Jenny Pace, Author at Jenny Pace

Here's the thing: quality vs quantity

It’s the end of my second week of self-employment. Woohoo!

Except some of the woohoo has started to wear off and I am approaching a problem I didn’t think I’d have: too much work.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a great problem to have. I’m delighted that so many amazing entrepreneurs and designers have been in touch and want to work with me. That is awesome.

But it’s thrown me into an old battle that I’ve had with myself several times over the years – the old quality vs quantity argument.

You see, I’m a big quality person. I live to do a good job, and I love to do a good job. Quality is one of my core values – as a human and as a business.

But there are lots of things I love to do! I had hoped to launch an e-course for August – something I’m really excited about – but trying to squeeze that in would mean lesser quality for my existing clients. Which is not somewhere I’m prepared to go. So the e-course will have to wait.

These first couple of weeks have been an absolute delight – I am thrilled to be doing work I truly love with people who I believe are also doing work they love. The learning curves are just starting to creep in, and I’m noticing them as much as I can. Which is all any of us can do.

So here’s the thing:

We all walk the line between quality vs quantity. We’re not machines, we can’t just increase our output to do more at the same quality level.

So where have you been on the spectrum this week? No judgement, just noticing. And where would you like to be? Is there something – like my e-course – that you could drop or re-think to ensure your quality level is where you want it to be?

And the final thing. I have a couple of business mentoring spots left, so if you’re considering working with me, now’s the time to get in touch. For content creation and online shop reviews, I’m booked up until the second week of August. (Woohoo!) If you’d like to book some work with me in August, let me know.

We’ll be on to Christmas prep before we know it…

PS There’ll be a letter going out to subscribers next week. If you want a little thing from me in your inbox, subscribe below!

Here's the thing: over-simplifying

Every Friday I post a “here’s the thing” blog. “Here’s the thing” is something my mum (and many other wise people) like to say when they’re about to make a good point. Hopefully these posts are also good points.

I’m a big fan of keeping things simple. I’m a big fan of clarity. I’m a big fan of editing.

With so much stuff to read, things to do, decisions to make, it’s no wonder that there’s a growing trend towards modern minimalism. We’re going back to basics all over the shop – and it’s great!

But. (And you knew there was going to be a but…)

Sometimes it’s possible to over-simplify. Sometimes we cut out some of the really interesting, juicy stuff because we feel like we need to be on point. Or maybe we worry that no one will care about that important nugget.

For example, you might be writing a description of one of your products, and you’re trying to keep it simple and straightforward, so you describe it as very specifically for a single gifting occasion. Which is great, in theory, because people like knowing the occasion a product relates to. But maybe you miss out on another opportunity, another gifting occasion or use for the product that lots of people like. And you miss out because you were trying to keep it simple.

Or perhaps you’re writing an email, and you want to keep it fairly straightforward. But you don’t miss out a quick “how are you?” or a “have a nice weekend”. These things add to your connection with people. And connections are important.

And sometimes over-simplifying means we forget the truth about life: life is messy. Thoughts, feelings, to-do lists, the creative process – none of them fit completely into a neat and tidy little box.

So here’s the thing:

Today, or over the weekend, acknowledge where you’re really, really trying to simplify something that just won’t go. Notice what might get missed if you force it. See if you can spot the meaningful mess that makes up your life, your business, your creative process.

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Need some help figuring out how you might be over- or under-simplifying? Take a look at my new services – there might just be something there for you. Or get in touch to see how I can help.

New Beginnings

I’m so excited to be welcoming you to my new site and new blog – not to mention my new business! It’s been a long time coming, for me at least.

For years, my passion has been to support designers, makers, entrepreneurs, shop-owners and creatives in their quest to tell their story, connect with customers and ultimately run successful businesses.

Working for notonthehighstreet.com over the last five years allowed me to follow this passion, as well as learn loads more about what makes a successful business, product and – sometimes more importantly – a successful product page.

This is just the start of the journey for my own business, but I’m breathless with anticipation for what comes next! I hope you’ll join me – maybe even work with me – as I share my story.

So here’s the thing:

So here’s the thing:

Notes of Encouragement