Business is hard. It's wonderful and rewarding and I would not want to be doing anything else. But business is hard and often the biggest job that we have as entrepreneurs, is to keep a positive mindset.
Here are 10 business lessons that I have learnt over my 19 years in business, that might help with that. I use them to guide me, motivate me & steer me back on course when those pesky doubts, fears and limiting beliefs start to sneak in.
My Top 10 Business Lessons
1). Experience comes from doing
When starting a new business or a new skill, we sometimes want to learn absolutely everything before we start to take action. Of course, it's sensible and necessary to learn what we need to. But, once we have learnt the essentials, we can sometimes convince ourselves to keep learning, as we are not confident enough to actually start.
I have been there with so many of my businesses, I get trapped in the learning cycle. I learn and learn and then learn some more. But, there comes a point when you need to get going and you might need to give yourself an encouraging push. The quicker you start to get actual experience, the quicker the real learning happens. It is the experience that will teach you the most important and valuable lessons, so get started as soon as you can.
2). To succeed is not to get everything right
Often in business, we feel that for our business to succeed, we need a blueprint to follow. We want someone or something to tell us exactly what to do so that we don't make any mistakes. But, there is no blueprint. Every single business owner will have a completely different journey. That journey is almost guaranteed to have ups and downs, it is part of the process, but also such an important part. What can you learn if you get everything right and everything goes smoothly? Not half as much, as when things go wrong or you make mistakes.
My biggest & best lessons in business have always been when I've messed up. When I've dropped the ball when I've been complacent, when I've missed an opportunity. The biggest mistakes have stuck with me and I have been grateful for them (eventually), for the huge lessons I have learnt and the knowledge to do it differently next time. I will do another post on my biggest mistakes. There are plenty but every single one has taught me so much, they're part of my journey and have helped me to grow.
3). Taking no risks, is the biggest risk
This is quite an easy one for me. I am a massive risk-taker. I always have been. I think it is spurred by my motivation and drive to succeed. I am a complete and utter optimist (most of the time). It's that desire and hope to see opportunities as opportunities, that allows me to take risks time and time again. Yes, I weigh up the risk, it would be stupid not to. But, this is often led by asking myself.. 'what's the worst that could happen?'. When the worst, is not that bad, but the best is incredible or life-changing, I will take the risk EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
There have been so many risks that I have taken, that haven't paid off. Some have just damaged my ego & pride and some have been big financial losses. But, I can confidently say that each one taught me something and I am comfortable knowing that they didn't work, because not knowing would be worse.
There have been risks that have paid off and they have been life-changing. They are proof to me that taking risks is necessary to move my business forward, open new doors and opportunities and achieve things that I couldn't have imagined.
4). A big part of success is showing up
When it comes to building a successful business, one of the most important factors is showing up. I live, breathe & sleep my businesses.
It is all about consistency and commitment to show up time and time again. By this, I mean physically showing up for meetings, events, networking, selling your products & services, etc. But also, showing up and being present mentally and bringing your A-game to the table - with ideas, thoughts, planning, and marketing - to drive towards your goals.
When you consistently show up day after day, people notice. You demonstrate your dedication and commitment to your customers and yourself, which will set you apart from your competitors. You build trust, reliability and passion and you show that you are invested in your business and serious about making things happen. Success awaits those who consistently put in the effort and show up day after day after day.
5). Dreams do not work unless I do
It is so easy to dream about having a successful business and our brains will focus on all of the positives. But dreams do not magically turn into reality unless you're willing to really put the work in. Running a business is not for the faint-hearted. It requires dedication, determination and a whole lot of hard work. There is often no real switch-off, no set working pattern or hours and it can be all-consuming.
Your business dreams can be moderate or you can aim for the sky, either way, they won't materialise on their own. It is up to you to take action, make strategic plans and execute them with relentless effort. You need to embrace the challenges, learn from the setbacks and stay committed to your vision. Hard work is the secret sauce that can transform dreams into tangible achievements. The bigger your dreams, the more you need to be willing to work to get them. I'm not suggesting that you can't find balance (I'm still trying), you can work smart but you have to be willing to work.
6). Direction is more important than speed
I am generally a very impatient person. I want everything yesterday and I can be really hard on myself and my achievements when things are not 'moving fast enough'. I have had to really work on this because impatience in business and wanting things to happen quicker can enable you to make the wrong decisions, short-cut important avenues, abandon necessary tasks or worst-case scenario.. quit.
What is moving fast enough? You want your business to achieve 6 figures in a year... Well, who says it will take one year? What if it takes two years, but because you've told yourself that it should happen in one, you feel like a failure, feel frustrated, tell yourself it's not good enough and quit? Missing out on the opportunity to hit your goals and achieve what you wanted, if you were just more patient.
A far more important measure of success is direction. After a year, ask how far you've come. List what you have achieved. Are you moving in the right direction towards your goals? It's fine to pivot and move direction, that's what part of being a business owner is all about. But measuring yourself and your business against speed is not nearly as important as direction. I don't have a crystal ball to know when I will reach my goals and vision, I don't know how long it will take. But, as long as I am moving in the right direction, I am determined that I will get there and I will not stop until I do.
7). Comparison is the thief of joy
It is completely normal, healthy and sensible to weigh up your competition or people & brands that you aspire to be like. It can be really good for your business to look at what others are doing, feel inspired and encourage your creativity. However, there is a very fine line and you need to avoid comparing yourself and your success to others. Their success has no bearing on yours. When we're busy looking at what others have or how they're doing, we can end up feeling inadequate and unhappy with ourselves and our progress. It's like a never-ending race to measure up. This links to the point above about speed. Comparing ourselves to others can also drive that unhelpful measure of speed and push us to race, which could damage our progress or put unnecessary pressure on ourselves.
Everyone has their own path and journey, we will all have ups and downs, we will all face challenges, we will all go at different speeds and we will all have our unique journey. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. So, instead of getting caught up in comparing ourselves, we have to focus on our own progress, our own strengths, our own wins and our own goals. It can be hard but it is one of the most important things to do in order to maintain that all-important positive mindset.
8). I will never feel ashamed for showing up for my business
Honestly, this is the one that I have found the hardest. It is the one I struggle with and it is the one that I have to remind myself of daily so that I can get out of my own way. Because there have been times when I have felt ashamed for showing up for my business. It's not an obvious shame, it's that niggling feeling that you're talking about your business too much or your marketing too heavily or worse.. those doubts that tell you that you won't make it, you're not good enough, people are not interested in what you have to offer. Deep down I know this is not true, but it's my brain's way of protecting me. It is built to protect me from harm and in this day and age, that means from embarrassment, rejection and failure. But knowing and understanding that the shame I start to feel, is my body's way of protecting me can make it easier not to listen. Instead, I tell myself that it will be ok, that I've got this, that I can help people and that then stops me from feeling ashamed to show up.
Daily affirmations are really helpful and powerful to tackle this. Journalling, meditating and sometimes just repeating 'I will never feel ashamed for showing up for my business' can stop those doubts and fears creeping in and give me the motivation and confidence to get out there.
9). Doing what I love, makes success more likely
I could probably write a book on all of the reasons why doing what I love, will make my success more likely. I will try to keep it brief...
I have owned businesses before that I have not totally loved. I loved it to an extent, but the love was more for running my own business and being in control, rather than actually loving the business, industry or what I actually do on a day-to-day basis.
Owning two businesses that I am absolutely obsessed with, has been a real game-changer for me. Nothing feels like work. It is a pure joy to work on my business and I am so excited and enthusiastic to grow a business that I love and do something every day that I enjoy. I think about my business most of the day, which makes me come up with ideas and stay creative, I am motivated to improve and learn and grow and that all happens because I love what I do.
As I've said above, running a business is hard work. It is all-consuming, you need to make sacrifices and when you do not love it and when you are doing it for just the financial gain, I think it is so much harder to keep going. I've talked about showing up, I've talked about working hard, I've talked about not comparing & staying focused on your goals, I've talked about patience and commitment, about making mistakes and taking risks and not feeling ashamed to sell... all these things are a million times easier when you LOVE what you do and they are a million times harder when you don't.
10). My perfect job is my own business
I have had quite a few jobs in my career, I have worked in different industries and I have always excelled wherever I work. I have always been promoted in every single job and have risen to management in everything I have done. I say this not to brag but to point out that even though I have given it my all in every role and always been rewarded, even though no matter what I do, I will always work hard, I still absolutely hate working for someone else and nothing matches the job of running my own business.
There is pure joy and fire in my belly knowing that I am building something that is uniquely mine and that reflects my vision, values and aspirations. I want to be in charge of my own destiny, make decisions on my terms and create a legacy that lasts.
When you run your own business, you set the rules, you define your own success and you have the flexibility to balance work and life in a way that suits you best. I have the opportunity to be as creative as I want, take risks and make mistakes without having to justify or answer to anyone. This freedom enables me to push beyond my limits and what I think is possible. Of course, it can be challenging in so many ways but the rewards are unparalleled. From the satisfaction and pride of watching my ideas come to life, to the joy of making a difference to people's lives, my own business offers a level of fulfilment that no job can match. Ever.
I hope these are helpful.
Lots of love, Shereen xx
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