Vendor at trade show: Yes we do (friendly smile back). We only do sublimination printing.
Me: Wonderful. (shoulders back, confident, ‘I mean business voice’) I’d like to print on 100% cotton at approximately x GSM. Can you help me with this?
Vendor at trade show: (confused look) but you need polyester in the garment for sublimination printing.
Me: (aloof look, quickly pull myself together, arrange my face) Yeah of course, of course. Thanks for your help. Bye.
This if how 99% of my interactions with experts, factories, consultants, companies, any one really, have ended up. I am learning everything as I go along. There’s only so far the university of Google will take you, let me tell ya! I’ve gone from being routinely embarrassed by this kind of encounter to viewing it as normal, even welcoming it. Every time it happens something clicks or I learn something new.
I have no background in manufacturing, fabrics, fashion design or even running a business. The most I have is a GCSE in textiles and I can (very proudly) thread and operate a sewing machine. However, that’s where my knowledge started and ended when I embarked on this journey. The last time I learned acronyms at this rate was my first job in advertising. I compiled a whole glossary page in the back of my notebook because there were so many to learn.
These days I tend to get it out of the way and tell people I’m learning or admit that I don’t know. Most people are happy to teach or help someone and I love learning so it’s a good combination. When I think about what I’ve learned in three years, I’m excited to see what I’ll know in six.
My advice about dealing with knowledge gaps is to embrace them, enjoy the journey and be genuinely excited to look at how far you’ve come.
I chose the image above for this Spring update. Let’s face it, in the UK, this is what most days in this last month of May have looked like. However, June is a few days away and it’s looking like the tide is turning. It’s well timed as the tide seems to be turning for …
This is one of those pieces of advice that seems so obvious but I constantly forget. Seek out experts. In an earlier post I wrote about no man being an island. When I wrote about this my emphasis was emotional support, this post is about practical skills. You should look for people who know things …
Hooray! Our trademark certificate came through. Back in December I wrote about how it had taken a while for me to get round to filing for a trademark at with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). In early March, the trademark was approved, and I received the paper work a few weeks ago. I was nervous …
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Knowledge Gaps
Vendor at trade show: Hi
Me: Hi! Does your factory do digital printing?
Vendor at trade show: Yes we do (friendly smile back). We only do sublimination printing.
Me: Wonderful. (shoulders back, confident, ‘I mean business voice’) I’d like to print on 100% cotton at approximately x GSM. Can you help me with this?
Vendor at trade show: (confused look) but you need polyester in the garment for sublimination printing.
Me: (aloof look, quickly pull myself together, arrange my face) Yeah of course, of course. Thanks for your help. Bye.
This if how 99% of my interactions with experts, factories, consultants, companies, any one really, have ended up. I am learning everything as I go along. There’s only so far the university of Google will take you, let me tell ya! I’ve gone from being routinely embarrassed by this kind of encounter to viewing it as normal, even welcoming it. Every time it happens something clicks or I learn something new.
I have no background in manufacturing, fabrics, fashion design or even running a business. The most I have is a GCSE in textiles and I can (very proudly) thread and operate a sewing machine. However, that’s where my knowledge started and ended when I embarked on this journey. The last time I learned acronyms at this rate was my first job in advertising. I compiled a whole glossary page in the back of my notebook because there were so many to learn.
These days I tend to get it out of the way and tell people I’m learning or admit that I don’t know. Most people are happy to teach or help someone and I love learning so it’s a good combination. When I think about what I’ve learned in three years, I’m excited to see what I’ll know in six.
My advice about dealing with knowledge gaps is to embrace them, enjoy the journey and be genuinely excited to look at how far you’ve come.
One reply to “Knowledge Gaps”
Pingback: Meeting Our Maker – Mummy’s Muse
Related Posts
Spring Update
I chose the image above for this Spring update. Let’s face it, in the UK, this is what most days in this last month of May have looked like. However, June is a few days away and it’s looking like the tide is turning. It’s well timed as the tide seems to be turning for …
Seek Out Experts
This is one of those pieces of advice that seems so obvious but I constantly forget. Seek out experts. In an earlier post I wrote about no man being an island. When I wrote about this my emphasis was emotional support, this post is about practical skills. You should look for people who know things …
Mummy’s Muse is Trademarked
Hooray! Our trademark certificate came through. Back in December I wrote about how it had taken a while for me to get round to filing for a trademark at with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). In early March, the trademark was approved, and I received the paper work a few weeks ago. I was nervous …