Are you an Entrepreneur?
Good. This is for you.
So you’ve made the decision to be your own boss, congratulations! Whether you made that decision yesterday or 10 years ago, this is something to be revered.
It’s not difficult to image that being an entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges; taking the leap of faith, staying motivated, leaning into your talents, and developing yourself on all levels takes a certain level of gusto. You’re a force to be reckoned with, a visionary, a leader, and quite possibly even a little crazy (or a lot crazy, but that’s up to you). In fact, more often that not, everything is up to you, or that’s what it can feel like.
Being an entrepreneur takes vision, long hours, creativity, dedication, fast learning, and making tough decisions on a timeline (to say the least). This often looks like large amounts of time spent alone, grinding away to the tune of a soft caffeine headache and a glaring computer screen into the wee hours of the night… er, morning? While you’ve probably got a whole tool belt of amazing ideas, plans, strategies, qualities, equipment, and programs; your most valuable asset? Your community.
In some respects the entrepreneurial journey really is all about you, but I’m here to remind you that leaning into your community is the true key to growing your business or practice, and making a difference (if that’s what you’re into). Reflecting on what values you want to bring to your community, and actually getting involved in it, will support you in connecting with resources that far exceed your own. Here’s the thing; if this sounds similar to a certain familiar business concept then you’re on the right track, but what is more valuable to speak to is the intention you place behind the practice of… networking (ew, gross).
Speaking to your genuine interests, creating and sharing the most authentic version of yourself, and noticing who you are being within your community, is where the true gold exists (financial and otherwise). Relating with people and building genuine relationships will naturally guide you to connect with those who will strongly support you in generating your success. Your community members are helpful in providing access to ample resources, sure, but exploring your relationships within your community has added value in ways less obvious and that we don’t often give credence to (and no, I’m not referring to ‘likes’ and the occasional ‘thumbs-up’).
Your community is magic in that they can provide you with accountability and advice, ears to listen, or shoulders to lean on. They can applaud your strengths and uncover areas of growth you may have yet to consider. They can celebrate your successes and motivate you to your next win, and hell, maybe even cook you the occasional meal. AKA, you are not alone, you lone wolf you.
Realistically, I’ve used just over 500 words to say something quite simple: get out of your head and into your heart, and notice who you’re being in your community. This is something that is a lot easier said than done (trust me, I know), and chipping at it alone typically isn’t the most effective way to go about expanding yourself and your business. This is a transformative process and will require it’s own set of elevated conversations and support structures, which is where a transformational and leadership coach can be essential.
If you are at all curious about what coaching can provide for you and your business or practice, I offer free sample sessions to anyone who’s serious about generating breakthroughs and long-term transformations in personal and professional development. Please feel free to view my Professional Coaching Profile here, and to reach out with any questions you may have!
Emma Dube
