Well it’s official.
I’ve been a business owner for 4 years now.
It’s kind of crazy to think about how I started my business as a therapist with a counseling practice in a local office that I would rent for just 1 day a week. Back then I had NO clue what I was doing or how to run a business and I had no idea when I’d be able to do it full time, even though I desperately wanted to.
Now I’m on my second business, I haven’t had any kind of extra “job” in more than 2 years, and I 100% have a laptop lifestyle (I even escape to warmer climates in the winter for as much as a month at a time!).
I love working with women entrepreneurs who are serious about building a bigger business and I want to share with you what I’ve learned over the last 4 years that has allowed my business to evolve in incredible ways.
1. Buckle Up Because It’s a Bumpy Ride
Entrepreneurship is a LOT like a roller coaster. Luckily I’ve been a fan of roller coasters since I was a kid, but let’s get real. I’m not always a fan of the way being an entrepreneur had had a roller coaster effect on my finances, my time, and even my emotions like my self-esteem.
Of course this has had a positive side effect on my business as well — in order to avoid those financial and emotional ups and downs, I’ve learned how to book out my business for months at a time. This long-term strategy has allowed me to avoid a lot of the dips and surprises of unexpected finances that many other entrepreneurs experience.
However, even when you’re booked out with clients and the money is consistently coming in, other emotional stuff will come up. Clients might be upset with you or you might be rejected for a guest blog. If you aren’t careful, you can stay in the downward dip of the roller coaster longer than you should.
I’ve built an amazing support system of like-minded entrepreneurs who keep me going and give me support when I feel like I can’t push myself any further. I’m also able to do the same for them which is super rewarding!
Just by being aware of the rollercoaster and it’s place in your entrepreneurship journey can help can help you stay excited and motivated even when times feel tough.
2. It’s Okay (and even necessary!) to Do Stuff Until You Feel Annoying
If you don’t feel annoying in your business, you probably aren’t doing whatever you need to do to grow it enough.
It’s safe for you to do stuff until you feel annoying.
Repeat that again. And again. And again — until it sinks into your brain and you stop feeling guilty about putting yourself out there.
I work with many women entrepreneurs and one of the biggest things preventing them from success and holding them back in their business is their fear of being “annoying.”
Can I be honest with you???
This was one of my biggest fears early in my business too.
I was so afraid that I making people mad at me when I let them know about my business and how I could help them. I didn’t want to reach out to anyone too much or show up too much, but I found that when we think we’re annoying, other people DON’T think we’re annoying.
In fact, the more you show up and put yourself and your business out there, the more people trust and know you, and the more likely they are to hire you or recommend you to other people.
When my clients start to let go of their fears about this, they book new clients, get new guest posting opportunities, and increase their “expert” status.
This is even how I have found people to hire — once I was part of a Facebook group of entrepreneurs and I was pretty quiet in there, but I kept seeing one copywriter post in the group consistently and after a few months, I finally reached out to her for help and hired her. And I’ve hired her several time since then.
Imagine if she hadn’t been consistent with putting herself out there or if she let her fears of people thinking she’s annoying or salesy get in her way?
We waste so much time overthinking this and imagining that so many bad things are going to happen because of putting ourselves out there, when in reality, so many good things will have the opportunity to unfold.
It really is key to be okay with being “annoying” because it’s likely that the only person you’re annoying is yourself!
3. Use Biz Hacks and Shortcuts Whenever Possible
Always use shortcuts when you can in your business journey.
It’s okay for things to be easy. Business owners get so caught up in doing things from scratch and attempting to recreate the wheel. They make it so hard to make progress quickly by trying to doing everything on their own and forgetting to ask for help.
At one point, I wasted three months without a website because I didn’t hire a copywriter to help me write my content — that’s three months where I could’ve been marketing my business and booking clients but instead I was sitting around staring at a blank piece of paper and pretending that I was working on my copy.
Luckily I got over that pretty quickly!
I figured out biz hacks and shortcuts pretty quickly because I tend to be impatient and lazy. If I can learn from someone else and get results in a shorter amount of time, then I’d much rather do that then trying to figure out things on my own and struggling.
Investing in coaching and consulting has allowed me to scale my business in half the time other people do because I don’t have the belief that I have to learn and figure things out on my own.
I’m able to spend more time focusing on the money making activities in my business and I also outsource the tasks that are outside of my zone of genius — that’s actually one of my most favorite business hacks 🙂
If you know you’re spending too much time in research + learning mode, then it might be time to join a mastermind where you get business strategy and accountability to help you push through to a new level.
4. Every New Level Brings a New Devil
This is probably my least favorite lesson from being in business so long, but of course the MOST important too.
The truth is that every time you hit a new level in business, you’re also going to encounter new devils (aka usually pesky blocks that cause you fear, anxiety, fraud syndrome, and many other yucky side effects).
You can definitely overcome these blocks, but as you hit new levels in your business they will show up again but just sometimes looking a bit different.
I’ve continued to experience blocks that come up again even as I break through my goals from the previous years. It kind of sucks.
The good news is that the things that scare you aren’t going to scare you forever!
I used to be terrified to do videos for my business but now I go live several times a week.
As an entrepreneur, you are going to constantly have to get out of your comfort zone, step into something new, and just keep trying until you figure out what works best for you
Having support at every level can get you through all those “new devils” that you’re going to come across in your business. I’ve been able to get further more quickly because I’ve had constant support of a mastermind or coach.
The truth is that this is WHY I’m so passionate about running mastermind for entrepreneurs who are looking to build bigger businesses — being able to support them to get past any blocks they have and grow to the next level is one of my favorite things to do.
The clients in my mastermind have been able to triple their income, have a steady stream of clients, become more confident in their skills, get speaking + writing opportunities, and reach more people with their e-mail lists in a few short months.
I’ve launched a new mastermind starting this month + I’d love for you to check out the details and apply to see if it’s a good fit.
