Transcript:

Hey there! I wanted to take a few moments and just share with you five of the biggest misconceptions about a successful business and being a successful entrepreneur.

The first one I want to share with you is actually one of the ones that I find most amusing. And it’s this misconception that entrepreneurs get to work from their bunny slippers. I have heard it so many times of people that are in jobs and they want to start their own business. And they’re like “I just want to work in my bunny slippers. I want to be in my robe. I don’t want to have to get dressed to go to work.” And the interesting thing is that how you show up is how you do everything. And the days that I, and many of my colleagues and other people that I’ve worked with, the days that we show up in our yoga pants and our bunny slippers – while technically, yes, we can do that – to do that on a regular basis you have low energy, you’re not as productive you’re not as effective. So yes, while you have the ability and the flexibility to not have to dress for work, what I do find is that, even though I work from home, I’ve got my home office here in a corner room of our home. It’s like 20 steps to the the family room into the kitchen, and even though it’s that close, I still get dressed for work. Because when I show up and I feel my best, I can give my best. And that’s where success comes from.

The second misconception is that entrepreneurs have flexible hours and they just have to check on a few things a couple hours here and there, and that’s all they have to do. Not the case! And if you’re listening, in you’re probably chuckling to yourself right now. A lot of times it’s the opposite. With a job, when you work 9:00 to 5:00, many people close up, leave it at work and you go home. As an entrepreneur, because a lot of times we work from our home office, our home and our family and our business are intertwined. So it really takes diligent discipline to create boundaries. I like to set my office hours so myself and my family – especially when my stepkids were home, and they were going to school and living with us – I like to set boundaries, so that I and my family, my friends, and my colleagues and co-workers, they know when I’m working. They know when I start, they know when I finish. And I honor those boundaries, so that worked is work time and family time is family time.

The third misconception is: just because I am great at coaching or doing whatever you do, means I’ll also have a great thriving business doing that same thing. And being a coach, being a great coach is one thing; being a thriving business owner it’s a very different mindset. As a coach, when you put on the head of the coach, you are focusing on doing the work of the coach. And working with your clients and supporting and serving them – now that’s phenomenal! It’s your passion, it’s what you’re enthusiastic about. And you must also put on the hat of the business owner, so that you can think like a business owner. Creating that well-oiled machine called a business, that’s going to help you find leads, convert them to prospects, engage them into being paying clients. There is a process and a structure to follow. And “the business owner you” is going to set that structure up and then consistently work that process, and work that structure. So you want to think like a coach, and think like a business owner. Both must be appropriate and show up equally.

The fourth misconception that I want to share with you is that it’s hard to do marketing. A lot of times I hear coaches say “I hate marketing!” The interesting thing that I find when I have a conversation with people is that you actually don’t hate marketing. You see, there’s just four simple steps. Because, really, marketing is just generating awareness. Now, there’s a lot of different ways you can do marketing, but it’s just generating awareness for the the problem that your ideal client faces. Or the problem that your coaching helps to resolve. So when you can generate awareness, when you can share your story and share your message with people, you’re generating awareness. And then, that leads into people, you capture leads for people who are interested in a solution to that problem. And then, the third step is that you guide them in a specific process to making a purchase decision. And then, finally you allow them to take action and buy. And that’s all that marketing is. You have to be clear in who you want to serve, what the problems are that they’re facing and the solutions that they’re looking for, and then you have to know how to communicate that a lot of times. When people say “I hate marketing”, they don’t actually hate marketing. They love talking about their passion, they’re just not sure who they want to serve or how to convey that message. Two very different things. Once you know that, I promise you, you’re gonna love marketing. Because really, marketing is just great coaching.

Now, the fifth misconception that I want to share with you is: entrepreneurs have to do everything themselves. It’s my business, it’s up to me, I’ve got to do it all myself. And this is a limiting belief that a lot of entrepreneurs have; it’s a villain that takes over pretty quickly, because it helps us to keep playing small – it’s the ego keeping us safe. And the truth is that when you know your zone of genius, and you can delegate the other necessary skill sets (because remember, when you’re thinking as a business owner there’s other things that you have to do in order to find those clients, get those clients, work with them and get paid by them; there’s a lot of stuff that happens behind the scenes). So when you can delegate some of those tasks, they actually – those that are proficient in those admin skills, or the systems and the processes, or the technologies behind your business, when they’re proficient – they get things done quicker and faster, with better results. So that frees up your time, you’re paying minimal for them to do their zone of genius, you’re getting better results, you’re focusing on doing what you love. So don’t fall into the mind trap of entrepreneurs have to do everything themselves. That only leads to burnout and resentment of your passion and your talent, and that’s not what we want. Because the world needs your work more than ever.

So keep in mind these five misconceptions and make sure that you turn them around in your business, so that you can bring all of you to your business, give all of you to your marketing, generating that awareness, capturing those leads, converting them and working with them. Like I said, the world needs your work now more than ever, and we don’t have time for you two to get held back by these misconceptions. So let’s break through those, get you fully out there, and doing the work you’re meant to do.

I love supporting you! I’m so proud of you! You’re doing great! Keep going!