When Strategy Isn’t Enough: Coming Back to Myself, My Faith, and My Business

Brenna Stanford
May 22
3 min read

Updated: May 26

It’s Been a Minute… And a Lot Has Happened

It's been a long time since my last post. And let me tell you, God has done some AMAZING things. And I have also humanly fumbled my way through some of them.

From Strategy to Execution: Not the Same Thing

When we last left off, I shared where my mind had been focused and that I had executed the creation of a strategy. Well, creating a strategy and executing that strategy are two very different things.

When it comes to my business, my content... I basically run from it. Even as I sit here typing, 4 months later... I am making myself push through and execute a strategy for myself.

There is such a heavy imposter syndrome at work within me, and through counseling over this last year, I have come to realize that it is deeply rooted in feelings of not being safe. Yay trauma...

Additionally, one of my core pillars is integrity and reliability. If I say I will do something (for someone else) I have to do it, I have to show up. But doing something for myself, eh... not so much...

There is so much in this piece that could be unpacked that I could write a book. So, I will spare you the enormous amount of detail and say this:

I have not shown up for myself, my company, and I deserve to.

What I Know Still Works

I am shaking scared, as perfection teases me. But I know how I have helped other companies, and I know that if I would only execute for EMPOWERED designs, in the way I execute for others that there would be lead generation and conversions. And here is what I know works:

When you get visible, people see you.
If you want to convert an offer, you have to tell people about the offer. Multiple times.
You have to nurture your audience. Give them the information that is helpful to them. (Blogs for SEO, Email Marketing for direct reach)
You have to show off what you have been doing and how you have helped.
Rooted in it all, talk to others. Help people. Be a good human.

The Fall (Again)

These last 4 months can be split into 2 sections. One where I was continuing on, able to pay my family's bills and serve clients. I worked a lot with project based things that had a beginning an end. A second where I hit a rock bottom, again.

In the beginning there was 2/3 of an repeating monthly contracted income gone. Then in March, the other 1/3 departed. While all of my previously clients had ended contracts because of budgets, this was the first to end because of my performance. That was hard. But even in that moment, I wasn't stressed. I had 2 other good proposals in the pipeline that I fully expected to come to fruition, and one of my project based clients was entering the busy season where that would provide enough to cover that last loss. So, between that seasonal project, the current projects, and the proposals my family would still be okay.

But that wasn't the case.

The proposals all but died in the pipeline. The seasonal client asked to renegotiate terms that would be a consistent cost each month, and there was no way I was loosing another client for this month's check. So rock bottom found me again.

I crumbled.

All that counseling and growth felt attacked. My beliefs about the world and my place in it, shaken. Do I even belong in this industry? What am I doing here?

Then, another website client. Then more people around me professionally edifying the gifts and talents God has given. God showing me, again, "who am I placing around you?" "how can you help them?"

Faith, Provision, and a Way Forward

Do I have all the answers? Is my family's income secure for June and the following months? NO. But am I coming back to peace? Do I trust God to provide? YES.