had this little voice telling me I needed to do more. I needed to show up as my full self, as opposed to just my photographer and cook self. I needed to make a bigger impact.
Making the leap was scary. What if no one wants to read what I write. What if they are only here for the cookie recipes? What if no one cares?
But when I took the time to look inside myself, I absolutely knew that continuing to post food content and lead culinary retreats would amount to creative death.
Of course I didn’t listen to that voice right away. LOL. I 100% did not. It’s so much easier to keep on doing what you’ve been doing. The world tells us it’s safer to stick with what you know.
But that’s a lie.
Sticking with that old, reliable thing when your true self is calling you to move in a different direction is the opposite of safe.
It’s a sure path to burnout, boredom and frustration.
It’s a guarantee that you spend your days living with a nagging sense that something is missing.
It’s a road to having a shit ton of “what ifs” when you’re old and grey.
UHM, NO THANK YOU.
I’m not saying you have to say deuces ✌🏽 to your day job and move to Tahiti to become a surf instructor if your heart is longing to ride the waves.
You can find ways to incorporate what you love into your current life. That alone is pretty much guaranteed to make you happier. It will also allow you to explore whether you want to make a bigger move.
Then, if one day you realize your 9-to-5 just isn’t cutting it and you need to change things up, you’ll feel more confident making the leap to your Next Big Thing.
#2 It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect
The recovered perfectionist in me can’t believe I just wrote those words. But friends, I am here to tell you that perfection is an ever-shifting mirage.
It is not real. And chasing after it is a sure way to drive yourself insane.
Before launching Lionesse, my past self would have done a shit ton of market research and competitive analysis, spent a gazillion hours building a jaw-dropping website, and had content prepped for the first 3 months.
But the chiller, more self-loving version of myself was like: “I want to do this thing. I think I’ll just start and see what happens.”
And that’s where the magic lies, babes.
In putting one foot in front of the other.
In not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
In just showing up.
Just showing up is highly underrated. You can get A LOT done by just showing up. With curiosity and creativity and the desire to make the world a slightly better place.
This year I’m celebrating that I figured out so many things as I went. I built this website. I reached out to people I wanted to collaborate with. I figured out how to do video interviews. I made a few Instagram reels. I started a freaking podcast! (I mean, what?!?!)
And I did it all by just jumping in and trusting I could figure it out.
And you can too. You don’t need all the answers. You just need the desire and the belief that you can figure things out. (I guarantee you, you can.) Along with the willingness to improve as you go.
Image: Olaiya Land
#3 Be Yourself
At the end of writing my food & travel blog, I was really having to stretch to wrap what I wanted to say around the food content. I was trying to fit my voice into what I thought a food & travel blog should be. And I was afraid to speak out on controversial or political topics that mattered to me since, you know, people are probably just here for the cookies. I was terrified of alienating anyone.
With Lionesse, I’ve let it all hang out. I’m outspoken and opinionated by nature. So now I share what I want, how I want. I speak up on topics I think are important. I collaborate with people doing work I love. And it feels fucking amazing.
You don’t have to be anyone else to be successful. The world needs your unique gifts.
What makes you different is your super power. Your strength. Your beauty. Your special sauce.
Step away from the trends and trying to squeeze yourself into a smaller pant size or a more "palatable" personality. It doesn’t matter if it works for someone else who has 1 million followers on TikTok if it doesn’t work for you.
I guarantee you that if you show up as your full, true self, you’ll find your people.
So let that freak flag fly! Be weird. Be wild. Be kinky. Be loud. Be soft. Be slow. Be whatever your little heart is telling you to be.
Your people are out there. You just have to raise your flag high enough for them to find you.
If you want to learn how to take up more space, love yourself more, show up as your authentic self and grow your confidence, get on the waitlist for my Live Fierce Workshop! There are only 12 spots available for this intimate, 6-week group experience. Our workshops usually sell out pretty quickly so if you need this in your life, click here and get on the list.
XO,
Olaiya
