Rewriting the Narrative

Transitioning from Corporate to a Lifestyle Entrepreneur 

Without mincing words, excellent leadership paves the way for the productivity and profit making of a business. And since effective leadership is in many ways connected to the growth of a business, does there need to be a new approach to leadership and an adjustment or slight upgrade from traditional corporate leadership to a lifestyle business leader? Will this allow for a balance between today’s work culture and a modern system of leadership?

In many cases you are now the employer and employee. And it is still important to adopt an amazing leadership policy that accommodates the interest of your business. Making a successful transition to a lifestyle business leader is difficult. Many of my clients come to me saying they have not been successful at aligning others around their initial objectives, and admit they have not successfully met their overall objectives for this role.

This isn’t surprising given the high number of new business leaders, the competing demands you need to balance, and the fact that many feel the lack of practical support. Very few believe they had the right resources or programs in place to support their move into a lifestyle business.

One of the first questions I always hear is how long will it take to find success, and the answer isn’t always the one most want to hear… it depends. There are a number of factors to take into consideration. There is no clear deadline for most to move effectively and comfortable into their new role. The most successful ones say it took them more than 100 days to feel fully comfortable in their role. Most say it took them longer than three months to determine solutions for the key strategic foundation to be identified for their business.

Regardless, many acknowledged they did not have all the answers when they transitioned from corporate to a lifestyle business – but they were clear having employees and/or contractors played a valuable role (including those whose transition were a success). They relied on their people when determining solutions to the business characteristic they were facing, such as developing strategic marketing platforms. When identifying which activities were most important to the transition’s outcome most explained mobilizing a team to function as a high-performing group and instilling a shared vision quickly.

Those with a high functioning team are the executives who transition successfully and will keep their team intact. When you have the right team in place and a leadership policy your teams will move quickly. Those who lack the commitment to their team are the ones who wish they moved faster in every area of their transitions. Part of the set-back happens because executives struggle with self-management; spending too little time preparing for the personal demands and their own readiness in this new role.

Looking Ahead

·     Be purposeful. The four areas that require different tools and resources to successfully transition from corporate to a lifestyle business are: business, resources, culture, and self. Craft a clear vision with strategic priorities, build a dedicated team, carefully assess your business culture, and spend time to prepare for the personal demands of the business.

·     Seek out support. Look for another executive who has made the transition and garner their important resources and information from their experience. Given the high price paid for every failed transition, more need to develop a systematic approach to ensure a successful transition. The most successful approaches I have seen blend in-class learning with other interventions, such as personal coaching for the first 6 to 12 months in the new role. After that ongoing participation in mastermind groups where Lifestyle Business leaders share best practices on business success.

As a former executive turned lifestyle entrepreneur, I learned the hard way what it takes to lead a lifestyle business. I wrote the book, literally, and I am happy to share the good, bad, and the ugly with you. It’s all about having the FREEDOM to live your life on your schedule… live your dream. <Click here> to schedule a call with me to learn how you can quickly and seamlessly transition from corporate to becoming a lifestyle entrepreneur. We are unstoppable Together.

Unstoppable Together,

Connie, Unstoppable DIVA

Connie Pheiff is a high-performance lifestyle business coach ridiculously dedicated to helping Executives transition from Corporate to activate their power with confidence, be unstoppable together, and live their dream as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur.