I think entrepreneurship is something you are born with, like its genetic or something. I mean, I’m no geneticist or anything, in fact I had to work my booty off to even get a passing grade in that class in college, and it really messed with my 4.0 GPA. However, my dad is an entrepreneur, and his dad before that, and I grew up my whole life wanting to do what he did.
Not that I really knew what he did. I remember asking him in 3rd grade what he did so I could write it on my homework and having him say each letter while I tried to spell it. After that, all I knew was that he was a business man, who was called an entrepreneur, and he owned businesses. From the outside looking in as a child, it looked like he never had to work. He was always off on trips, and never spending time in an office. He worked from the couch many nights and when he would say “Lets go on a blind run” it usually meant business errands which ended up being a whole lot of time in the car, and a lot less “work” than I would have thought would be involved. Unlike my mom, who was an EMT/Paramedic, I knew she worked, she was gone A LOT! Working long shifts, where I would constantly call her and ask when she was coming home.
As an adult, I am aware all those errands were business trips to his many offices to save face or sign paperwork or have a quick meeting. I recognize the work my dad did for what it was because I now am doing a whole lot of that. Work that doesn’t look like work, but it is! The difference is, that it is also freedom, time freedom.
Growing up, both my parents emphasized the importance of a college education and a job so even though I hated school (maybe a story for another time) I did just that. Lucky for me, by the time I made it to college, it got a lot easier! I found I was good at school, and it was something I could continue to do while getting a little help from my parents to pay the bills. So I stayed, I stayed in the safe place that I was good at for a long time!!
By the time I ended my college experience, I had been in school for 10 years, I finished with five degrees. Well, technically three degrees, and two professional licenses, but who’s counting. When I finally entered the workforce, I learned more about myself than I probably ever learned in all those years at school. But what I learned the most of, was that my parents pushed me to follow my moms footsteps because it was the safe option. I was giving my time to work, for money. While what I wanted, was to follow my dads footsteps and enjoy time freedom in the lifestyle of entrepreneurship. Something I had dreamed about my whole life.
Starting this new journey is not easy, its probably the reason I spent so many years dreaming instead of doing. Even though I thought of this path as a child, in adolescence, and many times in adulthood. Even going as far as to create a business model with multiple different business idea’s to present to my business man father only to be turned down as an investor and/or advisor. Every idea was a flop, and I truly did not know where to start. Finally in 2016 a friend of mine convinced me an MLM might be my ticket to time freedom. Up until this point, I had prided myself in growing up in Utah (MLM Valley) and never joining one of these groups, but I even I got sold into one. A friend was having success with regular paychecks and it was my turn! BIG FLOP! And embarrassment, I still to this day, 6 years later think about the friends I ever approached about that. Plus, now I cant pride myself on the girl who never tried an MLM from Utah. That “failure” or as I am going to call it, learning experience, pushed me away from entrepreneurship for a while. I started my safe option (schooling) up again in 2017, and was determined to stay on the safe route.
Fast forward to now: I found a foothold to start on, (Rainmakers! See previous Blog for more info) but starting is only half the battle. Ok, so I know how to start but how do I stay? Before rainmakers, I read a few books, written by wealthy people, about mindset and money, and all of them would say things like “get in the habit” “get the right mindset” blah blah blah. Well, they all say these things because, THEY ARE RIGHT!!
Regardless of my childlike misconception of entrepreneurship, it is work! It’s hard work and the majority of the job is having setbacks and “learning experiences” but having the determination to continuing pushing even when those happen. You cant do that without the right mindset. So when I started with Rainmakers, I noticed they were saying the same thing as all these other resources had been, “Its all about mindset”. And at first I was like, “ok, I got it, mindset!” But I didn’t get it, I was so hungry for this change in the beginning, that the mindset did not matter, I did not realize how much I needed those mindset reminders until my first real scary moment kicked in.
You see, I started a business!!! Yes, I did it with help, I started with a group of mentors, and others who do this same thing, and there is security in that! I started with a coach, and help, and they told me what to do and how to do it. They even had a money back guarantee that if I did not sell $10,000 in my first year of starting this business that they would then buy the business off of me for $10,000 so basically I was going to get $10,000 regardless of my success which is part of why I was willing to take this risk to begin with!
But, I started a business.
Its mine, my money, my business, all mine. At the end of the day, if my business flops, its not my coach or my mentors that fail, its me. And when the hype wears off, and you think that through it can be scary.
Fear is actually part of our biology (I got an A in that class BTW). Fight or flight is part of our survival instincts. Every animal has a fight or flight response, but most of our fight or flight responses have become dulled as we have evolved.
Because of my experience with the shooting and my PTSD and anxiety, I have learned a lot about my fight or flight response. Those brain receptors and I are old friends at this point. So even though my fight or flight kicks in a lot more frequently than others, I noticed it is the same receptors firing with my entrepreneurship fear. Which makes total sense, fight or flight is intended to help us survive!! We live in a society where survival is based on money, we use money to collect basic survival needs like food and shelter. Of course there is a flight (fear response) that is triggered by money or lack of money.
I now realize why the work of entrepreneurship and success in this industry is the mindset; so we can overcome the fears fight or flight engages. Feeling tight on funds can cause even the strongest of people to back down, and pushing to success in entrepreneurship means being tight on funds sometimes. Its not that I’m doing it wrong, because all these other business people say they went through the same experience, its just that, that is the reality of pushing through this part.
To give you the full back story, I launched my first product of my business (YAY!!!) and its selling (DOUBLE YAY!!) but, I built my business on credit, (don’t come at me, that was the best choice for me at the time). To get to this point in my business, I maxed the credit card. I expected that when I launched my product, I would make enough money back to pay off my credit card to restock, (DUH! That’s how it works right?) Wrong. Starting a business comes with start up costs, like creating the LLC, getting TM registered, Advertising, Paying to have my logo created etc. All of these costs also went on my credit card, so even though my business is now launched, and my product is selling, the funds coming back to me will not pay off all my start up costs.
This seemed like no problem when I thought, that’s ok, I will get a tax return this year, I’ll pay down that card with some “Owner Equity”, and my credit card will have enough on it for restock.. Wrong again. I was informed that due to a mix up with how I filed my W4 for work, I actually will owe money this year! “WHAT!?”
So this is where mindset becomes so powerful.
I woke up with doubts in my business, doubts! Even though I have only been on the market for 34 days, and I have already made a whopping $8,455.00 in sales! I should be celebrating every second of everyday, but I woke up doubtful!
Why? Because it hit me, I STARTED A BUSINESS.. and now, that $10,000 in sales is coming to me quick, and that guarantee originally offered doesn’t matter, because holy crap! I already almost hit it! So, I am on my own in this.. and I have not made enough to pay off my start up credit cards, HOW AM I GOING TO RESTOCK MY WELL SELLING ITEM?! I started to question everything.. like why did I do this? Was it a mistake?
THE ANSWER IS NO! It was not mistake, I just need to stay in the right mindset and power through, I will find a way to pay for my restock even without a tax refund. Because I believe in myself, and I believe in my brand.
I am not alone.
So many others have come before me and they have walked this road and been tight on funds. I just need to lean into that community. So that’s what I did, I went for a run, and I listened to this podcast on The Rainmaker Family Show. Seriously, so good, I recommend everyone listen to it!!
All this to say, I am still pushing through my barriers, and its ok to feel fear, welcome to your anatomy and physiology (Aced that class too), but don’t let fear stop you. I often feel fear, from so many things, heck I had a panic attack sitting on the couch the other day, but its not like I’m never going to sit on the couch again.
If I let fear stop me every time I felt fight or flight, I would never have zip lined over The Rainforest, or paraglided over The Swiss Alps. I would never have held a Macaw, or ridden a horse. I would never have walked up to a tall dark and handsome stranger and had 9 of the most amazing months.
I would never have even started a business! Or become what I always dreamed of being “An Entrepreneur”! (Which by the way, I still cant spell, if you only knew how many times I had to use spell check during this entry.)
We all have fear, but keep pushing, work on your mindset, and lean in to every resource when you fear something. Borrow faith from someone who came before you, and dang it, use spell check if you have to! There are so many resources to success, if we just push past the fear to see them. During our educational conservation shows at my job we say “if you are scared of something, often times that means you need to learn more about it” So be scared, and then get empowered by that natural feeling, and lean into it!
With the right mindset, you can overcome every fear!
