It doesn’t matter how much you plan and prepare, you are going to screw up at some point.
As an entrepreneur, mistakes are a part of life.
If you’re scared of failure, scared of messing up, scared of making HUGE mistakes, you’d better go find yourself a “regular” job that has more stability because entrepreneurship is NOT for you.
I’ve made more mistakes in my 12 years as a business owner than I can count.
Here are a few of them:
I hired idiots. Seriously. I hired people that said they were competent enough to do a specific job, but they weren’t. They wasted a ton of my money and made me look stupid.
What I learned: Do your research before you hire someone. Don’t hire the cheapest person. Hire the person that can do the job better than you could ever do it yourself.
I spent money on trainings that I didn’t need, but bought into their sales pitch (I’m a sucker for a good sales pitch).
What I learned: Work with a 1:1 coach first. Spend the money, it’s worth it. And then, only invest in trainings and other programs if they are TRULY a good fit for where you are in your business. (Also: Make a plan to actually IMPLEMENT what you learn.)
I spent a ton of money on a website and branding that wasn’t ME. My first coaching website was pink and purple because I thought that’s what my audience (women) would want. Hahahaha. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a pink & purple kind of gal. I ended up spending a few thousand dollars more to completely re-do my website with branding that TRULY represents ME.
What I learned: Be you. Show up as you. People can tell if you’re faking it and it’s a total turn off. Say what you want, dress how you want and design your business (including your website!) the way that truly represents you and who YOU are.
I spent all day long on the computer. I ended up in the hospital as a result.
What I learned: You HAVE to have your priorities straight. Focus on the right things, at the right time, in the right way and don’t sway from that plan - ever. Take breaks. Lots of them. Enjoy how nice it is with the computer turned off for awhile.
I waited until everything was perfect before I’d leap. If my website wasn’t perfect, I didn’t mention it. If my program wasn’t 100% perfect, I wouldn’t launch it. If my email didn’t sound “right”, I wouldn’t send it. You get the picture.
What I learned: You have to remember that “done” is better than “perfect”. You can always fix things later, but if you keep waiting for something to be perfect, it never will be and you’ll never share it with the world. In other words, leap before you’re ready.
As you can see, I have done a lot of stupid shit in my business and this is honestly only the tip of the iceberg. I’ve failed many times over and I will continue to fail and make mistakes and screw up.
That’s just a part of being an entrepreneur and it’s - honestly - something I love, because there is a lesson in every mistake and every “failure”. And those lessons are what keep me growing as a business owner.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, gentest. Welcome them. Embrace them. And know that you’re going to kick ass, no matter what.
xx,
Cassie