4 BIG Lessons I Learnt in my 4 Years in Business

4 years ago, in April 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic I threw myself in at the deep end by quitting my “stable” Buying Manager job at Burberry and ventured into a journey of entrepreneurship.

At 28, I had little knowledge about starting a business. However, I knew my skillset from managing a ￡380 million business for Burberry was easily transferable to other opportunities. (If I was good enough for Burberry, surely I was good enough for other businesses…)

Despite consciously believing I could do this, I still had my fair share of experiences with imposter syndrome, anxiety, lack of boundaries, and low self-worth.

When I first started I’ll admit I was a yes girl, even when that yes didn’t serve me. I undervalued my services and often took on projects that weren't aligned with me. I didn’t know another way to be.

I had a vision but lacked a clear path to achieving it. I also lacked a support system to help me expand and realize what was truly possible.

Fast forward to 2024, at 32, and I am not the same person I was when I first started out, because thankfully along the way I learnt some invaluable lessons that have reshaped my approach to business and life:

Lesson 1: Knowing my worth - I now can very clearly see the value I bring to my clients. Having assisted over 100 e-commerce founders in launching and growing their brands, I have seen firsthand the impact of my experience and expertise in their businesses. So much such that I am using everything I learn and channeling this into starting my very own e-commerce business.

As well as being very unapologetic about the value of my services. I will never work for FREE and I won’t be offering you a discount just because you don’t have the budget for my help.

Lesson 2: Learning how to say NO - One of the most empowering things I have done for myself is setting boundaries. I learnt how to say no and reject opportunities that don’t feel aligned, even if financially it felt like it would make me more secure. This has been an absolute game-changer for my well-being and therefore my ability to show up for my clients.

Lesson 3: Personal development is key - For me, the past 4 years have also been filled with personal growth to help improve my mental health. 4 years ago I was waking up every single day with anxiety and struggling with panic attacks regularly. The change felt scary, and I was often overwhelmed.

From various trial and error approaches, I have learned to reduce, cope with, and manage my anxiety, allowing me to approach my business with a clear and focused mind and make decisions from a neutral place.

Lesson 4: Trusting the process - Most importantly, I have learned that sometimes I just have to trust the process. Even when we want something badly and can see the vision clearly it might not turn out in the way we thought it would. I truly believe everything happens for a reason, to teach us lessons or steer us in a better direction, so although when challenges present it can be difficult, I am now fully in trust (most of the time) that I am exactly where I need to be. Not comparing myself to anyone or anything else.

So, my advice to anyone who finds themselves in a similar position to where I was four years ago, my best advice would be: trust the process. Embrace the entrepreneurship journey, it will likely have some uncertainties and challenges, but on the other side of that, you will discover your business’s true potential and all the possibilities that await you.