At a networking event, one of my colleagues told me that she felt like a failure.
She was going to start working part-time until her revenue came back up. Or, she muttered, maybe she’d just give up.
Knowing her level of awesomeness and how much she enjoyed serving her clients, I knew that wasn’t what she wanted, in her heart.
Building your own business is the biggest and most amazing self-development adventure that you could ever experience. Along with the good, comes what feels like, the not-so-good.
Along with the expansion comes…the contraction.
And, the coolest part is that you get to choose what everything means by choosing how you think about it. (And bumps in the road like this, by the way, are why working one-on-one with a mentor or coach is so vitally important.)
Ok, let me tell you (another) little story.
As you know, I started to build my coaching business while I was working in a corporate sales job. It was definitely a “side business” because I didn’t work on it more than 10 hours each week (including client coaching calls).
Then, one emotional day, I was given a gift: I was part of a massive downsizing and was presented with 10 weeks of severance pay.
I knew that this was my opportunity to build my 6 figure business and never look back.
As the adventure unfolded, though, I wasn’t able to build a 6 figure business in 10 weeks (I focused on all the wrong things – more on this another time). So, I had to go back to work.
I had to get a J-O-B.
(And, don’t worry – – I’ve since learned exactly what I was doing wrong and what to do instead to speed up this learning curve. That’s what I teach my clients.)
I cried, I was tempted to give up, and I worked through it with my coach.
I looked at my family and wondered if all of this emotional chaos and time spent on my business was really worth it. I thought about giving up.
What I realized is that I could take responsibility for the situation – and how I felt about it – or I could play the victim card and throw in the towel. I’m not sure about you, but giving up felt like I’d be betraying myself somehow.
So, I chose to shift my perspective.
And, believe it or not, it was one of the most powerful choices I ever made.
It was all up to me: and I chose this new, powerful perspective.
When I opened up about this, I learned that many of my business owner colleagues had corporate ties, especially at the beginning of their business building adventure. Some did consultant work off and on while others worked part-time (or even full time).
The kicker for me was that it wasn’t how they defined themselves (or how their clients defined them). Instead, it was simply a means to an end. Working for someone else allowed them to continue to support their lifestyle and business as they built it in to the empire that they dreamed about.
In a way, it was sort-of like a Sugar Daddy funding their dream.
You’ve probably thought about how you’d give or do anything to have your dream business. If that’s really the case, why does working for someone else for a period of time fall outside of that realm?
You can – and will – get to the place that you are working full-time for yourself if that’s what you want. Another cool thing, too, is knowing that there are many people out there – like me – that have done exactly that.
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You can – and will – get to the place that you are working full-time for yourself if that’s what you want.
It can feel hard or difficult or challenging or overwhelming if you let it.
Choose expansive, fun, and exciting instead, though, OK? (And for some peeps, especially those just starting out, having some form of consistent income allows them just the right about of breathing room to see – and break through – challenges that would’ve kept them stuck otherwise.)
So, embrace your awesome.
Embrace this opportunity.
Allow yourself to follow your own path and, most importantly…
…allow it to be fun.
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Krista, this is such a great article! We can feel so much shame around needing to find a job working for someone else while pursuing our own dreams. I was let go from my corporate job and have begun my own venture, but I realize that I will likely need to work for someone else down the line and at first, this really bothered me, but now that I am so aligned with my personal work, I don’t care if I have to work for someone else! I am going to take it as a learning experience and take what I can from the experience to bring back to my dream!
Being really clear and focused and passionate about what we’re doing for our own business is key for sticking it out when the going gets tough. I’ve only just really found what makes my heart sing after a couple failed attempts at other ventures – because my heart wasn’t fully in them, I didn’t have the stamina to continue and do whatever it took to succeed – now I have that and it is so empowering.
Thanks again for this powerful message <3
Sherri – thank you for sharing! It’s so helpful for us to hear that it’s not always the path that we anticipate taking that leads us to where we want to be. I love your alignment, focus and passion – – it is obvious that you are in the right place in your life and biz!! Congrats xx
I made a little stepping stone for myself that sort of relates to your blog today. I was working a full-time, fully benefitted office job but wanted to build my own thing on the side. I realized I enjoyed my own work more than my J-O-B so I transitioned into a different, part-time “day job” to make myself happier. Sure, the pay is less, and I STILL would rather be working on my own business than in an office 4 hours a day, but it’s better than it was and it’s 7 minutes from home instead of a one-hour stop and go traffic commute. Basically all of my paycheck that I get from my new day job goes straight into my business, so that’s how I convince myself it’s all worth it! It’s really a matter of shifting things until your current situation (temporarily!) helps you sustain your dream to be indepenent!
Thank you for sharing Rochelle and hooray for you! As long as you keeping taking steps each day (seemingly small or big), you are getting closer and closer to your dreams. Sounds like you made a great decision that allows you to grow YOUR way. I’m celebrating your clarity and focus on what matters most to you!
Sometimes you’re lucky enough to make your calling a full time mission that pays your bills. But when you have a calling quitting is not an option….and you find another way to pay your bills.
Keep coaching. It’s your gift to the world.
My world wouldn’t be the same without your influence.
Aw, Prudence, thank you! My world is better because it has YOU in it! I love seeing the impact you are making on ppl’s lives by sharing your gifts. xx
Hey Krista,
thank you for sharing. I am going through this right now and this is exactly what I needed to read. Some days are full of hopes and others not so much. I try to remind myself that my job is a blessing because it allows me to build my dream business AND pay the bills at the same time. It’s not always easy to keep that perspective especially when something goes wrong on either one of them. But I learned how I feel depends on me not the circumstances. Today I am grateful that my job is in the same field as my dream biz which means I get to practice what I love everyday even if it’s not completely on my terms.