Lesson Learned: First Projects Aren’t “Proof of Self”

I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind after wrapping up my first client project. (Here goes me being vulnerable!)

When you step into something new, whether it’s freelancing, consulting, or launching your business, it’s way to easy to put enormous pressure on yourself. You may think something like: “If this doesn’t go perfectly, it means I’m not good enough.” (yes, we've heard this all before but...)

That’s the trap I found myself in this week. My first project didn’t go the way I wanted. I delivered value in some areas, but in others, I fell short. And because it was my first (in this business), I carried the sting of shame a lot harder. It felt personal, like it was a verdict on me.

But here’s what I’m learning: early projects are experiments, not verdicts. They’re calibration. This project has shown me what kind of clients I want to work with, what systems I need to build, and where my skills shine versus where I need support (i.e. the not-so-shiny skills).

It doesn’t mean I failed. It means I tested. For you: it won’t mean YOU failed. It means YOU tested (& where have we heard that before… 🤪)

In short, my lesson really is with every test, you refine. You learn. You get better at spotting red flags (I ignored several), setting boundaries (guilty as charged!), and knowing what you actually want your work to look like.

So if your first project didn’t go how you imagined, that’s not proof that you can’t do this. It’s proof that you are doing it, because the only way to get better really is to get started.

If you’ve been through a tough first project/iteration/test yourself, what’s one thing you learned that you still carry forward today?

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