Celebrating a Business Birthday and lessons I've learnt

I’m celebrating my birthday! It’s a whacking 8 years since I was reborn from a woman burning out in a joyless job, to a woman who jumped off the treadmill to set up a business and get the life she’d dreamed of.

So, 8 years on, what have I learned? Far too much to squeeze in here, but here are my biggies – I hope they might be useful:

There are some things I wouldn’t change:

My clients! I found many true gems along the way – people whom I completely resonate with and whose products and service I totally believe in. I found some that weren’t quite right too, and they taught me valuable lessons – especially about who I want to work with! This is something that evolves – be patient, learn what you can from EVERY client, and you’ll get there.

My notebooks – the piles of them going back years are a great reminder of how I started, how I grew and of all I learned along the way. The years fly by so fast, it’s great to have stuff to look back on, so don’t be afraid to be a little bit hoarder-y, or to reminisce – it can ground you and remind you to feel grateful for the journey.

And there are things I would change:

I’d focus less on what everyone else was charging - the typical VA hourly rate - and more on my actual worth. Recognising the impact your work will have on your clients can give you the confidence to charge more for your work, based on your real VALUE.

Clothes – I’d spend a lot less time worrying about the “right” look and stick with MY look. I’m not really me when I’m not dressed as me, and I want to be me! I’m not saying you should turn up for meetings in your housepants, I mean you’ve got to figure in a certain level of smart for corporate events and clients, for example, but you should always be comfortable in what you wear.

Try it all. There’s only one way to work out what you love to do the most, and that’s to try everything. Some things surprised me – like I thought I’d never enjoy public speaking, and now I love it! Some things turned out to be as dreary and horrible as expected, so I give them a very wide berth – but at least I gave it all a go, and now I just do the things I love.

So, a little older and a lot wiser, I’d love to think you’ll take a little something from my experience and advice, because if there’s one thing that’s REALLY helped me through the past 8 years it’s been the people around me who’ve made their own mistakes, found their own way and been gracious enough to share their dos and don’ts with me.

Onwards and upwards I say, here’s to the next 8 years!