How I Fell Back In Love With Entrepreneurship
Getting lost and finding my way back to business.
I don’t want to bore you with the details of how it all started. After all, we’re all familiar with the effects of the pandemic: the thoughts of unworthiness, confusion around our purpose, wondering if we’ll ever overcome the monotony of how we’ve been living.
It may come as no surprise then, that last year I found myself checking out of entrepreneur life.
As a self described multi-passionate professional, I work full-time in technology while running fashion jewelry brand Klas squared on the side.
With the world coming to a halt, I found I had lost my will to hustle.
I felt isolated — not from people as a result of social distancing, but rather from inspiration and the sense of belonging my passion project had provided.
I felt disconnected from my purpose and as a result my role and responsibilities as a co-owner. I found myself drawing back and dissociating my identity with the brand. After all, it was easier to struggle through the day when I only had my full-time job to worry about.
But then something shifted.
While my full-time job continued to challenge me and provide opportunities for professional development, I could feel something missing. I had started to embark on my spiritual journey and the voice inside of me was growing louder every day:
I needed a creative outlet to connect back to my soul, to find fulfillment and joy.
I needed to embrace what I’ve always known about myself: I’m a multi-passionate being. Being an entrepreneur was one part of a big picture; a necessary component of my overall happiness.
But having taken months off, there was work to be done to fall back in love with being an entrepreneur. Here’s how to get started:
Find your happy place.
In other words, find a safe space where you can connect back to yourself and your truth. A space where you can find stillness and not pass judgement on your thoughts. It could be a physical place, an activity, a feeling, or frame of mind.
For me, I always find solace at my cottage on the lake.
The energy of water is known to be intuitive, adaptable, and nurturing. Over the years, I’ve found that the lake provides me with answers to some of my most difficult questions, always guiding me in the right direction.
Explore your why.
There is a reason you decided to become an entrepreneur.
Whether you’ve already committed to your business full-time or are still balancing a career in corporate, you need to be clear on why you started this venture in the first place.
There is no wrong answer, but it is vital that the intention behind founding your business is aligned with your purpose.
I had to go deep within to reconnect to the things that light me up.
I started listening closely to how my body and energy reacted to the world around me and the words I spoke when sharing with others. I could feel a physical change when I found myself “in the flow” and started to record those moments when I came up for air. I soon realized that when I felt fully expressed, I felt completely myself. My “why” could be easily summarized:
Self expression is self care.
Embrace the unknown.
Being an entrepreneur is scary: it requires taking risks, being vulnerable, leaning into your fears, and constantly pushing through self doubt. No wonder we want the outcome to be clear and predictable — it would give us one less thing to worry about!
But the reality is, you need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I’ve learned that in order to enjoy the work, I can’t let myself be hung up on the outcome. Of course planning, organization, and operations are all important elements of a business, but be ready to head in a new direction should the right opportunity present itself.
In the past, I would get so focused on the result, that I likely let better opportunities pass me by. Not to mention the disappointment if the idea I had didn’t work out.
Take a deep breath and embrace the unknown, the unpredictability, the fact that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Define your strengths and your role.
This one might sound tedious but I promise the exercise is worthwhile.
Start by making a list of all the tasks you are doing currently to support your business. Now consider which tasks you like to do, which you have to do but can improve on, and which could be delegated to someone else.
It is important that you have an idea of your strengths and the areas in which you shine. This should help bring clarity to what is important to you and what motivates you.
By identifying when you are at your best, you will in turn figure out where you can contribute to the business most effectively.
From there, you can clearly define your role and responsibilities which will make the work you’re doing feel impactful. A connection to the business is critical if you want to succeed.
The next step? Get help.
Whether it’s a course, a coach, new software, or a virtual assistant, this one can come in all different shapes and sizes. Take a look at the tasks you can delegate and try technology first; but never underestimate the power and support of another human being.
Find a community to support you.
This may be the most important lesson I’ve learned to date.
Magic happens when you surround yourself with like-minded people in a safe and supportive space.
By sharing similar experiences, you can learn from one another and feel less isolated in the process.
Whether it’s connecting one-on-one to expand your network or joining a community, you don’t have to do it alone. I spent too long feeling as though my support system was divided based on corporate career or entrepreneurial pursuits.
So, I created a community of my own where multi-passionate professionals can thrive together — you can join us here.
The best thing you can bet on is yourself.
It took me a long time to learn how to navigate the conversation of being an entrepreneur while holding a full-time job. But when I show up completely as myself, I feel more confident, capable, and effective in all parts of my life.
I vow to have a relentless commitment to myself and that includes sharing all parts of who I am, which includes being an entrepreneur.
I’m all in.
After all, this is what’s going to pull me out of the pandemic.
