My journey as an entrepreneur has had its ups and downs. Some I could see coming a mile away, and I was able to conquer them. While others had me screaming, "why didn't anyone tell me about this!" Before I dipped my toes into entrepreneur life, I did as much research as I could to prepare myself for anything, but most people tend to leave out the help you'll need. Most importantly, they tend to leave out the much-needed self and mental care that entrepreneurs need to thrive. Because of this, I wanted to share my rollercoaster journey with you all, so I can help all of you avoid my mistakes.
You Will Need Help
Many people within hustle culture tell their viewers that they need to do everything on their own in the beginning. They say that if you can grind hard enough, you will be able to live these wild dreams and delegate your tasks once you're rich. What happens when you don't complete something on time or when your vendor booth is down the street. These are some of the many issues solopreneurs come across. Most of us can not afford to hire a full-time, hell, or even part-time employee, so a freelancer or a contracted worker is the best option. Delegating my tasks was a tough decision I had to face because I am an extremely stubborn person, especially when it comes to my baby Spring Tyde. Because I had a wide range of novice skills, I thought I would crush every project I came across. In my mind, I could do everything on my own because I had taken myself this far on my own. Never did I realize that my skills weren't as good as I thought they were. My stubborn mindset and behavior set my business back instead of getting the help I need to push it forward. My lack of knowledge in Social media caused me to post disengaging content and abandon my social media page, which is a complete "no-no" when your business is solely online. Not wanting to hire a product photographer left me with sloppy pictures. I could have learned these skills, but I did not have the time, and to be completely honest, I didn't care to learn the craft properly.
How to Adapt:
Find Some Help
This help does not have to come from someone with an extensive resume. This help can easily come from someone you know who is willing to help you. For myself, I was able to find free services in the beginning. My sisters helped me at my first event and designed my second logo. Also, my boyfriend happens to be the best unpaid executive assistant. He has helped me tremendously with the rest of my events and some projects. Now, I am in a place to pay for the added help I need to make my business thrive.
You Need To Create A Routine and Schedule
Honestly, this has been something I have been avoiding for a long time. Every self-help book I read and video I watched told me to create some type of routine for myself, and I continued to dodge it like a bullet since I am a spontaneous individual who does not need to be held down by a routine. My regular to-do list and my extremely random sleep schedule have gotten me this das, so a routine or schedule felt utterly unnecessary. If I were in a space where I was being told what to do, that would suffice; however, owning a business means you are the one to do everything. Everything! Especially in the beginning. You are the person who sets the hours, you come up with the necessary tasks you need to do, and no one will be here to tell you to do this stuff when you need to do it. Knocking off tasks on my to-do list was easy, but when it came to doing it promptly, that didn't force me to cram was the issue. Being an entrepreneur was a new territory I was entering, and my old ways of doing my tasks at random times no longer worked for me.
How To Adapt:
Make that Muthaf%$#ing Routine and Schedule You've Been Putting Off
Sorry for coming off so harsh, but boo, you need to set up a solid routine to be the successful entrepreneur you know you are. Taking a small amount of time out of your day to create an actual schedule and proper routine will be a total lifesaver. It'll help to decompress any stress that will come your way, especially for those that spend 24/7 working on their business. A good routine will help pull you out of "work mode" to prevent burnout. Now, I'm telling you that you want to avoid burnout when owning a business. It is best to create at least 2-3 set routines when you make your routine. One for your morning, simply because the way you start your morning will define yer rest of your day. I like to start my mornings as peacefully as I possibly can. The following routine you will want to have is a nighttime routine. Doing this allows you to be able to turn off "work mode" so you can have a stress-free night. This last routine is optional; however, it is necessary for me—a work routine. Finding a set time for myself to solely focus on working on my business has helped me tremendously. It has helped me get more work done instead of struggling to fit something into my odd schedule.
Depression Can Sneak Up on you if you aren't paying attention to your mental health
Depression is a complicated topic because I was depressed 95% of the time I owned Spring Tyde. I am just now getting to a place where I am not depressed anymore. Now, I am not saying that every entrepreneur will deal with depression, but checking in with your mental needs is crucial, especially since you are (most likely) the only person running your business efficiently. When I started my business journey, I was already dealing with issues; however, I decided to push my mental health aside to focus on making one of my dreams come true. At the time, I was an expert at pushing down and not dealing with my pain. This method worked for me until I graduated college. Everything I was holding in came out. One of my most significant responsibilities at the time was over, and I had plenty of time in the world to think about my pain. It took me a while to realize how depressed I was. When I could not get started doing my work, I knew something was wrong. It felt like a million linebackers were keeping me down, and to do a simple task took almost all the energy out of me. I never felt such crippling pain, and after a year of not doing anything to better my life. I realized how deep into depression I had gotten. My depression caused me to severely self-sabotage my life.
How To Adapt:
Get the help you need (or can afford)
Once I started noticing my self-sabotaging behavior, I searched for different ways I could help myself feel normal again. I couldn't afford therapy, so I found other therapeutic books to help me on my journey. My current holy grail book is "What Happened To You" By Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah. This book is a challenging read because it makes you look at your childhood and what causes specific triggers. However, I love it because there are solutions that have helped me find love in myself again.
Aside from reading, I have been spending time journaling my deep thoughts and surrounding myself with people that genuinely love and care about me. Journaling has helped me whenever I feel overwhelmed or when anxiety starts to flood my mind. Being around supportive, loving people is honestly one of the most significant shifts I have done. I didn't realize how many family members and "friends" never enjoyed being in my presence or loved to tear me down. When I found those that supported me, I could have more love in my heart. At my lowest point, these people were there for me and shed light on my life when I needed it the most. Finding hope and surrounding myself with love helped me become a better business owner with a clearer mind.
I hope this piece helps entrepreneurs going through a challenging journey. It's hard but trust me, you will thrive if you take time out to understand yourself and your needs. You got this, boo, and I hope my words help steer you all away from the mistakes I made in the past.
Peace & love,
Kendra 💋