6 things I've learned in 6 months of running my business full time
This week marks six months since I took the leap from corporate employee to full time business owner, and my god, it’s been a whirlwind. When I think back to my last day of working in an office it seems like a lifetime ago, and yet these last six months feel like they’ve flown by too.
I was lucky enough to have a three month notice period at my last job which gave me some time to plan for a smooth transition, but even with lots of preparation, making that leap has felt like a huge adjustment. It’s a steep learning curve (and that’s without a global pandemic thrown in for good measure), but boy am I glad that I made this change.
Here are 6 things I’ve learned in 6 months of running my business full time…
Old ways don’t serve me in my new world
I think this was the very first lesson I learned, and my god did I have to learn it quickly! I didn’t realise quite how much my corporate training had impacted the way I thought about work, but once I was out on my own, I found myself having to quickly unpick some of my previous beliefs or approaches.
I think the biggest change is the way I structure my days - in my previous jobs, long hours were the norm and presenteeism was definitely part of the culture. However, my business doesn’t care whether I spend 2 hours or 2 days on a task, so long as it gets done. Giving myself permission to work when I feel most productive and take regular breaks has made such a difference.
Good self care is good for business
I’ve always been a big advocate for good self care, as I know how valuable it is for maintaining good mental health. However, what I didn’t expect was that good self care would also be really good for business!
What I’ve found in the last 6 months is that my income and achievements are very closely linked to how much I’m prioritising things like meditation, journaling, exercise and sleep. It’s so interesting to see that taking care of myself also benefits my bottom line, and makes me even more passionate about helping others to prioritise their own self care.
Confidence is key
Can I let you in on a little secret? So many of the cool opportunities I’ve had in the last 6 months wouldn’t have come my way if I hadn’t been confident enough to ask for them. That’s something that no one ever really tells you - that you can just show up and pitch for what you want - but there’s no denying that it requires a certain level of self belief.
I’ve had to work hard to build that level of confidence in myself and my abilities, but it has been work well worth doing. Focusing on my achievements, celebrating my wins and doing the work to master my imposter syndrome are all things that will continue to be on my to do list, as I know just how impactful they can be.
People buy people
One of the things I was most intimidated about when I took my business full time was the pressure to up my marketing game. There is A LOT of noise about funnels and email lists and Facebook ads and Pinterest strategies, and I worried that my lack of knowledge would hold me back.
What I’ve learned though, is that people buy people - especially in my industry. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a fancy marketing strategy so long as you truly care about doing good work and building relationships with people, which is lucky for me as that’s my favourite part of the job!
My intuition is usually right
Another habit from my old corporate career that I brought with me into my business was an obsession with data and research. In my old jobs, you never made a decision until you’d explored every opportunity, analysed the data in at least 10 different ways and listened to the opinion of everyone in the department, and I thought I needed to do the same thing in my own business.
What I quickly learned however, is that all that analysing and researching and opinion seeking slows the process down A LOT. I also realised that often, I can get to the right answer a lot quicker by simply listening to my gut. Giving myself permission to build a business that feels intuitive rather than super strategic has felt so refreshing.
With strong foundations you can weather a storm
I’ll admit - when I took the leap from traditional employment to running my own business last November, a global pandemic wasn’t on my contingency plan. I knew my first year of business wouldn’t be plain sailing, but I wasn’t expecting to have to pivot and adapt as a huge crisis wreaked havoc on the economy.
But do you know what? I’m happy to report that my business is not only surviving right now, but that it’s thriving, and I credit so much of that with the work I did to get my foundations right - from sorting out my finances to ensuring my processes all worked smoothly. Those strong foundations have given me a basis to adapt and grow from, and I am so, so thankful for that.
I’ll be sharing more of the lessons I’ve learned in business in my new group coaching programme, The Joyful Business, as well as helping you to give yourself the permission to run your business in a way that feels good to you. It closes for enrolment this coming Friday.
