You’re an entrepreneur, which means you’re a gambler by nature. In fact inherent in the definition of entrepreneur is the fact that you take significantly more risk than other people. Yet I wonder, are you REALLY betting on yourself?
Or do you stop when it gets too risky either financially OR when it comes to being visible with your point of view?
There is a commercial that has grabbed my attention – a Ford Edge commercial.
The copy is simple, it goes like this as she drives city streets: “2,434,311 people in this city, and only one me. I’ll take those odds.”
First, I love it because it speaks to someone like me, and they’ve even written an article about their target audience for the ad, “unstoppable people.” I love when a commercial really hits home with a deep insight like this.
It’s also so true of what it means to be an entrepreneur. We bet on ourselves. We look around at all of the ‘stuff’ in the marketplace, and all of the people doing all of the things, and we say, at the end of the day I bet on myself.
Leaving Corporate
I remember being in corporate, and a lot of my clients have expressed a similar thought, when I looked around and I saw how much energy I was putting into making someone else money, and I knew I had some form of unique talent that many of my colleagues didn’t have, and I thought I might be better off betting on myself.
But it took me a long time to actually do it… because while I saw that I was unique, I also doubted my talent. (Little did I know at the time that success is 10% about talent and 90% courage and perseverance…)
Prioritizing Growth
I’ve found that it is one thing to go into business, because you know you have a passion for something and you have something unique to offer the world, it is a whole other ballgame to truly bet on yourself… prioritizing your growth, education, and evolution, above all else as CEO of your business. Not to mention your joy and happiness.
I was in a training last month where we talked about having personal growth be the #1 priority, and rather than having the game be about anything else, it’s about your personal growth. And I have found that to be true for me… I’ve taken risks and made changes I needed to make in line with my commitment to personal growth which otherwise would have been too scary to make without that context.
Most people get into business and will only go so far in terms of their own level of risk, and commitment to growth. And they stop at a certain point, and can’t figure out why they are not growing. Or worse, they lie to themselves about how they are growing, telling themselves that small incremental growth is enough, or that they are learning, even though it’s not reflected in their sales. Your growth is always reflected in sales, and it doesn’t take that long for it to show up.
It’s Risky To Grow
We think that investing in a new technology or a sponsorship or speaking slot is risky. And it can be. But the real risk comes in allowing yourself to grow. In being willing to constantly move past your own comfort zone in the WAYS OF BEING that have gotten you to where you are, so that you can step into who you need to become to go the next level. It’s always our own limitations that we cannot see that keeps the next level from happening with magic and ease.
And It Never Stops
Even though people told me this, that as an entrepreneur you never stop growing, I have to admit some part of me didn’t believe it. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” they said. And I have. And yet deep down I was always thinking at some point this discomfort will stop. At some point, for a little while, I’ll be on top of everything and it won’t feel like a gamble anymore.
In some ways it does get easier. You have systems that deliver the right clients to you, and you learn the ways that are most in alignment for you to make money, etc. And yet at this point you also have more to lose. And once again you’re making decisions that feel impossible, and stepping into more growth.
This week already I’ve stepped into multiple new financial commitments that will allow myself and my team to grow. They are consistent with what I want to create, and my company culture. And I don’t yet know exactly how it is all going to work out. I have to admit I wanted to wait until I DID know exactly how it was going to work out before making the decisions, but then I remembered that Spirit doesn’t work that way, and neither does business. (And don’t forget they are one and the same). So here we go again. And again and again.
If you’re waiting to know how before you make a decision to grow, you are allowing the external circumstances to dictate your growth, and you’re not truly betting on you.
Six million active businesses in the U.S., and only one of you. I’ll take those odds. Will you?
If you’re ready to step into your next level of growth that will allow you to raise your rates and simplify your business model, join me at the Inner Alignment Intensive, designed to help you experience who you need to become at the next level of growth.