You’ve seen Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, Psycho, right? There’s the scene when the girl in the shower screams at the top of her lungs right before her life comes to an end.
Picture that same blood-curdling scream coming from my mouth as I transferred $3,500 from my business savings account into my checking account. What was that chunk of change for? It was all going to a marketing and rebranding company that I decided to hire. You can only imagine the thoughts that started running through my head. As a business owner, I’msure you can relate to this.
One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Jefferson: “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” How amazingly true is that?! As an entrepreneur, that quote should be read aloud, daily. It’s a reminder that taking risks is very much a part of life, and is essential in business development. How else will you get from point A to point B without putting a few things on the line? To me, that’s exciting.
You often forget that reaching certain goals may require some pretty scary stuff, but only because it’s a step outside your comfort zone. That one risk could mean getting a 30 second radio spot or influencing another 100 people. It could also mean you’re out $250 or spend five hours marketing in the wrong places … but that’s part of this. Entrepreneurship should be defined as risking and learning because that’s precisely what owning a business is. I love it.
Do your research.
I did my homework before I had my mini heart attack, so you should too. I would never make that type of investment without having already known the person, having asked around, or followed them on social media. Yes, I admit, I was still freaking out that I had to drop this amount of money to get the things I wanted off the ground, but in all honesty I was happy to do it and am now looking forward to the first phases in this process. I had to remind myself that no matter what, I was going to get some value out of this, as I know this company delivers.
It’s important to sit back and evaluate your progress as a business owner. These types of brainstorming sessions reveal change. I recently had a heart-to-heart with one of my business coaches and we came to the realization that what I had to been doing wasn’t really working and that something big needed to happen, which I why I reached out to the marketing group. You have to track development, shoot for the stars and really hold yourself accountable so you’re able to catch things as you go. If it doesn’t work, stop, think, reevaluate, plan and progress just as I did.
Remember, i’s an adventure. Get excited about risk.
When you have to make changes, it means that you’re growing as a business owner and that you perhaps have more to offer the world. Awesome! Go into your investments with a clear vision, a strong backing on your businesses value and an optimistic mindset. You will be a better person at the end of the day for trying something new.
Something great is waiting for you. Go get it!
Try to envision a person walking with a cane on a racing track. They stop, look up, and realize that their goal is tangible and that they are worthy of obtaining it. They drop the cane and take off in full sprint towards greatness. Who knows what’s ahead, but who cares. You’re too willing to let anything slow you down, even if the risk may seem like a nightmare! (Visuals help motivate me.)
