Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Morris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elizabeth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have any key partners or vendors – if so, how’d you find them and start working with them?
A big part of what I do in my many hats is networking, and that’s in both a one-on-one capacity, and in a much larger scale. The most important qualities I look for in partnerships is authenticity and alignment. We all run our businesses differently, and that’s because we are all different; but to be sure another business is going to work out, I look for their authenticity — do their words and their actions match in the present and historically, and alignment — does their authenticity align with the ethics and values that are non-negotiable to me. Once I know these two things about a partner, I know we can work through anything that arises as as we collaborate.
I am always looking around in my community for what’s out there. Most of the partners I find happen very organically. Having authenticity and alignment as the cornerstones makes it easy for the network to grow with every new person I meet because if I’m aligned with them, chances are I’ll be aligned with the partners they use as well. From there, it’s just a matter of using those resources to ask for what you need, seeking transparency and clarity through open communication, and respecting partners time and energy.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Getting to where I am today has been a matter of dozens of steps (and missteps), and I’m grateful to the lessons from each of them. I don’t think I could sum the last three to five years up into words, really. It’s been a lot of trial and error, and I think the most liberating moments have been reminding myself that we all make mistakes, and as long as we learn from them, they’ve served their purpose and we can do better the next time that situation arises. There is nothing particularly special about my skill set beyond the healing I’ve done to make myself a more functional adult both personally and professionally. And of course, this is a lifelong journey and we’re never done healing, so I continue down that path daily.
In my current roles, I read tarot and lead events as Solar Moon Sisters, I’m an administrator for the guys at Silkworm Tattoo on Main St, and I’m an administrator for Hue Mane Salon and Hue Mane Kind. I also work on a freelance basis for marketing and branding for various companies and organizations throughout Hamilton. I am extremely passionate about what I do, and sometimes my double Leo side comes in a little intense, but my intentions are good! I always ask people to let me know if it’s too much, because impact matters.
Most of what I do now is a lot of problem solving at an escalated pace, and it’s an ideal match for my ADHD. I’ve tried more traditional roles, and they just don’t work for my neurotype, so having the option to do my own thing and be trusted to meet deadlines without being micromanaged has really allowed me to blossom professionally. I create content and manage multiple social media profiles, I do a lot of behind the scenes management with scheduling, web development, networking, and being present with clients, and I also still get to do what calls to me on a personal basis, which is my spiritual work with Solar Moon Sisters. I’m usually working on several projects at once spread across multiple business, so it’s a lot of fun!
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
As someone who is attuned more to the earth than the average business owner may be, I really resonated with Regenerative Business by Samantha Garcia. It is heavily biographical and anecdotal, but I think it’s a really important read to understand the seasons of business. We all understand the weather outside and how it affects our daily lives, but Regenerative Business helps us understand the seasons of our company, and how we have to adjust with the ebb and flow. Many see the patterns in their data, but they don’t really pin it down to something as obvious and basic as seasons, and I feel like it really simplifies something that is overanalyzed.
Outside of that, really working on your own healing journey has a wonderful trickle down affect into everything you touch, so working with a therapist, and any books they can recommend for your particular journey can be so effective. There is so much out there, and it’s inefficient to just throw a bunch of titles at a wall and hope one sticks and resonates for you. Use your resources to be more efficient with your time and energy.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I am very transparent and honest, and that means you are always seeing exactly what you get — for better or worse. I also realize that I’m not responsible for how I am perceived beyond being authentic, meaning others may have distortions, but that doesn’t mean I should cater to those, or seek to change another’s perception. I am not a perfect person, but I’m honest about it. I am messy, I am disorganized, and I am often too much; but that doesn’t mean there is anything necessarily wrong with me, and the right people will love working with me. There is a reason there are so many unique people out there that might be doing the same thing: our clients, partners, and communities have different needs! I used to apologize for being messy, or late, or forgetting something, but I’ve learned with time that apologies don’t really affect impact, so it’s more important to thank someone for their acceptance, and focus on the solution, not spiral over what I could have, should have, would have done. Because I am not maintaining an appearance or façade, there is a consistency that I’m sure you’ll find if you ask others to describe me: messy, passionate, and fired up to make mistakes and succeed anyway!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://solarmoonsisters.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/solarmoonsisters
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/solarmoonsisters
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-morris-652b4559/
- Twitter: https://x.com/solarmoonsister
