What Entrepreneurship ACTUALLY Means (& How I Became A CEO)
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The life of an entrepreneur is often portrayed as being super glamorous, complete with sports cars and first-class plane tickets. But it’s not like that at all. And definitely not when you’re first starting out as a business owner. So today I want to talk to you about the real-life of an entrepreneur and the processes that go into becoming the CEO of your own company.
Before we get into it, I have an amazing new challenge that’s perfect for new entrepreneurs and influencers, it’s called the infinite video impact challenge. And if you’re looking to drive massive impact and profit for your business, check it out in the description below. Because I’m putting out videos every single week about how to monetize your YouTube channel and become the entrepreneur you’re meant to be.
I became an entrepreneur by accident, which I feel like is a lot, is a very common story for entrepreneurs that they didn’t really think that this was what they were going to do, but they were able to turn their hobby into a business which is exactly my story started.
That I was a dental hygienist, I was cleaning teeth all day, kind of boring. So because I was bored, I was doing social media for the office between patients. And from there, their IT guy noticed and said, “Hey, can I refer you to another one of my clients?” And he referred me to all of his clients. And that’s when I started to realize, that there was an opportunity here. And that’s the big key with entrepreneurs, is they see a solution, or a problem that needs to be solved, that they can provide that solution for. They see a need that needs to be filled, or they see an opportunity that they can really capitalize on. And that’s how the dream starts.
So for me, I realized that I was good at creating content and that there were companies that needed to promote themselves online, especially as social media and video marketing are only growing and becoming more important to companies. I found the opportunity that I could leave what I was doing in dental hygiene and do this full time. Meaning that I wouldn’t have a ceiling on my income anymore and I wouldn’t have the lifestyle of being in a nine to five. I always wanted freedom and flexibility. To be able to set my own hours, to travel when I wanted to, heck to go to doctor’s appointments without asking permission. I feel like that’s why most entrepreneurs take the leap and become an entrepreneur. It’s because they want to have this lifestyle and flexibility, and freedom and they want to be able to give back and make a massive impact, and a profit while they’re at it.
Alex Charfen is someone that I admire so much, and he has a book called “The Entrepreneurial Personality Type.” And he really sets out in this book how our personality, our type, the way that we’re wired is different than most people. And sometimes that makes us like the black sheep. But what’s so fascinating about it is that, as Alex says, “Entrepreneurs are the only consistent source of positive human evolution, and always will be.” We’re the ones that are willing to fight the dragons and take those leaps and have less comfort and security because we see the vision of what we want to create for this world, and make our dent in the universe.
In the beginning, it was just about getting out of my nine to five. How could I make enough money to replace that income so I could work for myself. And once I accomplished that goal, it was how could I expand this business? How can I get more clients? How can I increase my impact and my revenue, and bring on a team? So I learned pretty quickly that it was a new level, new devil. You reach the goal, and then there’s the next one. It’s never this feeling of like smooth sailing and I’ve made it. You get to that goal, you reach that accomplishment, and it’s what’s next? Which I feel like is another struggle for entrepreneurs, is there’s never this finish line. And we have committed ourselves to a lifestyle of inconsistency and, and constant transition. The only thing that’s consistent is being inconsistent.
Leaving the security of a nine to five is probably one of the biggest things that held me back for a long time. I was feeling like I needed to get to a certain level before I’d be ready. Like once I get another client I’ll be ready, or once I take this course, or once I have this skill, or once I’m an expert, then I’ll be ready. Major imposter syndrome that everyone faces at some point or another. Especially growing up where the belief was, go to school, get a good job, make a good salary, get your two to three weeks of vacation, and enjoy your life. And I discovered pretty quickly that having someone else sign my paychecks didn’t feel comfortable for me. I wanted to create, and not have a ceiling on my income, and not have rules for when I needed to show up and where I needed to show up. But I definitely had to first overcome mindset shifts, and the belief systems that I had that were holding me back thinking that this was secure. I had to redefine those beliefs and decide what was really best for me and my entrepreneurial personality type.
So for me, the three biggest things I learned since starting my own business was number one, to invest in myself, financially, mentally, emotionally, physically. And I actually made a whole video about this on my YouTube channel, where I talked about the importance of investing in yourself. And it’s about giving to yourself so that you can become the leader that you’re meant to be. I need to make sure that I am taken care of first and foremost, so that I can give my best, so that I can give myself the ingredients that I need to give my best to my team, to my family, to my clients. And investing in myself means like, the time that I need for my mindset to be at its best because for me to grow, I have to constantly be able to push through those boundaries and those limitations or the challenges that I have. And to also invest in myself financially when it comes to my personal development, my professional development, having mentors to lead the way and to learn from, and to support me in growing who I am and where my business is meant to go.
The second lesson was to build a team around me. And if I could go back, I probably would have built a team sooner. My superpower is in strategy and creation, and working with my clients. And one of the things that held me back for so long was feeling like I had to do it all myself. That I thought I was this snowflake unicorn and that I was the only person that could do all of these things. But I very quickly learned that there’s a ceiling on that. And I wanted so badly to not have a ceiling on my income and to be able to reach more people, make a bigger impact, and a bigger profit. But you can only do so much with your 40 hours a week, or let’s be honest, entrepreneurs do not work just 40 hours a week. But I wanted to be able to do more. And I can only do so much in the 24 hours a day that I have. So I needed to build a team around me so that I could be the visionary that I meant to be in my business and lead the team. And I’ve always said that my job as a leader is to create more leaders. And I can’t do that when I’m stuck in the tactical of the day-to-day things like even things like designing a graphic, or checking my email when there are things that are more strategic and things that are actually going to move the needle in the business. So building a team around me made all the difference.
And the third lesson, was to just be willing to take risks. As an entrepreneur, like I said, you have signed up for a life of inconsistency and constant transition. So the anxiety and the leaps you’re going to take in your business, and the risks you’re going to take to become like your new normal. You are constantly facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, and roadblocks and that’s what you’ve signed up for. Any business that isn’t growing, is dead. Any business that isn’t broken, has closed. Your business is, another Alex Charfen quote, “Your business will constantly be broken. And if you’re doing it right, that’s a good thing.” And what that means is, you’re constantly evolving. And even as you grow in one area, another area needs to be able to evolve and transition to meet that. So let’s say for example, if you have an amazing sales process, now you need to be able to improve your fulfillment process so that your business can always be at a level where you’re growing and not broken from being stagnant or not having the systems in place to really serve your audience and your clients to the best degree.
If you’re new to the entrepreneurship world, I have a whole playlist for you that walks through the types of questions that you’re going to get asked to make the most of this career and the most of your personal development. Because I believe that your business will only grow to the level that you do. So, personal development, growth, entrepreneurship, motivation is so important to me. So go check out that playlist.
I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit about my origin story and how I’ve grown to become the entrepreneur that I am today. And for all you entrepreneurs out there, I’d love to learn more about how you got started with your business. So let me know in the comments below.