Lessons I've Learned from Coaching New Entrepreneurs
©Hest Creative
13 Entrepreneurial Insights to Ponder
As an executive coach working with entrepreneurs on their creative branding, I have held space for transformational conversations. While my clients are experiencing their own growth in these sessions, I am gleaning their ideas, wisdom, and insight. Here are some of the many incredible lessons my clients have taught me about what it takes to be a prosperous and resilient entrepreneur.
Creativity is a superpower.
We all have it, but not all of us recognize it. New entrepreneurs can find direction, inspiration, motivation, and resilience by tapping into their creative energy. Creativity, however, lives in the realm of dreams and possibility, not task lists and analytics. Nurture and develop your creative thinking to find real game-changing success.
Entrepreneurship is a challenge of mindset, not skill or talent.
What I have witnessed in my coaching sessions is often a surprise with just how much self-doubt, fear, perfectionism, and other limiting beliefs get stirred up when starting a business. The focus is often on what you must learn to build your practice, not what you need to face or unlearn within your inner being. Coaching for my clients weaves together the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental markers of growth for lasting change that doesn't happen overnight. There is no one YouTube video or book you can read to help you face your inner demons. It is a practice of awareness, recentering, and alignment that creates entrepreneurial resilience, determination, and expansiveness.
There needs to be a greater WHY other than making money.
Don't get me wrong, money matters, and I want all my clients to tap into it, but growing a business takes a deep passion for change. A significant cause that your business is in alignment with. My clients discover their motivation during challenging times as they feel called to make an impact and find their businesses are more significant than themselves. This perspective pulls them out of fear and into action. Your why is a powerful driving force!
Entrepreneurship often feels like you are sludging through thick mud.
It's normal to feel like you are not making enough progress or that your process is too slow compared to your expectations. It's a messy experience and often surprising. I hear this frustration regularly from my clients. It can sometimes feel all too slow, but taking stock of just how far you have come can help. These micro-achievements are, infact, building a foundation; we can't always see how. Entrepreneurship tests our sense of trust. We must believe an outcome is possible, even if the path forward is unclear. This journey is about consistency and showing up even when you're covered in mud, uncomfortable, and confused.
We seek direct results; we're rewarded with life lessons.
My clients often are focused on a tactical outcome, thinking that achievement will lead to a significant payday or a new contract. That outcome is feasible, but there will likely be some life lessons to challenge your tolerance along the way. When my clients slow down their thinking and build their awareness skills, they find these lessons are powerful moments of growth and up-leveling. Entrepreneurship is about the physical wins, but it is also about tremendous personal growth and unexpected gains.
Nature is a great teacher.
Glacier National Park was not formed overnight; great beauty takes time to cultivate, and the process is often volatile and turbulent. My clients often find nature a source of inspiration, metaphors, and stillness. A nature-centered mindfulness practice can lead to incredible resourcefulness and creativity. Is it time to take a walk?
You always have a choice.
This is such a difficult but necessary lesson to learn. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle full of choices, but your choices can have challenging consequences. Leveraging choice means that you have agency and can rise above victimhood at all times and in the face of all challenges. As a new entrepreneur, you learn to think and act differently, making more choices, often with greater personal risk. Hone the art of your power and decision-making.
Integrity matters.
My clients have helped me see the real meaning of finding integrity in your business. Any marketing, branding, or business strategy should start with an infusion of values, morals, and personal beliefs. Your business will not be for everyone (which is excellent!), but your decision-making process will be rooted in authenticity and alignment with your inner self. Finding your integrity means your brand's voice will be clear, concise, and intentional, and those who need to hear your message will find it.
Advice is cheap; inner awareness takes practice.
New entrepreneurs are curious and open to input from trusted sources. They are eager to learn from others and seek direction from experts. This behavior is normal and part of the process. I see this practice in my clients all the time. These training wheels only help you go so far. Eventually, you will need to act and think on your own and find your unique approach. This independence is what will set your business apart from all the others and help you step into confidence. Trust your intuition and be careful of the impact of too much advice.
Entrepreneurship is about alignment, not compartmentalization.
If you have worked for someone else in a typical employment setting before starting your business, you know that a survival mechanism is to categorize your work life from your personal life. While separation is still essential for entrepreneurs, the borders are less clear. When new entrepreneurs craft their work hours and approach how they work, it is critical to relax some of these boundaries and realize there is an ebb and flow. How you treat yourself outside work hours is just as important as how you show up to a client meeting. Have compassion and practice self-care so you can focus on aligning all aspects of your life while fueling your entrepreneurial energy. Your mental and physical health is just as important as your business strategy.
You don't know how strong you are until you face adversity.
Entrepreneurship helps you identify and utilize an inner strength you didn't know you had. My clients are often shocked at how hard starting a business is, but simultaneously, they are amazed at their capacity for growth. Don't undersell yourself. You're strong and equipped to face tremendous adversity. Know that it is not a sign of weakness to rely on others for support along the way. A coach, friend, therapist, family member, or hired help can all be great members of your adversity team! Strength comes from how you show up, not the support you seek along the way.
A positive outlook can be beneficial.
This optimistic view doesn't mean toxic positivity, but it does mean allowing yourself to dream, play, and experiment. It means integrating joy and happiness into your day. Bursts of positivity have been shown to boost satisfaction and productivity, so don't shy from a break, going to a fitness class in the middle of the day, cutting out early for a social meet-up, or a special splurge. A great book on this topic is The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor.
Focus on creating value, not what you hope to gain.
This topic often arises in coaching; our brain usually races to an outcome, but we must focus on how we contribute. Concentrating on giving value might mean facing a fear of competition (a limiting belief) and rephrasing it with a desire to collaborate (an abundance mindset). This might mean going out of your way to help a client, even if it means losing them. Focusing on creating value means making ethical decisions. Offering value doesn't mean giving services away for free; creating value also means valuing yourself. This lesson is rooted in your sense of integrity; it's an approach and a way of showing up every day.
What do you think?
What lessons have you learned from starting your business? What was unexpected or difficult to digest but ultimately helped your development? What would you add to this list? I would love to hear your input!
