Welcome to Notes From the Good Sis with Tenagne. We are at the corner of healing and entrepreneurship and we really have to talk about that decision that we make when you just know that you’re called to do more, be more and earn more and what it really takes to weather the journey of entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship isn’t sexy. And it is such a rollercoaster of emotions and obstacles that you should expect to overcome. Everyone gets so laser focused on building the business that they completely neglect the process of building the business owner. YOU. That’s right. You. So of course you feel overwhelmed when you become a full-time entrepreneur because being the CEO of your business is not enough. You have to learn how to become the CEO of your life.
I can’t even believe that it’s been like six and a half years since I made that decision to be an entrepreneur and I’ll honestly never forget that feeling. Nowadays you can look left and right and see entrepreneurs making money online and creating and manifesting the life that they want but this was the beginning of 2016 and chile I wasn’t even online consistently like that to begin with. I had an instagram and a facebook but it was very basic.
But I remember this feeling so specifically because I was scrolling online because I was looking for something to change my life. I really was. No, I'm serious, like I wanted to change my life. I was ending an engagement. I was a brand new mama. Sophia was literally eight months old and I was going through so much financial turmoil because of the relationship that I was in that I was driven into entrepreneurship because I had a financial need. I was broke and broken.
There was too much month left at the end of the money, you feel me. I was teaching second grade full-time, I was in my doctoral program at Clark Atlanta University, going to school 10 hours a week in person.
And I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve shared these major shifts so I really need you to see what was the driving force behind drastically changing the last six years of my life with that one decision. You need a driving force. You need a strong desire and a strong why to even start your journey as an entrepreneur. Here are just a few of those mindset shifts I’ve made over the last six years to sustain the entrepreneurship journey.
Be completely honest with yourself
And if this sounds easy, it’s not. Being honest with yourself is more than just telling the truth. Its being vulnerable, accepting your mistakes, being reflective and self-aware because some of us are still brushing off so in short, I need you to make a commitment to address your fears and limiting beliefs that can negatively impact your willingness to persevere.
Take 100% responsibility for yourself
You have to learn how to see yourself as self-employed. When you transition from the employee mindset, that 9-5 mindset and structure, to now being self-employed, you have to develop the mentality of a highly independent, self-responsible, self-starting individual. You are now the CEO of your own business and so taking initiative and holding yourself accountable is a personal development skill you just have to develop.
Practice self discipline
I had to delay short term gratification and take small daily steps to develop consistency. One of the most important ways to develop the discipline you need to create the life you desire is to be mindful of and limit your distractions. Your focus comes from eliminating distractions. If you don’t separate yourself or limit yourself from your distractions, your distractions will separate you from your goals.
Be willing to fail
I had to be willing to find answers in learning. I had to understand that feedback comes through failed experiences and this feedback was the only way for me to learn, shift, and pivot.
I know I know. Social media got everybody thinking entrepreneurship is all fun and games. But work, the mental toughness, and the growth that it takes to sustain the entrepreneurship rollercoaster is not for the weak hearted. Whew
You will find out quickly that your income will grow only to the extent that you do and every successful entrepreneur will tell you the importance of personal development in their journey.