So, I Made A Stupid Mistake...

And I'm still not sure that drawing attention to this is the right way to go about correcting it, but here goes.

A couple of days ago, being all shiny and new with setting up my copywriting business, I posted on my local Facebook page. I said hello to the lovely locals who are in the group, offered a reduced rate to the businesses around me because I'm trying to get this business off the ground, and hit 'post'.

I felt pretty happy with putting myself out there because my imposter syndrome is real. And not in the whispering-in-my-ear kind of way, but more of a loud, shouty 'what are you thinking?' sitting on my shoulder way. Ironic, really, that I've chosen to pursue a business where I've got to do nothing BUT put myself out there. Cue an eye roll.

And then my inbox pinged. A message, from a seasoned copywriter who reached out because of a typo he'd spotted. That familiar surge of adrenaline and fear zinged through me. I went back through the post. Nope, no typos. What was he talking about?

And then I saw it. It wasn't one of those 'missed an Oxford comma' kind of typos. If only. Nope, this was the mother of all typos. And it wasn't sitting in the main body of my post, it was in my logo. 'Agency' had become 'Angency'. And not in a cool French kind of way, either. This looked as stupid as I felt.

It was in my logo. There are many things that I said inside my head and a few that made it out loud. I'm sure you can imagine what they were. Panicked and embarrassed, I deleted the post and changed the logo on my FB business page.

And then that's when the real scope of what I'd done hit me. I'd used that logo on everything. On my website. On my Gmail account. On Google, generally, and on - of ALL PLACES - LinkedIn where I'd been trying to promote myself as a copy editor and writer. The irony of ironies, right?

The shame was - and is - real. And it's not only because I'm trying to reinvent myself as a copywriter and asking you good people to trust in my abilities. I'm also an English teacher. This kind of stuff has been my bread and butter for over twenty years. And I still didn't catch it.

So, I've spent today going through my online presence and I'm hoping that I've caught all the screw-ups.

What have I learned?

• You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

• Step away from something, give it time to simmer, edit, revise, and then hit 'publish' or 'post'.

Most importantly:

• There are good people in the world who will reach out and let you know that you've made a mistake without shaming you in a public way.

Where does this leave me now?

Well, frankly, in a place of humility - and anger. I'm so annoyed at myself for being so reckless, and not taking the time I needed to.

But I'm so grateful to that copywriter for not only taking the time to let me know but for doing it so graciously.

I can't get back those first impressions of visitors to my LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, or website as potential customers. And, let's be honest, they've been minimal, but I've been working hard to try and change that. It turns out that I've been my own worst enemy in that department.

So, what do I do from here?

I remind myself that it's okay to step away to let the copy breathe before sending it out to my client or audience. To reflect and consider first.

I tell my students this and yet I didn't give myself the space and time to do the same thing. As

Brené Brown says, 'The most powerful teaching moments are those where you screw up.' Consider me schooled.

And secondly, I'll be paying that kindness forward in the same spirit that was extended to me.

We all have to start somewhere, right? And it's appropriate that I start over, given the circumstances.

So, let me introduce myself...

I'm Kylie. I'm a copywriter. And I'd love the opportunity to show you what I can do.