There are several journeys in this adventure called entrepreneurship. Just as you end one, another one opens up. And each journey comes with several lessons. In this post, I will be highlighting just a few, but packed with so much to write down.Let’s dive right in!
There is a journey of gaining mastery, especially for those who have to build from their raw talents & passion. At this level, your rewards will mostly be goodwill and occasional referrals. Cash will often flow in trickles and being broke may be a regular language. If you’re lucky, you get to serve in exchange for proper training and help in gaining direction faster.
After this, is another journey of finding your voice and uniqueness as an authority in the marketplace. The struggle at this stage is that you’re now trying to level up and take the game higher. You’re trying to discover that unique signature that people will often call the sweet spot or selling point. Interestingly, you won’t be able to build authority jumping from one thing to another. There has to be one thing people can call your strength zone.
Next is the journey of attracting and growing your own kind of adience, those who appreciate and are ready to reward all the years of labour that you’ve put into your craft/profession. At this stage, you will need serious thick skin to endure the persecution from those who have become too familiar with your past and cannot afford to see you change. Eg, those old clients/colleagues who probably got free/cheap service for the so-called publicity.
Hey! You think this is the end? Calm down! I’m not through yet. So eat well for the journey is still far!At this junction, you now take another right turn that leads you into building certain structures that help you to become stable in the results you achieve for your customers. You begin to define your standards around marketing channels, reception of new clients, project time-frame, pricing, customer relationship, communication style, etc.
Trust me, you will learn most of these lessons while on the road. You will goof at some points and learn from it.Another lesson you will need to learn from here is how to place a premium on yourself. Never think it comes easy especially if you didn’t grow up under an atmosphere where people discuss or transact big figures. There’s a mental block you will need to break in order to charge what you’re really worth.
Congrats (just a little) because at this point, you’ve now started to find yourself. It’s at this point you’re now getting clear on what the future holds. You now have the boldness to bring people under you in order to mentor them. You’ve known a number of trade secrets and you’ve built signature touches that set you on an edge.
The challenge at this point is to find people who you can replicate yourself in. You’re looking for people you can trust well enough to give access into your treasury. What matters most to you at this point are two words: trust and loyalty.
This is where you begin to learn leadership & people management. At this point, you’re beginning to see a big picture that you alone can’t fit in. And then, like a movie director, you know the kinds of people and the qualities you need in each cast.
When you get through to this stage, you now begin to think about systems and culture.
I will stop here.
You see, I just sat down to document an adventure I’ve also been taking as an entrepreneur. Perhaps, you can relate with some of these landmarks I highlighted.
One thing I want you know is, we’re all on a journey. And every path has its own challenges. So, never struggle to be understood by people who have not gotten to the street you’re on. When they get there, it will all make sense. And never wound yourself because someone who’s not on the same journey with you finds it hard to understand your battles. It will never make sense to them and you just have to be at peace with it.
I remain your clarity coach and your clarity remains my priority.
