The Realities of Being an Entrepreneur: Wins, Challenges, & Lessons Learned

Hey there, hi there! I’ve gotta say I was unsure about getting into this topic as I’m not even a year into my business (8 months), but its also true that I’ve learned a lot so far! So let’s dive in! 

Challenges:

• Not everyone will say yes – I’ve gone through A LOT of discovery calls with some pretty amazing people doing pretty amazing things with their business, but sometimes they just really don’t need the help, its not in their budget, or we aren’t a good fit. And that’s perfectly ok! 
• Marketing myself is my biggest asset (even when I’m not good at it) – I got my MA in Media Communications in 2015 (yes, I took a class on Pinterest…), and its safe to say that everything I learned is outdated. The internet is completely different than it was 10 years ago! So I’m learning all the new marketing trends as I go, and putting myself out there in ways I haven’t before. It can feel pretty awkward, but its necessary and I’m finding ways to make it fun! I started with a rebrand, and added pops of bright pink to everything which makes me very happy 🙂
• Sales funnels are a thing, right? – I am not a sales person and never want to be a sales person. That being said, there’s something to be said about funnels. Even if I were completely booked out I would still have a sales funnel in the works with prospects out there – having chats, answering questions, feeling out their business needs. As a freelancer/entrepreneur I have to expect clients to come and go, and as they go its good to have others close by to take their place. 
• Taxes exist – the amount that I bring in is no longer the money I keep! Ugh! I’m still learning about taxes, but every time an invoice gets paid I take out 35% and put it into a separate account to pay my taxes. Its NOT FUN, but that’s the world we live in. 

Wins:

• I have THE BEST clients! – While, yes, I run a business and don’t discriminate, I also get to decide who I work with – a niching down of sorts. Its turning out that 90% of my clients are women around my age who are entrepreneurs themselves, have growing families, and just want more time to spend with their customers and with their families. I would love to stay in this arena, but am open to other opportunities that come my way
• I can do hard things, and it does get a little easier over time – Starting a business is no joke. All the responsibility, accountability, and stress is all on your own shoulders and its just you to handle it (unless you have a virtual assistant, of course!). This is hard work, and will always be hard work, but I can say that it does get easier over time (or we just get better at stress management!), and motivation to keep going comes as we see results. 
• Starting a business is scary but REALLY satisfying – Similar to the previous one, the scary (for me) is around all of the responsibility and accountability being on me. I’m the boss and the employees, HR, accounting, the CEO, and all the other departments in the company. I have to be able to keep up with all of it, AND maintain my clients AND market myself AND take on more clients AND grow a business and possibly take on employees who i would also be responsible for! AAAAND if I procrastinate or put things off it will hurt my business and it will be all my fault. Scary – right?! But also – as it all works out – its all because of me! I did the work, I spent the time and energy to make it happen. THAT is sooo satisfying to know. 
• I can make this business whatever I want it to be – This is the big one – this is MY business. I can do what I’m passionate about, what I’m good at, and what I WANT to do! I can keep it as small or push and grow it to be as big as I want it to be. I can take on the type of clients I want, work when and where I want (within reason – I work a lot), and market myself how I want. BUT – it is A LOT of work, and it will always be a lot of work. 

Lessons learned:

• Community is really important – while I may be able to operate this business on my own, there’s no way I could do this on my own. Having a community of people who are doing something similar to you is SO important. It creates bonds, cultivates motivation, and is a wonderful way to not only network but bounce ideas off each other, collaborate, and create even more new things! I’m in a women’s networking group full of amazing women on different paths in life but all working to build something of their own. On a personal level, I’m reconnecting with the hiking groups I used to participate in, rock climbing groups, and cross stitching groups! Having others to get excited about my hobbies with has been so refreshing and is helping me to get pumped for all that I want to accomplish this year! 
• Always be learning! – ALWAYS! You should always have a development book closeby (i read at least one chapter a day), sign up for that weekly marketing newsletter, watch the TED Talks! You are never ever ever going to know everything about the services you provide, how to run a business, how to be a leader, and how to build relationships with clients and prospects. Keeping a mindset of curiosity and wanting to learn new things is how you will succeed in not just your business but in your life. 
• Coffee is my best friend, and dog walking breaks are necessary – I will, at some point, share more about my daily routine and how I’m learning to structure my days to be most productive, but for now I will leave you with knowing that starting off my day with a cup of coffee is necessary, and I require at least 3 walks a day with Woods to step away from my laptop, get outside, and get some steps in. Scheduling walks into my day has been a great way to bundle work tasks, take mental breaks, and move my body. 
• Flexibility is key – While I just said that I have a routine for each day, I do like to embrace being flexible. Sometimes things come up. A deadline with a client changes, things get added to my list, a bring on a new client, the weather is midwest crazy so I can’t take Woods out, etc. Life happens, and I’m learning to embrace the flexibility and “going with the flow” when needed. Keeping a rigid schedule just adds stress and anxiety. 

This may be a topic I return to regularly to share more as I learn more and accomplish more 🙂

*One thing I will say that I’m struggling with, is that starting something from nothing can be a very lonely experience – even with the amazing clients, the community, and the wins. A lot of people in your life aren’t going to understand what you’re doing and why its taking up so much of your time and energy. They won’t be able to relate, because most people aren’t cut out for being an entrepreneur (which is perfectly ok! Sometimes I really miss my corporate job…). Not everyone is going to support you during this time, and while it may suck a bit, its ok. The people who care about you and value you in their lives will be there for you. I am so incredibly lucky to have my support system, and even with them there are still times when I’m alone in this.