Ever heard of the young entrepreneur who made £76 million in the blink of an eye?
There’s a lot of them all over the web. Speaking to you on social platforms in front of multi-million pound mansions. You too can live the entrepreneur’s dream they claim, if only you knew the secret sauce which they can divulge once you hand over your ready bucks. While many of these stories are online scammers’ efforts to cheat vulnerable people, others are genuine.
And in the genuine cases, what you mostly hear about is the genius idea they had and the hard graft they put in – the ‘1% inspiration, 99% perspiration’ story. You can forgive them some boasting if they fall into this category because without doubt they’ll have endured low points on their way to business growth.
Different business, same growth waves
While much is made of the dizzy heights of success that can be scaled with entrepreneurial flair, little is said about the many obstacles that arise that will challenge your conviction that you have what it takes.
Business growth is the same for everyone, no matter how unique your company is.
There will be times when nothing you do makes you feel any more useful than a chocolate teapot. When there seems no way out of the rut, day in, day out, as you try to keep the cogs of your company turning.
“Most of the female entrepreneurs we work with are on the verge of falling out with their business when we first meet them,” Wyseminds founder Julie Perkins tells Stephanie Martinez Rivera on the Joy Found Here podcast.
“They ask, ‘why don’t I like it anymore? Why do I resent having it in my life?’ But this is just the business poking them that something’s got to change… the headlines about amazing success stories are just headlines. Those business leaders will probably have had a very, very similar journey.”
Resistance – the negative energy keeping you stuck
Whatever the reasons, getting stuck is a trend common to all business owners. The first challenging phase comes after the initial growth when the company must transcend to a new level and adapt processes.
But the founder has no time so continues with the existing company infrastructure which is what puts you on the hamster wheel. We depict this scenario and its demotivating impact in Why Purpose Matters, our story of a fictional founder called Sofia.
As the person at the top, only you can do the letting go. It is resistance to this idea that makes you so determined to stick to your guns. The old ways have served your business beautifully so far; why should you change things?
The power of presence
When processes need to change, it’s hard to know where to start. It may sound counter-intuitive, but the first step to becoming unstuck is to separate yourself from your company.
Learning to be present can free the space for you to step back and look at the bigger picture to remember why you started your business in the first place. It’s not easy to do with a pesky to-do list tapping you on the shoulder every few seconds. But if you can master it, you’ll find a healthier, calmer mindset that will allow you to move aside for an objective view as you reconnect to your purpose.
Constantly asking what no longer serves is a valuable tool for breaking down seemingly insurmountable problems into manageable chunks so you can evolve through the challenges and expand your business.
The knotty problem of you
Going back to basics helps detangle the muddled maelstrom of your business into a few knotty strands. From those, you take each strand and detangle further. You are the knots and by smoothing them away you will be removing yourself, which is the fundamental step required to place your company in pole position for the next round of business growth.
Stopping, stepping back and delegating are integral to success. Your work on purpose and values will ensure your business retains the ‘essence’ of you but by passing the baton to people who are as good as, if not better than you, you’ll regain the energy to focus on the bigger picture.
Listen to the full discussion between Julie and Stephanie here or contact Wyseminds to learn how we can help you step off the treadmill of small stuff and out of your rut.
