This is something I often think about, success differs for everyone, some do it for financial gain, some do it for freedom, others do it to help people. How do you define your success as a maker?
To be able to go on a 14-days holiday without my laptop/mobile whenever I want.
In retrospect, it requires financial freedom and a business that runs on auto-pilot.
@draptis To be able to go on a 3 day holiday without my laptop/mobile would be a dream right now. I believe it requires people you can trust to hand over the reins [given you're not a solo act]
I tried to separate personal and professional success but it just doesn't work. I'm a single working mother and so success is related to this:
Being able to take the day off, pick up the girls from school and say "screw work, we go to the beach/mountain/mall today". It's about freedom, but also from constraints society puts on you. I don't live up in the clouds (or below a rainbow - as I'm currently in Ireland), and I know that financial freedom is the basis, followed by a team I can trust as @draptis mentions.
Success for me is also that my kids see their future as more than just having to get a job at a company.
For me success of a Maker means seeing how your work helps others become better, and getting for it the amount of money that lets you not to worry about how much money you have.
As a maker, I believe the defined term of success, in this case, is accomplishing a certain goal or benchmark. However, success can also be tied to emotions; feeling good about your project, confidence is high, everything is looking good🔥🔥🔥💪
Constantly growing! No one ever should think "they've made it". We should always be looking for a place to grow and improve. If you're able to keep up with the ever-changing world and have a stable growth, that's success!
Also, personally I think if you're influencing people and make them feel something, you're successful. If you're working on something which helps the people, great! But even if you're selling a product which may be considered "useless" to some, if you're giving something to community, having a good intention (maybe you're donating out of your profit), that's just wonderful to me. We need more of that..
Success for me personally is divided in 2 steps:
1) Starting a Project: I believe is a huge success for any entrepreneur or solopreneur. Millions of people never attempt it, due to Fear alone, which stands for False Evidence Appearing Real
2) Finishing a Project that solves a particular 'need' or 'pain point' is a huge success, simply cause it's a lonely experience as an entrepreneur and it requires you to have the right mindset and thinking. It's in many ways: A Battlefield of the Mind. Key for me is to envision your project being a Big Success in the future! There will be ups and downs, but true success IMO is 1) Starting and 2) Finishing :)
Success for me this far has been Seeing smiles on a happy clients face. Even more so when They've become a returning client. That reminds me of why I love doing all I do. In a whole success will be the time when I'm well known in my city or maybe even statewide or further. When financial freedom is something I can inguldge in. Those are visions for the bigger picture but even now working towards those things, I can say I'm successful bc I wake up everyday and am able to do what I love & it happens to make people wear a smile and spread love.
BrandBird