7 Things Every New Entrepreneur Needs to Know
Are you a new Entrepreneur? Are you in the first few years of your business? Then listen up!
When I started my first business in 2015, I had no clue what I was doing. I just knew I wanted to build my life on my terms, and that meant not working for someone else.
Fast forward 9 years (wow has it been that long?!) and I can see how much I’ve grown and learned and changed.
If I could give some advice to past Crystal, here’s what I would say…
01) IT GETS TO BE EASY; DON’T OVER COMPLICATE IT
Looking back I see how often I over complicated things instead of letting them be easy. Maybe this came from a deep desire to be unique, or maybe it came from insecurity and shame. Either way, it doesn’t matter. When you’re first starting out and building your business take the easy route. I don’t mean skipping steps or not doing the work. I mean, find your voice and style by doing a lot and then hone in from there.
02) THERE IS NO RUSH; STOP COMPARING YOUR PATH TO OTHERS
This was a BIG one for me. It’s so easy, especially with social media, to compare where you are right now, to someone who’s being doing the thing for 3, 5, 10 years. Don’t let where they are deter you from taking the steps necessary to get there as well. If it helps, deep scroll on someone’s IG or YouTube. Watch who they were when they first started out and you’ll see that you’re not far off from that version of them. You are right on time! Make that your motto and see what happens.
03) YOUR BODY HAS ALL THE ANSWERS; NOT YOUR MIND
There is so much evidence out there now all the information stored in our bodies. If you had an emotional reaction to an experience that information lives in your body. This is why there is such a rise in somatic and embodiment work. In Human Design, your Authority (aka your inner GPS) lives in your body. As someone who has dealt with chronic health issues for over a decade, I wish I would have listened to my body sooner. Every sensation is giving you feedback. The sooner you can learn how to listen and speak your body’s language, the easier it becomes to make decisions that aren’t logical but you know are right for you.
04) PRIORITIZE LIFE OVER WORK; NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
Ok hear me out. I’m not saying ignore your responsibilities. If you want to be a boss babe you gotta be able to show up and do what needs to be done. What I am saying is, as you build and grow a business don’t get stuck behind your computer thinking that that’s the only way you’ll succeed. I’m assuming the reason you started your business wasn’t to work yourself to death, but so you could have control over your time. Be conscious of what you’re investing your time and energy into and make sure you’re investing in your personal life, health and well being.
05) CHANGE IS OK; JUST MAKE SURE TO COMMUNICATE
I have changed within my business so many times. First I was a Nutritionist, then I shifted to Mindset, then Human Design, then Business. My branding has changed, my voice has changed. Change is not bad. It’s an essential part of life. Change means growth. It means that you’re trying things out, evolving and learning as you go. Allow yourself to change but make sure you communicate about it. In the past when I would change I would hope no one noticed. But the truth is, I wanted my audience, my community to notice. Communication is soooo important in life and especially as an Entrepreneur. Allow your audience, your clients, your community, those who invest their time, energy and money in you, to be brought along for the ride. The more you communicate what’s happening and WHY the easier it is for your audience to know if it still resonates for them to stay. And remember, it’s ok if they leave. You will call in new clients who are ready for the new evolution of you.
06) PICK SOMETHING AND DON’T SHUT UP ABOUT IT; REPEAT YOURSELF OFTEN
Being an Entrepreneur is a long game. If you’ve talked about something for a month and don’t have any action, DON’T GIVE UP! On average someone needs to hear about something 7 times (7 TIMES!!) before they take action on it. So it’s your job as an Entrepreneur to not shut up about who you are, what you do, what you have to offer and why people need it. Can you imagine if Lululemon stopped talking about yoga pants after a few months?? No one gets sick of seeing another new yoga pant from them. That’s what they do! So let go of thinking that people are tired hearing about what you do and what you have to offer. Repetition is the key to success. Keep going!
07) YOU’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE; SO DON’T EVEN TRY
If you think you’re going to please everyone and that everyone is going to want to hear what you have to say, or buy what you’ve got to sell, then you are going to be very disappointed. Not only because you’ll realize quickly that this isn’t the case, but more so, because you’ll hold back on your true self expression. You cannot please everyone, so don’t even try. I avoided speaking some truths for a long time because I was worried about what people might think. But the truth is, I can’t control what they think about me and hiding parts of myself is no way to live. Allow yourself to be seen. Speak your truth. You will lose some but you will gain others and those others will be much more aligned with the real you! Allowing yourself to be yourself both on and off line will help you build a business you’re proud of, because it will contain YOU! And you, love, you are the magic sauce.
Hope these help! Comment below with any questions
With love, xx