This last month has been a little intense. I’m dealing with some problems in my business. Problems that buzz around in my head and make it feel a bit like a pinball machine.
An ever-increasing client list. A bunch of collaboration opportunities that seem to have arrived on my doorstep all at once. Freelance projects that are growing exponentially. And only 24 hours in every day to make it all happen.
Here’s the thing, they’re good problems. Problems I’m stoked to have.
All amazing things that I’m insanely grateful for. In fact, these are the very problems I’ve been wishing & hoping for since the start of my business.
I’ll write more about these growing pains when I’m a little further down this path. I’m still in transition mode, and there’s a whole heap of work I need to do before this next phase can unfold. But I wanted to touch base on something I’ve learnt along the way.
I want to reflect on the journey so far and tell you something I wish someone has told me:
I always remember working with a coach, in the first few months of starting my business, and feeling so ready for these kinds of problems. I was desperate to have a calendar stacked with clients. I was hungry for work. On a call one day, I vented to her ‘Ahhhh I’m SO ready for this !’. She let out an all-knowing ‘hmmm‘ and said ‘but are you really ready ?’. My default (aka defensive) response was a defiant yes. But the reality was that at the time, I didn’t even know what ready meant. I wasn’t anywhere close.
Building a business takes time. There are no short cuts. A major factor in startups that succeed versus those that don’t is persistence. Now, it’s important at this point that I make something clear : Persistence doesn’t mean pushing forwards and ignoring signs that your business model isn’t working. Persistence doesn’t mean investing more money in the hope that it will fix your problems. Simply put : Persistence doesn’t need to be rigid.
I know this, because I’ve made all those mistakes myself. For a long time in my last business, I resisted signs that things weren’t working. My determination to succeed and desire to ‘make it work’ blindsided me. My vision of an entrepreneur was of someone who kept hustling, kept fighting no matter what. It wasn’t until everything fell apart at the seams that it became obvious that perhaps, my drive & my never-quit mentality wasn’t serving me well.
Learning how to pivot (and yes, sometimes pivoting means quitting and starting again from scratch) is so so important. It’s the most expensive lesson I’ve ever learnt.
Sorry for the long side note, but it would be irresponsible of me to tell you to be persistent without showing you the shadow side of persistence. So let’s get back to the ‘building a business takes time’ bit.
It’s not the most inspiring bit of business advice you’ll ever get, but it’s definitely one of the most valuable. Knowing that it’s going to take time, that there will be days when you feel like quitting, that you’ll have moments questioning why everyone else seems to be killing it and you’re launching & hearing crickets …. It’s all totally normal. In fact, its an important part of the journey. The early days of your business are when you build your entrepreneurial muscle.
A few weeks ago I received an awesome message from an old client. We worked together when we were both in start up mode. She was setting up her deli, and I was building my coaching business. She had soooo much passion. Such incredible vision.
The message was beautiful. She was reflecting after a super busy day in the deli. Everything she had been dreaming of, the picture she’d held so close to her heart, was playing out in reality.
But holy smokes, she worked her a$$ off to make it happen. She dealt with so many curveballs. She showed up, sleeves rolled up, ready to do the work, again and again and again. I know there would have been days when it all felt too hard. When she wondered whether it was all worth it. But she just kept hustling, she pivoted when she needed to, and she held on to her vision.
And now she’s reaping the reward (And I cannot freaking wait to celebrate with her (and a bottle of rosé and some of her delicious tapas ha ha) when I get home.