Reflections on Year One as an Entrepreneur

Good Afternoon!

I’m nearing my one year anniversary as a solopreneur, and I’ve thought a lot about all the work I’ve put in this year just to make sure I kept the lights on (not that I have a physical space, just a figure of speech).

There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong.

Clients could have left en masse, I might’ve been scrambling for more or even another gig.

Some sort of injury could have taken me out and prevented me from working, and I have no idea what kind of financial assistance is offered for people who do manual labor that are also entrepreneurs.

I could have gone on autopilot and just assumed that based off the job I was doing with the people I was serving, that I was doing enough, and could have gotten complacent.

Thankfully, none of those things happened.

What This First Year of Entrepreneurship Taught Me

They say running your own business isn’t for everyone.

I can say there’s definitely a lot more paperwork, phone calls, e-mails and cold reach outs involved in this type of work than I’ve ever felt comfortable performing.

But man, is it worth it.

There’s a difference between someone who works in sales and a good salesperson.

I used to look at salespeople how people look at the “used car salesman.”

I’d assume that because someone’s job involves solely selling things, they use deceptive tactics and are solely driven by money, and that they will do anything to obtain it.

But a good salesperson has some incredibly valuable life skills.

• They’re skilled communicators who can pick up on cues and understand someone immediately.
• They genuinely want to help people, even if means not closing the deal right away.
• They nurture relationships with their customers, reminding them that their purchase was worth it and not just transactional

For me, developing this skill — even though it’s a skill I never expected to have — will serve me for the rest of my life, and I think everyone should have at least a little sales experience in their life to enhance their interpersonal skills.

This is a dramatic shift from how I used to think

The only one who REALLY needs to show up (at least until you hire staff) is YOU.

This might seem obvious, but in a distraction-filled world, it can be easy and tempting to pump the brakes.

On days where the only work I have lies on the computer screen, I’ve often fought the urge to go and scroll through other pages, search for things not relevant to the task at hand.

But the discipline I’ve instilled in myself to just dedicate certain hours to working on my business practices is a great reminder that if I misprioritize my time too frequently, things can go south. Fast.

You’re ability to respond and react positively to the word “no” is an absolute superpower.

I read a book this year called “Go for No” by Richard Fenton, who argues that a real businessman or businesswoman’s goal should be to poke and pry for “no’s,” because a potential client or prospect should not be ruled out until you get one.

And when someone tells you no outright, you celebrate their forthcoming.

It means, “Okay, on to the next one.”

Eventually, you become numb to the sting of rejection and you reframe your mind to search for no’s.

The willingness to be rejected, Fenton further argues, is a trait of successful people.

By rule of total accumulation, those who are said “no” to most often are usually the ones who reap the most rewards and find the most happiness.

And I’ve developed the thick skin already of being used to it, which I feel will serve me incredibly well going forward.

Finally, I’m glad I did it.

There was a lot of thinking, second-guessing, and consideration that went into taking this leap.

“Will I be able to support myself?”

“What if things crash and burn?”

“Do I really believe in myself this much?”

Here’s what I’ll say to anyone who’s having these thoughts and unsure of whether to vault into running their own business (full-time or side hustle):

GO FOR IT.

It WILL be worth it.

You WILL develop an unwavering confidence in yourself.

So much so that even when things do go south (because sometimes they will), you’ll develop the resolve to pull yourself up out of it.

I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I stayed in my old job.

I’d probably be doing okay, but I have so much more gratitude, feelings of self-worth, and pride because of what I did almost one year ago.

Thankfully, it’s allowed me the time for weekly newsletters like this one.

If you’ve been here from the start and are still reading, THANK YOU!

Here’s to 52 more next year.

See you next week!