LINDSAY’S SEPTEMBER LETTER
Lindsay’s Letter is a monthly note of encouragement from our Student-Made co-founder to our creative community.
And just like that… we’re back!
A new semester of Student-Made is here, and I can speak on behalf of our entire team when I say we could not be more excited for everything that’s in store for this community.
And while we have all these exciting moments to enjoy, I’ve begun trying to train my brain to also keep an eye looking back on everything that has gotten us to this point.
Before I go any further– I’m going to set the scene with an analogy that any wise writer would when addressing college students… with coffee.
Tilt your head back with your hand on your chin for a moment and imagine your favorite coffee shop. You probably love this place for so many different reasons– the ambiance, the decor, the welcoming staff, the perfectly brewed coffee, the playlist. Meanwhile, all those little details that we love have hundreds of decisions behind them– as people work to curate the perfect environment for you to sip coffee in.
Where should we source our coffee from? How do we select our employees, and how much do we pay them? How long should we stay open? Should we be closed on Sundays like Chick-Fil-A?
A seemingly endless range of decisions can be scary and hard to manage, but that’s what I think is beautiful about our world and the people who aim to make great things happen.
Okay, the scene is set and hopefully you didn’t leave me to go get coffee… because I want to bring this coffee shop analogy back to your SECOND favorite thing about your campus– Student-Made! (Okay, third favorite is fine too). I’m tempted to take you allll the way back to the start of our journey… but to leave you with some time for homework or getting to class, I think I’ll spare you by just rewinding to the end of last semester.
Since May, hours and hours have been spent reflecting on semester recommitment forms, analyzing data and strategizing for an even more impactful program. We’ve spent long retreat days with Success Managers where we addressed challenges that came up last year– and prepared for those we could face this year.
Were Creators looking to get anything more out of our program? Were Managers equipped to handle all their expected roles? Were we clear enough in communicating all the available resources opportunities?
Whether a coffee shop, or a program like Student-Made– the same daunting challenge of curating the best possible experience arises. And we know the same is true for you as a small business owner, or member of your manager team. Your creative process has these same intricate inner workings that we don’t always see from the outside.
Sourcing your materials, perfecting a product, deciding what to charge, developing your brand.
There’s so much that goes into Creating something special.
Or deciding how to best conduct team meetings, how many events to schedule this semester, how to best communicate with Creators.
The same questions are faced when Managing our program on your campus.
We can even bring this concept all the way down to simply being human. Especially in the major growth phase of life that is college. We are constantly striving, growing, failing, learning– and behind all of that are countless thoughts, goals, struggles, and strengths that come together to shape who we are.
Life moves so quickly, especially in the world we live in today. And this kind of pace can often leave us focusing on the NEXT thing. It’s in this pace of life that we can often forget to think back to how we got here to begin with. How all those thoughts, goals, struggles, and strengths have put us exactly where we need to be, exactly for the right reason.
So, as we go into this new semester, I encourage you to look deeper into the processes around you, work to appreciate the intricacies, and be grateful for all the work that goes into making the things we love happen.
In those quiet moments when it’s just you, remember this for yourself as you embark on creating something amazing.
And just as importantly— remember this for others around you when you walk into the classroom or your favorite coffee shop, or when you participate in your first pop-up, or when it seems like someone around you could just use a little encouragement on their journey as they grow to become an even better version of themself.
We would LOVE for you to join us for this monthly event hosted by our co-founder, Lindsay, as we discuss the topic of her Lindsay’s Letter in more depth. We want to hear your perspective on this topic, and give you a chance to meet fellow creators + managers in this supportive network!
