6 Lessons from 6 Years In Business
I wrote a newsletter recently that got quite a few responses. I love talking to my people via email, so it made me really happy that the tips I wrote out on a whim were helpful. Because the tips were inspired by my paying the Secretary of State to renew my business license for the sixth year in a row, I called it “6 Lessons from 6 Years In Business” and because repurposing content you like is a great thing, I thought I’d put it on my company blog, too.
A lot of people write blogs that they make into newsletters. I have so much more fun writing newsletters that I decided I’d do the opposite and make some of my newsletters into blogs.
I've learned so much in the past six years, and once I decided to not let getting a real job again be an option, everything flowed—usually, pretty peacefully.
Here are six lessons I've learned, mostly the hard way (😅) that might help you, too:
It's not all about being in the work. Get away from the screen. Play with your friends. Workout during the day if that's what your body likes best. Take a break with an ep of The Bachelor you slept through the night before. Build your business around your life, not the other way around.
Invest. In yourself, in your systems, in outsourcing what you can't stand doing. In 2020, my income was slashed to a third of what it was the year prior. That was also the year I invested in my admin system. It made no financial sense, but also…it did 👀 Once I released the energy of chasing money and proposal signatures, I 4xd my revenue.
Trust the nagging feelings. Even if you don't understand them. A dream client on paper might be a terrible client in the long run. Don't even send the proposal if something feels unsettled in your soul. You'll know why it felt that way eventually.
Remember that it's not that serious. Most of what we're all doing here is not life or death. It gets to be fun. YOU get to have fun with your work—every day.
Stay curious, especially about yourself. Do all the personality tests. Find what resonates with you. Know how you work. Pivot as you need. Repeat for-ev-er. Times infinity.
Be yourself. On your website. In your socials. At the scary networking events. You're here on purpose, and you're great. The more I owned and AFFIRMED my book nerd, witchy, reality TV fangirl, rocking-a-power-sweat-suit-while-carrying-a-cat-and-driving-a-truck, beautifully layered PNW dad joke life, the easier everything became. What a breath of fresh to get to be YOU—everywhere, all the time.
They may sound simple, but implementing a lot of the above ^^ was hard and happened over time.
Wherever you are in your life or your business, I'm sending you all the posi prayer candle vibes. Know that I'm on your team, and cheering you on in everything you do.
What about you? Anything you’ve learned from your life or biz lately that has rocked your world?
