Who believes a rose doesn’t have thorns?

I know many of you have seen those expectations vs. reality videos on Facebook. Oh…you have laughed at quite a few I’m sure. We often ask ourselves why someone would even attempt some so……..(You can fill in your word of choice) don’t they know that these are professionals? Well duh, of course, we realize that the person doing the expectations video has been rocking and rolling for some time but we still want to believe that we can do it too.

It is actually not that far fetched to believe that we can by some chance rise to the occasion and accomplish that thing that we see someone else do. Here is the thing…we can’t do that without believing that there is a high level of W O R K that is involved. No dear, you will not go into the gym and do the pole vault on the first try perfectly. You will probably meet some very nice EMTs and doctors. tho. Hey, that can be pretty fun too right?

As a business owner, the idea is very similar. We see someone make money doing “x” and so we attempt to do “x” not know what that business owner did before we ever saw them. It’s the rudest bate & switch you will ever see. Don’t get discouraged though because I have a few tips that will help you not be the next disaster.

There are five levels to this journey as an entrepreneur that many don’t always shed a light on. They can hurt us or help us depending on how we use the information.

Expectations

When getting started this is that awkward area in the startup phase. There are no clear rules for getting started. Like how much should be a good fee to charge or how much time should you be working on your business each day. Instead, we look to business owners that have been doing this for years and set our expectations according to where they are. Here is the first mistake. For example, I see many that will go and create a 6 & 7 figure business plan with having a product or service to sell. People spend money on the website, business cards, and logo only to find themselves frustrated within the first year.

Your expectations should be dependent upon where you are and where you are trying to go. Going from no dollars to $600,000 is a huge leap. Do you need $600,000 to leave your job or be able to take care of your financial responsibilities? Most don’t in the beginning. Be realistic about what you expect to make in a year or two. No need to trash the six-figure dreams because there is always room to scale as you grow.

Realities

There is the lure that appeals to people to make themselves look like where they are going not where they are. Many a person fell into the trap of spending time to look the look but didn’t have much substance. It is the hype of being an overnight success not realizing what went into being ready for that overnight.

I’m a fan of being transparent about where you are and actually enjoying the journey to where you want to be. It makes me stand out in so many ways but has also kept me grounded. Don’t get me wrong…I’m stretching for something way bigger. (In my Beyonce voice) No living within your reality can be dangerous because you will tend to over commit to things. You will attempt to take on more than you can handle in an attempt to keep up the “look”. There has to be a balance here between showing up authentic and stretching to your next level.

Lessons

There are so many lessons to be learned but you can’t learn anything without a pencil. Ever have that moment when you look at a child in a classroom who showed up with no pencil. The reason they don’t have a pencil may be valid but they are still unprepared. BE PREPARED TO LEARN LESSONS! Show up to your journey with pencil and notebook ready to learn. The thing that knocks people off track, similar to not having a pencil, is when people go all action or all education.

I believe there are many ways that you can learn and the best way to learn is a combination of education and experience. Anything else leaves us in a vulnerable place. This is a daily process when it comes your growth and success. Anyone that believes they don’t need to have a pencil is going to have a sore behind often.

These insights have come from personal insight, guests on the #SpeakEasy Podcast and the journeies of my own clients. They have shared so much with me but I have always received the information with a notebook and pen in hand. Wisdom leaves clues and I would like to learn with the least amount of painful mistakes.