3 things you must know if you want to succeed

Over the past 6 years that I've been an entrepreneur, I've learned a lot of things. Last week when I was speaking with one of my clients, she asked me what I wish I knew when I first got started. After giving it some thought, I've compiled my top three lessons that I've learned over time and wish I knew way back when. 

 1. It takes a village to grow your business. Yes, that's right. If you think that you will be able to get to where you want to go without other people's help and support, you're wrong. Ask anyone who has achieved big time success, and they will have a mile long list of all of the people who have helped them get there. Business isn't a solo sport, and the sooner you realize that having a team is essential, the sooner you'll get to where you want to go. In other words, the longer you choose not to have ongoing and consistent support guidance, and accountability, the more you're delaying your success and leaving it to chance. 

The next steps for you to take: 

Create a team of interns starting day #1 of your business regardless of your budget. 

Find a business coach who you connect with and who can help you achieve your goals.

Pair up with an accountability partner who you check in with daily or weekly.

Figure out what you can delegate and outsource in your business.

Barter services in the beginning if necessary in order to get the support you need.

2. Success doesn't happen overnight, so don't expect it to. Oh the overnight success story. We all want one. Rags on Monday and riches by Tuesday. It doesn't happen. Overnight successes are illusions - they're years of hard work that are packaged into a pretty story that presents itself as an overnight success. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your business is no different. That said, know that success WILL happen. Rome, after all, was built and stands tall to this day.

Next steps for you to take: 

Manage your expectations - set goals that stretch you, but that are still realistic.

Focus on your accomplishments; if you're always thinking about what still needs to be done, you'll never be happy or feel successful.

Do whatever you can to skyrocket the rate of your success (i.e. refer to #1 above).

Learn from those who have already succeeded.

Surround yourself with high achieving peers who will keep you motivated and focused.

3. You will feel scared shitless sometimes. I'm not going to sugar coat this for you. You're not reading this right now for me to tell you a made-up business fairytale; you're reading this because you want the truth. Having your own business is going to feel super scary and overwhelming at times. Sometimes, especially at the beginning, you might even fee like this is the case all of the time. That's okay. Fear might slow you down, but it won't kill you. And everyone who has achieved big success has felt the same way. You're in good company.

Next steps for you to take:

Action is the cure to fear. Stop thinking about doing something and just do it.

Become friends with fear. Expect it to show up and make peace with it.

Ask yourself, "what am I REALLY scared of?" What you're scared of on the surface is probably not what you're really scared of deep down.

Take the best care of yourself possible. The better you take care of you, the better you'll be able to take care of your business. 

Reach out for support - you're not in this alone (refer to #1 again).

PS. Let's set up a 30 minute complimentary Business Strategy Session for you and me to talk about what's going on for you right now, where you want to go, and how you can get there. I believe that you and I have connected for a reason, and that you're reading this today because you want to get to the next level. I only have a limited number of spots available, so be sure to sign up asap. So excited to speak with you soon!

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How to get your first (or next) 5 clients

Most of the people I speak with were ready to start working with more clients and making more money yesterday. 

And I get it. 

Once you figure out who you want to help and how you went to help them, there's a momentum that builds that makes you just want to dive in immediately. 

Without knowing the right next steps to take, however, it can take you a lot longer than you would like to start attracting and working with your ideal clients and making the kind of money that you want.

So today, I'm going to share with you what some of those next steps are. And the awesome thing about these steps is that they're super simple and completely free. 

You're going to want to print this page out or take notes, so grab a notebook if you haven't already. 

1. Tell EVERYONE you know what you do. I don't mean almost everyone or kinda everyone. I mean EVERYONE. Your friends and family and their friends and family. All of your Facebook friends. Your Twitter followers. And while you can always bring it up when you see people, that's not what I mean. I don't mean to just tell them when it's convenient or when the opportunity presents itself. I mean - go out of your way to let them know. Email everyone. Then follow up with a phone call. Then if they're still interested in finding out more, you can follow up with an in person meeting too. 

2. Tell EVERYONE you don't know too. Okay, this time I don't literally mean everyone. For this step, reach out to the people who work with your ideal client. For example, let's say you're a dietician. In all likelihood, your client might also benefit from working with a personal trainer and maybe a therapist too. So then you start googling: personal trainer, your location. And then you do the same thing you did with step #1. You email them, follow up with a phone call, and then if you feel like it would be beneficial to meet in person, then schedule that too.

3. Offer to speak for free. People become clients because of the KLT factor - know, like, trust. In order for someone to go from a prospective client to a paying client, they need to know who you are, they need to like you, and they need to trust that you'll be able to help them. With this in mind, the fastest way to create that is by connecting with them in person. Reach out to every place you can think of that your ideal client could be. If you're a personal chef, that could be every health food store or yoga studio in your area. Call them and ask them if they would be interested in offering a workshop on healthy eating to their clients. The studio or store benefits because they are adding more value to their clients' experiences, the ideal clients benefit because they get to learn something that's important to them, and you benefit because more people get to find out about what you do and how you can help them. Everybody wins. 

4. Post weekly videos of you sharing tips. Videos are so cool because they give your ideal client a really good sense of who you are, which means that they will connect with you more quickly. If you have a Mac like me, just go to iMovie and record a 3-5 minute video sharing a few tips that could benefit your ideal client. Then put it on your blog, Facebook and Twitter, and share it on your newsletter too, if you have one. As someone who is big on practicing what she preaches, I'm starting to do videos again too! It will be posted on my blog later this week. 

5. Give people a sample. People love getting things for free. I mean, who doesn't love getting those mini spoons to taste ice cream flavors before you have to decide which one you're going to get? Also, people are more likely to buy after they first get a better idea of what they're buying. For example, aren't you more likely to buy a shirt after you try it on? It might look great on the hanger, but you don't know how it will fit on you until you try it on. The same thing goes with your business. You can offer a free teleseminar, open spots in your calendar to speak with potential clients for free, or invite people to ask you questions that you answer on your blog every week. Giving things for free makes it easier to eventually charge a fee. Free before fee. 

One more thing. While all of these things are straightforward, easy to do, and completely free, you will only see results if you implement them consistently. The key word is consistency. Not every other week. Not once in a while. All the time. And let's be real. It's not always so easy to stay focused, keep yourself disciplined, and do whatever it takes no matter what. 

Which is probably why you're reading this newsletter today - because you already know that to some degree. With that in mind, Let's set up a 30 minute complimentary Business Strategy Session for you and me to talk about what's going on for you right now, where you want to go, and how you can get there. I believe that you and I have connected for a reason, and that you're reading this today because you want to get to the next level. I only have a limited number of spots available, so be sure to sign up asap. So excited to speak with you soon!

Want to receive more free tips like these delivered directly to your inbox every week? (Plus you'll receive your Free Five Day Mini Course: The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Be Your Own Boss") Sign up here to receive them starting next Monday! :)

Today, Just take ONE step (that's all)

So back to February 2007. I remember that I had spent months (or even years) up to this point trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. 

I wrote to do lists, pros and cons of different paths to take, and read What Color is My Parachute? I was pooped - totally mentally exhausted and drained from all of it. 

I've often found that right when you're about to lose it, something miraculous happens. The Universe (or God or a higher source - however you may see it) steps in and basically says, "It's OK. I got you."

And that's exactly what happened. I was freaking out and an opportunity presented itself.

One day, while I was organizing my mom's walk-in closet, she said 5 words that ultimately changed my life forever:

"You should start a business."

Now, many times, when your mom says something to you, you don't listen - or at least I don't. But this time, for whatever reason, whether it was because I was overwhelmed or at my breaking point or the stars were aligned, I went for it. 

Of course, I probably first responded with high levels of doubt and hesitation. But I knew that this was a life preserver being thrown my way, and it was my choice to reach for it or keep treading the water. 

Now, I didn't know the first thing about starting a business. I didn't know what it meant or what it looked like, and I didn't have friends who were business owners. I was 100% clueless. 

That said, the idea of continuing to feel purposeless and directionless felt considerably scarier than pursuing something that I knew nothing about. 

So this is what I did. I took one step. Really. One single step. And then another. 

My mom took me to Barnes and Noble and she bought me a bunch of organizing books. Then I started googling companies that would certify me in professional organizing. Then I signed up for one of them. Now whether I would take the same steps now or not doesn't really matter in telling the story. 

The point is, that I took one step at a time, and I just kept moving. 

Maybe you've been thinking about starting your own business, or you recently started one, or you've had one for a little while, but feel stuck and need to figure out how to get more clients and make more money asap. Wherever you are right now is totally okay. 

If you're reading this newsletter, it's probably because you know deep down that you need some additional support and guidance. You know that whatever you're doing right now isn't totally working for you. And that's totally okay too. 

Today, just take one step. Let's set up a 30 minute complimentary Business Strategy Session for you and me to talk about what's going on for you right now, where you want to go, and how you can get there. I don't believe in coincidences, and I know that you're reading this today for a reason. I only have a limited number of spots available, so be sure to sign up asap. So excited to speak with you soon!

Want to receive this article delivered directly to your inbox every week? (Plus you'll receive your Free Five Day Mini Course: The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Be Your Own Boss") Sign up here to receive them starting next Monday! :)