You know how they say hindsight is 20/20? Well nothing makes that more blatantly obvious to me than thinking back to all the mistakes I’ve made over the years when it comes to my business.
Now first off let me just clarify, I don’t think mistakes are necessarily bad. They often bring valuable lessons that we need to learn and integrate. But, sometimes we make the same sort of mistakes again and again without learning the lesson. That’s when mistakes are painful and a waste of time.
Today I wanted to pull back the veil and share with you some of the mistakes I wish I hadn’t made in my business in the hopes of helping you course correct if you’re heading for one of them!
1. Not have a clear plan.
Ooh, this one is a doozy. I’ve noticed that we have a tendency to think that because we have a goal or a vision or a dream, it should automatically come with a plan for getting there and that we’ll be able to “figure it out”. This tripped me up for years. I had a big vision for where I wanted my business to go, but I naively assumed that I could figure it out and make a plan all on my own. What I later realized is that truly successful people learn from others and enlist support to help them craft their plans. Success leaves clues, and people who are destined to be successful look to other successful people who’ve done what they want to do to find those clues. When I finally internalized this, things shifted in a profound way for me.
Another thing that’s great about a plan is that it gives you confidence. Operating without a clear plan feels uncertain and shaky. You constantly question things. But, once you have a plan that’s endorsed by a mentor that you trust -- you’re golden :-)
2. Not having guidance.
That leads me to mistake #2 -- not giving myself permission to ask for guidance. As a type-A, “good student” type, I kept telling myself “I’m smart. I can figure this stuff out. I should be able to make this business work!”. What I didn’t realize at the time was my resistance to getting help was keeping me stuck.
I tried to grow my business all on my own for 7 years, and I made very, very little progress, even though at the time I was working full-time hours.
During those years, I made anywhere from $4,000 to $18,000 a year in my business. Not enough to live on and not enough to support the lifestyle I wanted for myself and my family.
I finally took a leap of faith and invested in a high-level coach. Within 2 months of working with her and getting a plan I could trust, I had my first 5-figure launch! $32,000 in sales!!! And, 8 months after that, I crossed the 6-figure mark. Things took off when I finally opened myself up to outside support.
3. Not honoring my time.
Time is our most valuable asset. This I know with every fiber of my being. Back when I first started my business, I didn’t understand this fully. So, I spent too much time on stuff that didn’t matter. Tweaking my website, creating graphics, scrolling social media without a clear intention, designing more and more offers and programs. But none of those things plant “money seeds” for money to come in the door now.
After having my first daughter, I immediately felt and understood the immense value of my time, and I no longer wanted to waste my precious time doing things that didn’t really move the needle in my business. I saw that healthy boundaries and getting really clear on what was worth my time and what wasn’t was essential to my long term happiness and success. That’s when I started my 3-day workweek. That’s when I invested in my first coach. That’s what my business took off.
4. Not being consistent.
Shiny object syndrome plagued me for years when I was first beginning in business, and I pivoted my business and business model a number of times. I started out in interior design then moved over to blogging about food and healthy living, then I did freelance copywriting and social media marketing, then I got certified as a yoga instructor and then finally, I found the world of coaching. Phew! It was exhausting just writing all that!
You see, I kept thinking if I could just “find the right thing”, then it would take off. What I didn’t realize is that things would take off once I focused on ONE THING and was consistent.
I truly believe that consistency is the #1 factor in success. It’s not about being the best or the brightest or the most unique. It’s about showing up again and again and again. If you do that, success becomes inevitable.
5. Not investing in what matters.
When I was first starting out, I made it my mission to spend as little money as possible when it came to my business. Which seems to make sense, right? Because I wasn’t making money yet. That seems to make sense, but in truth, keeping the purse strings tied off resulted in me floundering and making very little money for 7 years.
I realize now that the guidance, information and value I receive from investing in myself and my business always returns to me multifold. But, I get that it’s hard to trust that in the beginning. What was useful to me was reminding myself that by investing in myself I was declaring to myself, my business and the Universe that I was a woman to be taken seriously. That I was a woman who was ready and willing to receive what she needed to expand and grow.
Also, for me, I didn’t realize how out-of-integrity I felt asking people to pay me for my services when I was so reluctant to invest in services for myself!
When I began making strategic investments in coaching and guidance and support, things forever shifted for me. I no longer felt stuck in isolation. I saw that there was a path to be trusted and followed and that path would lead me to where I wanted to go.
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Do any of the mistakes I made resonate with you?
If they do, please don’t beat yourself up about it. Everything we experience is of value for our personal development. But, I also don’t want you to be “stuck” in your mistakes for as long as I was! 7 years was too long!
There’s a way out if you want to take it. A path of clarity and confidence. A proven way to build a profitable business in part-time hours, and it’s available to you right now.
Success Made Simple Academy™ is my premier, yearlong group coaching program for women who want to build an abundantly profitable business while working flexible, feel-good hours, just as I have done with my 3-day workweek.
If you’re ready to get the clear plan, on-going coaching, support and accountability you need to make leaps forward in your business, check out Success Made Simple Academy™ here.
And, if you join within the next 48 hours, you’ll also receive a BONUS 1x1 Strategy Session to ensure that you get the absolute most out of your time in the Academy.
Here’s to finally learning the lessons and leveling up big-time!
