Running your own business is hard. Sure you’re doing what you love, you have a great boss, you can set your own hours, choose your co-workers (currently 2 cats and 2 dogs curled up next to me) and generally feel empowered and grateful you can share your passions. Yet…it can be lonely (dogs and cats don’t tend to talk back), scary; when is the next pay cheque coming from? and uncertain; do you really have the skills and knowledge to be running your own business? After all most small businesses fail in the first couple of years. So what do you do? Persevere? Quit?
Well as one of my ‘board of directors’ (what we call our network people we surround ourselves with) so eloquently told me recently;
Put on your big girl panties and suck it up princess! If what you are doing right now isn’t getting you exactly where you want to go, then you are the driver of your bus, simply change direction or get off the bus.
It was a little confronting as most of my ‘board of directors’ consists of cheerleaders (you know the ones “ra ra you’re great, you can do anything! Give us a F, I O..you get the picture). I have some cautious Risk advisers too but I realised I had probably been avoiding my ‘Realist and straight talker’. So I took a deep breath, then several more, and admitted they were right. The optimist in me was saying ” Don’t worry it will be great”, however putting my CEO hat on, I realised I needed anther person to join my ‘board directors’ and that was a business coach.
So I chose to hire a ‘navigator’ per se, for my bus. I’m still the driver and my direction is unchanged, but the ‘how’ to get there part, is now being supported by a wonderful coach who can help me navigate the murky waters of small business.
Channelling my inner warrior princess Boudica, I’m ready! Face paint on to ward off doubts and nay sayers, bow and arrows ready to hit any opportunities, corset on to help ‘suck it up’ lol….I’m once again dancing my way forward along the route of my dreams.
Anyone want to join me?