Dreamers Gon' Dream BB!
As we enter 2023, I wanted to share with you the 3 C's that you MUST have to make all of your dreams reality.
Yeah yeah ... I know we have this new magic word "mainfestation" but it's a VERB. Which means you'll have to take action. Here are your tools ~
Hi I'm Baby And I Sit ME In The Corner
Since the panini, I have sat my a$$ down and kept my head low to really fill in the gaps of my business. I didn't know what a gap analysis was before 2020 ... but once I saw that my private studio could be in trouble, I quickly learnT for the success of my biz baby.
That shared, it seems like in the past two years, of sitting my ass in the corner to really get the foundations of my business together, I've forgotten or left behind the simple pleasures of sharing my journey.
Like THIS win!! 👇🏾
Everything feels like it needs to fit into a content bucket of sorts. And I've found myself overthinking stuff I used to do effortlessly, in a need to understand what I'm doing, innately, so that I can recreate success ...
I got multi-multi-six figures on my mind ^.^
BUT in all of that data-chasing and foundation building, I have left our connections behind.
For this, I TRULY and DEEPLY apologize. Because I started this space, yet another blog by Imani K Brown, to connect intentionally and share.
And then ... I disappeared or became sporadic in my showing up.
All that shared, that is the #1 thing on my heart as we dive into my 2023 goals and ish ~
This blog, is not just me sharing my goals but live accountability to the squad I recently guided through their goals in our virtual planning party. ^.^
In fact, this post is based on my goal-setting process.
A Journey Into 2023!
So, NGL. I'm not too sure where people find or follow me from, but that's ok! If you've ended up in this or any space curated by me, you haven't found it by chance or accident.
This year is all about getting out of my own way, radical rest and taking you on. the journey WITH me ... not me waiting for you to find me. which that is the story of my life *kanye shrug*
That shared, I'm actually excited about my creative goals and focusing on simply executing ideas, as it relates to content instead of sitting on them waiting for the perfect time to curate a story. That's what repurposing is for YES?! And the goal of this journey inspire other artists and creatives to visualize, ideate and write down what they want from their careers. TO OWN DAT ISH!
Often my own goals were not that specific in the past and that's because I'd be scared to own them, take action and measure my gains. Instead I like to be whimsical, giving myself space to fail to avoid my harshly scolding inner dialogue hat would often check me then my expectations are high, but my actions don't match the expectation. It was my way of lowering my own bar, if ou will. But then I had to have a coming to Jesus moment to say SIS! THAT AIN'T YOUR STYLE!
I'm here because of my high AF expectations of myself. And while the world says be kinder to yourself. All I can think is that's possible. But also diamonds don't shine without pressure. *boop* Peep our roadmap. I made this almost 7 years ago ...
And we are on the GLO UP, bay-bay! In fact, we just did my first EOY checklist
My COO had more to say about my personal growth & how it’s helping the company grow (gonna share those emerging CEO gems in an IG reel )
My pink tattoo concept studio is growing wings. All because I decided to commit to the uncomfortable work.
We outside all 2023!
And thanks to the good sis and boyb creative DonYe Taylor, I'm definitely creating a full 2023 Goal List Synopsis where I'll list the goals set forth from this blog IN SPECIFIC and revisit them next end-of-year planning season. Then, together we can analyze my goals and I can provide context as to why I did or didn’t achieve them.
For 2023, I’m getting super specific and giving you all a sneak peek at my goals because self-expectations should be normalized.
Lastly, I’m doing this is because I love taking you all on my journey with me. And want to return to that communal flex of if one of use wins, we all win. UGK style!
So let’s dive right in!
My 2023 Intentions
What is planning a year without having a North Star? So before we deep dive into my over-achieving are goals, let's look at what my intentions are for 2023.
Most people say set your intentions with a word, but I say it's more powerful when you have these three ingredients:
a word
a phrase
a VIBE
So here are mine ~
My word: SANKOFA
Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.”
My Phrase: RADICAL REST TO RELEASE and RECEIVE
In today's microwave society everyone thinks, eats and creates on the go. Stillness is no longer valued. And in Black culture, consciously choosing to rest is both a form of resistance and a way to reground yourself, releasing things that don't servee you and making room for things that help grow you.
Also, I have a personal theory of tattoo being a form of radical rest, in the light of regrinding and making room for growth.
My VIBE: I AM MY ANCESTOR'S WILDEST DREAMS
And for a bonus ... looked here, as not scripture citing and non-Christiany as I am, I KNOW when a word is for me. And I shared in my Kwanzaa emails about my name - Imani Kuumba NIA Raha Brown. And something I never said just flipped off the tips of my fingers as I typed -
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Proverbs 18:16
It's a scripture I remembered from when I was little. I held onto it and always used it to argue why I'd be a full time artist, someday, to my mom and mentors. HA! We're bringing that back for my full circle year - 2023.
Gone Goal Diggin': 2023 Goals
Goals listed in bold are my top priorities and will go on my goals synopsis sheet for 2023.
🌸 Financial 💸
Generate $200K in business revenue
Book $150K in Tattoos
Generate $25K from coaching/ DFY & DWY brand services
Book $5K in Speaking Engagements
Start making measurable steps towards learning about business credit/ funding
Clear all credit, pay all bills on time & limit overdtaft fees for 12 months
Get up to date on taxes
🎀 Professional 👩🏽🎨
Host & Produce a year-long tattoo therapy brand activation
Launch Black Tattoo Anthology brand - community, podcast & book
Host quarterly in-person meetups for my tattoo & coaching clients
Help 10 creative entrepreneurs lay the foundations to reach their first sustainable 6-figures in business
Open my tattoo apprenticeship program to 5 people
Book 10 podcast interviews
Have 3 intentional collaborations
Find and employ a Black CPA/ Bookkeeper to manage our money
Ideate more Afro-Japanese-themed ornamental/ decorative art layered with textures and patterns
(Seriously) imagine & curate my personal social media as creative lifestyle influencer spaces
Apply to become a Statusphere influencer
Explore awards for a tattoo therapy marketing campaign that I produce/ ideate
Create & Launch Shoppe Gal A/W Collection #003
Host a Keynote/ Workshop at an event in Japan
Create a consistent content strategy for myself that is encompassing of my main platforms - YT, blog (x3), podcast, IG & Tiktok
Find, Train and employ a personal creative assistant to assist with my projects for 2024
💖 Personal 👩🏽🎤
Get murried!
Reach out to a friend a month, just to say hi ^.^
Find a local content buddy to go explore and snap flicks with
Engage with the gyaru community more & create more relatable style content
Reimagine & position Afro-Kawaii Style into a platform and apparel aimed at providing young Black girls with the resources & access they need in order to create their own brand.
Reimagine & position DC Kawaii Style & Kawaii-in-da-Hood into non-profits aimed at providing kawaii creatives and urban youth the resources & access they need in order to pursue a creative career.
Grow my local library teen girls mentoring circle
Ideate & Publish (5) Tattoo Therapy Theories/Methods
Social Growth 🌱
Grow Shoppe Gal G.A.N.G. (VIP learning community) to 1000 members by EOY 2023
Grow Instagram Following to 20K by EOY
Grow Twitter Following to 3K by EOY
Grow TikTok Following to 10K by EOY
Grow Youtube Subscribers to 10K by EOY
Grow Newsletter Subscriber list to 15K by EOY
Consistency 🔁
Create & shoot Gyaru looks 2x per month
Educate my audience on business, branding & marketing 3x month
Post on YouTube & Podcast 2x month
Post to LIPS & Ink and Release blogs 2x per month
Post to Shoppe Gal blog 1x per week
Post on Linked-In at 2x week
Post on TikTok, IG & Twitter daily
Publish a Substack Shoppe Gal | The Black Tattoo CEO Newsletter 1x month
Publish Motivational Monday NEWS to my email list every Monday
January's Goals 🎍
Launch Ink & Release site
Complete Apryl Beverly's copy certification
Complete Trainual certification & shool
Create & shoot 2 Gyaru looks & content
Curate & execute 1 tattoo + lifestyle brand shoot
Post on YouTube & Podcast 2x (biweekly)
Post to LIPS blog 2x (1st & 15th)
Post to Shoppe Gal blog 4x (1x p/ wk)
Post on Linked-In 8x (2x p/ week)
Post on TikTok, IG & Twitter daily
Publish a Substack Shoppe Gal | The Black Tattoo CEO Newsletter 1x
Publish Motivational Monday NEWS to my email list every Monday (in inboxes @ 9A)
Schedule BTA Artists & community circle
Keepin' It A BUCK!
To keep me dedicated to my financial growthh and goals, I took time to calculate what my time is worth. This way I can truly understand how my time is worth money. I think this trick helps artists and creatives become OK with the art for trade, pricing and barter games.
How Much My Time Is Worth:
Annual goal 1,000,000,000 /
Time worked 36 weeks x
Working Hours 25 hrs p/ week =
Hourly rate, $12000
OK, Your Turn ~
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