Shattered To Thriving (Guest Blog by Adriannia Robinson)
At DreamStarters University, we are all about helping entrepreneurs attain credibility. The way we do that is by helping them become Bestselling Authors so they can use their story as a competitive advantage. Below is an article from an amazing entrepreneur, Adriannia Robinson, with an incredible story. Check it out:
What Do You Do When Life Gives You Lemons? Here’s How Adriannia Transformed Her Life From Shattered To Thriving
When life gives you lemons, what do you do with it?
In 2015, I was homeless and unemployed at 20 years old.
I started the year off working three jobs, and by the end of the year, I was living off of my credit cards and putting myself in massive debt.
I want from renting a 3-bedroom house with everything I needed for only $350/month to having the opportunity to live rent-free to having my Mazda3 (which was later repossessed from me) as my favorite and most comfortable place to call home.
Life had given me lemons, so what did I do with them?
#1: I Started A Business
I had lost everything in 2015—or so I thought.
One of those three jobs that I worked was actually my own home-based side hustle, Designed By Adriannia. During that time, Designed By Adriannia sold highly decorative scented and unscented candles that I made by hand.
After losing my home and no longer having the workspace to keep my side hustle going, I was forced to stop making candles. However, I wasn’t forced to stop my mission.
When Designed By Adriannia sold candles, my mission statement was “to shine a light of love”. I was so strongly driven by my mission that I used my crumbling life to my advantage.
I deleted Designed By Adriannia’s entire collection of candle content on Instagram, and I began to share my heart through inspirational and motivational graphics that I would create in Photoshop and post whenever I had a wifi connection.
It wasn’t until 2016 that those personal graphic design sessions in my car would re-launch Designed By Adriannia as an online business that provided graphic and web design services and is now—in 2017—a creative branding and marketing design agency that provides a limitless, creative experience for entrepreneurs.
#2: I Became a Self-Made Entrepreneur
Designed By Adriannia became my full-time venture in 2016 because I had no other choice but to go all in—regardless if I was ready or not, and I had plenty of reasons to feel like I wasn’t ready.
I was only 21 years old. I had been through 11 employers in less than three years. I am a three-time college dropout. I was drowned in debt. I had no money. I had no car (which was inconvenient and embarrassing).
All of the odds were against me, but I remembered this quote: “An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off of a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.”
When I put my business and myself out there in July 2016, regardless of everything that was against me, I began to walk proudly instead of with shame.
I began to invest in myself as an entrepreneur more because after I started to consistently hit four-figure months by providing creative solutions to my clients without being overworked or sacrificing my freedom, I knew that THIS was where I belonged.
To date, I have worked with entrepreneurs in over 35 states in America as their creative solutions provider for branding and marketing themselves and their business for success.
I am currently serving as the featured designer for a nation-wide tour, which makes me the go-to expert for all things design, strategy, and growth through visual marketing.
I am hosting and being featured on virtual summits, podcasts, and live events that encourages and empowers entrepreneurs who are losing hope and are not motivating to start or continue their journey.
#3: I Built A Brand That Is Creating Entrepreneurial Freedom One Changed Life At A Time
When people look at me or become exposed to my brand, it is obvious that I live, breathe, and preach entrepreneurship that promotes total growth and complete freedom.
I’ve built a brand that reflects my core values, which are pulled from the principles of faith, hope, and love. As a Christian, my mission—even as an entrepreneur—is to let others know that ultimate freedom is found in Christ.
Therefore, whether or not you accept it, I will incorporate spiritual growth based on my beliefs into my brand. The result? I am not in a position where I have to sacrifice spiritual growth while growing professionally?
Secondly, I’ve strengthened my brand according to its pillars, which are brand strategy, creative marketing, personal development and balanced entrepreneurship.
My audience knows exactly what they’re going to get from me, and I’ve made this information and content available in a variety of ways and in a variety of places.
Thirdly, I’ve humanized my brand and made it relevant and helpful to people’s everyday professional life—which is how I am carrying out my mission of creating a culture of entrepreneurial freedom.
When it comes to my business, my brand, and myself, there are no big “I’s” and little “you’s”. There is equality and unity, which creates a safe culture to learn, build, and grow together.
Conclusion
When life gives you lemons, you can make a cup of lemonade—or you can build a lemonade stand. One option will satisfy you for a moment. The other option has the power to change the world one satisfied customer at a time.
About The Author
Adriannia Adriannia is the 22-year-old CEO of Designed By Adriannia, Founder of We Are Creative Rebels, Motivational Speaker, Inspirational Mentor, and World Changer on a mission to create a culture of entrepreneurial freedom one life changed at a time. Adriannia stepped into entrepreneurship at 21 years old in 2016 after she found herself homeless and unemployed in 2015 and decided that she never wanted to be totally dependent on an employer or a single source of income ever again. Since then, Adriannia has gone on to educate, motivate, and promote to others the freedom that is found in strategic, creative entrepreneurship and helps her ideal clients build their brand for success with the help of her business, Designed By Adriannia.
