8 Lessons From 8 Years

This month marks 8 years since I leaped from the safety and comfort of my thriving corporate career into the wild abyss of self-employment.

Here are the top 8 things I learned along the way:

?? 1. It’s okay to leap before you’re ready

As someone who likes to go all-in, the idea of safely building something on the side while working full-time was a strong “no” so I left without a real plan.

Was it scary AF at times? Absolutely! And I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

?? 2. There’s no Silver Bullet Formula for success

I found success in school and corporate environments easy because there was a clear: “if you do A and B, then C will happen”

There’s no one formula for success in entrepreneurship. Best practices and guidelines, yes, but there is no playbook, which makes it hard to know what to do.

So, it can be easy to fall for the “copy my success” pitches. Unfortunately, those work for just a small percentage of people because there’s nuance to why something does or doesn’t work.

Once I committed to creating my own formula things got easier, more profitable, and a lot more fun.

??3. It’s a messy journey and hiring coaches and being around others going through similar experiences will make you feel less crazy and alone

In corporate, there was a built-in team and camaraderie that felt good to be a part of.

It’s been helpful to replace that with paid support from coaches, strategists, and group programs/masterminds and build an intentional network of other business owners who make this journey more enjoyable and fruitful.

? 4. I get to let my mission outweigh my discomfort

My days are filled with discomfort. From having to be the “face” of my business, to selling “me”, to doing things without certainty of outcome... discomfort is a daily presence.

Once I realized that it’s just the price I get to pay to have and do what I want and not a signal that something is going wrong, it’s been easier to allow that discomfort to come along for the ride.

?? 5. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds

It’s easy to get stuck in the minutia that just doesn’t matter in the long run and waste a whole lotta time.

It’s critical to see yourself as the CEO from day one and consider how you spend your time from that perspective. Would the CEO mess around in Canva for days on end? Unlikely. Would they network, brainstorm, and lay out strategic plans? Yep.

Outsourcing can feel scary before revenue is high but it’s okay to sacrifice profitability to drive growth.

Time spent on strategic thinking and planning will create more positive momentum than trying to figure out how to update something on your website ever will.

?6. Keep busting through limiting beliefs

Limiting beliefs (things we think are true but aren’t) are probably the biggest entrepreneur killer out there. Most of what we believe - we made up. If a belief isn’t serving us, we have the choice to replace it with one that does.

It’s been a daily practice of seeing what’s been holding me back and choosing beliefs that serve me better.

???7. Have a plan and commit to it.

As entrepreneurs, we have no shortage of ideas and it can feel enticing to jump from idea to idea. It’s especially challenging to stick it out to see whether an idea works or not - which can take a while. Business is both art and science and requires lots of testing, iterating, and patience (and more of that discomfort)

I found that having clear quarterly goals keeps me on track when my squirrel brain wants to jump to the next shiny thing.

??8. Lastly, but certainly not least important: Be kind to yourself.

There will be times you feel crazy, unworthy, inadequate, and like the biggest fraud in the world. In those moments, double down on how kindly you speak to yourself. What would you say to your best friend or child? Say that to yourself, you deserve it.