Today’s episode of The Stress Less Show is dedicated to all my fellow entrepreneurs out there. Let’s get real, launching a business is stressful! We have developed this great business idea that we are passionate about and it’s exciting, but building a business from the ground up is an emotional rollercoaster and if we are talking worry about job security, working for ourselves is filled with uncertainty, self-doubt, you name it! Fortunately, I brought investor, serial entrepreneur and coach, Emi Kirschner, on this week’s episode to help us stay focused on our entrepreneurial journeys.
Originally starting out as a personal chef and caterer, Emi has discovered that her road to a successful business isn’t as straightforward as one might imagine.
“If you'd asked me 10 years ago would I be here, I would have been like, ‘I've no idea.’ My path to entrepreneurship and owning several businesses has been the windiest path you could possibly imagine.”
Initially starting her coaching business as a health coach, she found her coaching organically moving into business coaching and supporting creative entrepreneurs to create their dream projects and businesses. Now a successful coach and international speaker, she is here to share her tips on how to keep going when we are starting our own businesses.
Tip #1: Don’t Stop at No
When we start a business, we often believe so passionately in the work we want to do. We go into the world inspired and ready to change the world. So it can feel devastating at times to face all of the rejection that is involved in actually bringing a business to life.
That is why Emi’s first tip is probably the most important piece of advice for all of us business owners and entrepreneurs out there. The reality of entrepreneurship is that we are going to hear no a lot more than yes when we are first starting out, but Emi stresses that we have to push through all of that rejection in order to succeed.
“No matter how many no's you get, just remember you're one closer to the yes.”
Behind every successful business is a trail of rejections. In those moments, it can feel like every rejection is the end of the line, but Emi’s perspective of looking at rejection as a step in our journey is crucial to keeping us going on the path to a successful business.
Tip #2: Build a Life Team Advisory Board
Let’s face it. Even though the road to success is filled with rejection, it doesn’t make it sting any less in that moment. Rejection sucks and as we keep going on our entrepreneurial journey and face rejection after rejection, sometimes we are going to reach a point where we feel like we are making mistakes and second guess our choices.
That is why Emi highlights the importance of building what she calls a Life Team for support when we feel uneasy, overwhelmed or unsure. Our life team’s purpose is to not only advise us but also keep us going. Emi suggests being strategic about who is in our Life Team.
“Those people aren't necessarily your friends and family, but they're the people that you meet and you start developing relationships with that are going to support you and your crazy idea. [They] can back you up in the persistence piece of continuing to move forward.”
This Life Team might include our financial planner, lawyers, assistants, coaches, and more. The key is to select the people that are going to inspire and empower us to take our businesses further and not give up when things get tough.
Tip #3: Manage Your Monkey Mind
While having a supportive life team behind us will help us remain motivated in our business journey, the fact is that our brains are still going to be filled with doubts and worries as we build our businesses. Emi’s final tip is a reminder that we have the power to manage those negative thoughts that will inevitably work into our minds.
“We have sixty thousand thoughts a day and most of them are not going ‘Hurrah, you're awesome!’ That's what causes us so much stress.”
Entrepreneurship often means we are thrust into new territory and that is bound to stir up our inner critic. However, the key to starting a successful business is the ability to push through those inner doubts and stay positive even when things get tough. The tough times are often a sign of change and those are the moments when we need to keep going.
“To be successful you have to get into your uncomfort zone.”
This episode was sponsored by the Tribe of Leaders Biz School. If you ready to be the CEO of your business, you can become a founding member of the Biz School when you join before Oct. 4th. Find out more here. View a full transcript of the episode here.