As I reflect on a decade in business, I wanted to share some of the learnings and things I wish I knew 10 years ago. Not that I am one for regret, but, it certainly would have saved a lot of tears, fears and heartache!
A path will unfold that I couldn’t predict. I could never have dreamt I’d go from being a journalist & social media manager to having a PR & Marketing company to then being a business & mindset coach. Along the way, I followed the clues, said yes to things that sounded expansive & exciting even when I didn’t know the how & was willing to keep trying. You don’t need to know every step of your journey. Go with the flow, take action regularly & be willing to try new things.
Mindset is your most important thing. It literally shapes how you go through your day, how you react to business challenges, how you back yourself constantly, how willing you are to keep going no matter what, how you learn from things & it determines your actions based on your belief system. Since starting mindset work in 2018, I’m able to bounce back quicker, take things logically not emotionally, shift from self doubt into self belief & be willing to try things even when I don’t know if they’ll work out. Get your copy of my book if you haven’t already and are ready to work on your mindset.
Be willing to adapt, pivot, innovate and evolve. This is true for your offers, brand, your content, how you position yourself, how you run your business & who you work with. I’ve constantly shifted things but not from a place of ‘nothing is working’ but after much testing & consistency, from a place of ‘let’s keep getting better & better.’ Run offers how you want to, charge what you want to, build your brand your way. This will be a continual evolution – enjoy it!
In every action & situation, you either win or you learn – both are positive. This has been huge for my own journey. Instead of seeing every action as either an absolute success or an absolute failure, see it as either you win or you learn. If the thing doesn’t go to plan, look at what did go well & what you can improve on next time. That mindset & action = you win or you learn. No good or bad actions, just wins & learnings. That’s how you keep getting better with all your actions.
Not everyone will treat you well. Don’t let it mean anything about you. I’ve been copied, bullied and treated really poorly by many people. Being bullied within my first two years in business by an industry professional was tough – but I saw it as a time to rise. I refused to give my power to her. If people don’t treat you how you would like, always look to learn from it. Think mindset + boundaries. I wouldn’t wish any of it on anyone but if it happens to you, learn from it and RISE.
It’s going to be hard & will not always be continual growth & happiness. I SO wish I knew this 10 years ago. There will be highs and lows, wins and challenges, happy moments & “I want to burn it all to the ground” moments… Know this… The struggles make the good times even more worth it. The hard times teach you more than wins ever will because it invites you to look at your mindset, actions & boundaries. When it’s tough, remind yourself of the good, step into optimism & be hopeful for positive wins again.
Build your brand your way. You don’t have to build a brand in a certain way, be on certain platforms, charge certain prices, have certain colours or a certain style, you get to build it your way. My first brand was purple and grey, my second was sage green, neither of which were me but fit a mould of what I thought I should be. You get to be you and build your brand around that, that is an authentic succinct brand & one which attract your people to you. Be more you.
Resiliency is key. Yes that’s part of mindset work but it needs a slide of its own! When clients leave, when they default on a payment, when they say yes then ghost you, when you’re copied, when you question yourself, when the launch doesn’t go to plan, when sales drop, your mindset + resiliency within that is absolutely paramount to you continuing to move forwards. Resiliency when it looks like it isn’t working is tough, but much like a muscle in the gym, gets stronger with consistency & repetition.
It is imperative you get clear on who you want to work with & who you don’t. Not everyone will love you, and nor will you love working with everyone. I had times of questioning myself from working with people who just weren’t right for me, my working style & how I ran my business. Get clear on your people – their personality, their business type, their vision, their work ethic, then attract them. It’s as important you repel people as it is you attract them. Be authentically you & attract your people.
Confidence is key. Confidence in yourself (or lack of) trickles into everything you do. It trickles down into your content, your offers, your sales strategy & how you show up. If you lack confidence, your content will lack authority, you won’t feel confident charging what you want to & you’ll lack the confidence & self belief required to sell. Every action starts in your mind & comes from the energy you’re in. Master your mindset to then have more power in the actions you take.
My 10 year journey really has been full of highs and lows. It’s been hard, but it’s also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. My wish for you is that you find the thing you love doing, you build your brand your way, you ride the rollercoaster or entrepreneurship and you too will one day celebrate a decade of business, most likely with similar learnings!
If you’d love support on your own journey, book a complimentary strategy call here.