Hey there! How’s it going? I’m Stephanie and welcome to Not Too Sweet. I’m taking the heartfelt conversations shared at Ampersand Bakehouse and bringing them online. Since this is the very first episode of the podcast, I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about starting new things, completely sucking at them… and why it’s the best thing ever. 

Introduction

For a bit of context: I’ve been thinking about starting a podcast for a while. I work up to 12-hour production days baking and consume a LOT of content. Some of it is audiobooks, but it’s mostly podcasts. I really love this connection that a listener can form with a podcast host. It’s like talking to your best friend over the phone (very one sided) but still the same vibes. You can consume the same content from the same person’s website, but that personal connection just isn’t there. Case in point: I used to read A Beautiful Mess blog all the time, but it wasn’t until I started listening to their podcast that I felt like we were besties. 

From a business perspective, there are so many reasons why that personal connection is important when growing a brand. There’s the know-like-trust factor that helps customers feel confident in buying my products. The podcast can cover topics like weddings and party planning which brings awareness to my cakes and cupcakes. It helps with brand recognition, especially if people are tuning in weekly. I can include podcast show notes on my website that help with search engine optimization and customers finding my brand. The list goes on.  

But if I’m completely honest, I’m bored. Guys, I’m sooo bored. I usually tap out of a job (or at least change positions) every year and a half. I’ve been working with my brand Ampersand Bakehouse for over six years now. I’m sick of baking off Vanilla Sprinkle cupcakes without something new and exciting to think about. I want the challenge of something new to master. So let’s talk about why it’s so great to try something new and why I think you should too.

01 | Sweet Dopomine Release

Even though I love starting new things, I can still get trapped by perfectionism. The fear of being bad at something is definitely there. But it’s kind of the best part. Let me explain: it's all about that sweet dopamine hit. When you’re so completely bad at something, the progress you make is much more obvious. You can actually see the progress that you’re making which creates these natural motivational boosts to keep you going. 

For example, the difference between this episode and the next one will likely be night and day. I might pronounce my words more clearly, or hold the mic in a different way, or maybe find a better spot to record than in my bedroom closet.  

I saw an Instagram reel that described this in the best possible way. A mom was explaining to her young son that she was not going to help him finish the puzzle. She would sit with him and take deep breaths and let him know that everyone feels frustrated when something is hard. But she also knows that if you keep working on something challenging, and actually finish it, it’s the best feeling in the world. So she didn’t want to take away that feeling of accomplishment from her son by helping him finish the puzzle. That’s a feeling worth chasing.  

02 | No Pressure to be Good

Just like that little boy with his puzzle, you can take as long as you need. When you’re learning a new skill on the job, the expectation is that you’ll learn it instantly so you can start implementing it right away. But on your own time? You can suck as long as you want. You can experiment and play with different techniques. You aren’t subject to weekly checkins and someone monitoring your progress. If you aren’t comfortable with learning in front of others, you don’t have to.

You don’t even have to track your progress on social media. Just because we have Instagram, doesn’t mean that we have to post everything to our stories.  I could have recorded this podcast and not published it. Or published it and not told you about it. And this isn’t my first time speaking on tape. I practiced a couple of times to see if I was talking too fast or too slow. If I was pronouncing my words clearly. Will you ever hear it? Nope! I also tried filming video of myself while speaking and hated it. So I won’t be doing that again anytime soon. 

Sure, I would love to publish a weekly podcast, complete with show notes. But I also don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. Some things need to be open ended so we can take joy in the activity itself. Monetizing new interests takes the focus out of self expression and giving that power to the consumer and what they want. Let’s keep some things for ourselves. 

03 | It’s Not Your Identity 

When we’re children, we’re given the opportunity to try all sorts of activities - swimming, piano, guitar, dancing, etc. But somewhere along the way, we forget to do that as adults. How can we encourage the children in our lives to try new things when we aren’t doing it ourselves. 

My favourite thing about my mom is that she tried everything. She trained as a hair dresser, built a computer lab in my elementary school, created puppets and put on performances, and was the school secretary. She quilts and sews and reads and knits. I’ve never been afraid to pivot because my mom has done it a million times.

We are not defined by our careers or hobbies. We are a collection of everything little thing about ourselves, not one overarching trademark. Just because you tried running, doesn’t mean you have to be a runner. Just because you tried pottery, doesn’t mean you need to become a master potter. Try the beginner class and if you hate it, don’t sign up for the next class.

And remember to revisit things. Tried yoga ten years ago and didn’t like it? Guess what, you might be a different person now. Give it another go. Find the yoga studio, or throw on a free video from YouTube. It doesn’t have to be rigid and structured.

04 | Unstructured Learning 

Between school and work, I think we’ve been tricked into thinking that learning requires a course. We need to approach something in a specific way because if we’re not going to do it right then we shouldn’t do it at all. Strangers on the internet are quick to point out how we should have done any and everything differently. 

There’s joy in jumping in headfirst into a new hobby. Not getting assessed and assigned a skill level before you can start. Not having to wait until the online course opens enrollment. Just starting. This is new for me. I love an online course and really wanted to take on podcasting. But instead, I listened to a couple of podcasts about podcasts and then just figured it out on my own. I think we discredit how smart we are. Just start asking questions: How do you stream a podcast on different platforms? What’s the average length of an episode? What do I like (and dislike) about podcasts? 

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of learning and not actually doing. I am the best example of this with all my unfinished online courses. It feels so productive to learn, to consume information. But like everything in life, you don’t really know what you are doing until you do it. Who cares if you approached it the wrong way. I just read a blog post that you use your very first episode to address who you are and provide credentials why people should listen to you. Cool. I’m gonna do that later. This is for fun. There’s no stakes, which means there’s no rules. 

05 | Discover New Communities

Have you ever stumbled upon something new and it’s opened up a whole new world? This universe that you have no idea existed? For example, we have a Finger Board Shop that opened in our neighborhood. Ok, let me explain. It’s mini skateboards that you ride with your fingers. It’s fascinating. I never knew this was a thing and there’s a whole community that gets together and has practices and competitions. But this is all around us. These magical communities in competitive dance, community theatre, dungeons and dragons. 

When you open yourself up to new experiences, you open yourself to meeting new people. Individuals that you would never have crossed paths with. As we get older, we tend to get stuck in our friend groups. Friends that you only found because you tried something new. Your friends from college, your friend from that one sports team, or the friend from two jobs ago. Being vulnerable and trying new things is the best way to make friends because they are likely doing the same. It’s the best way to meet someone as your authentic self. 

Final Thoughts

There’s so many reasons to try new things in our lives. The highest compliment someone can give me is to say that I’ve changed. At 39 years old, I sure hope so. I went to school for industrial design, worked in residential lighting and corporate furniture. I’ve modeled, I was a foresight strategist, I owned a motorcycle. The future is exciting when you don’t know what will come next, but you know it’s going to be amazing because you will have a hand in crafting it.