Wednesday, October 28, 2015 marked my 13 year anniversary as a business owner. What an adventure it’s been!
I’m putting my biggest mistakes under the microscope – because I have my mistakes to credit for what I’ve achieved the past 13 years!
(And I’m cracking up at the headshots along the way, so had to include those for comic relief. I haven’t changed a bit, have I?)
Year 1
Co-chaired a huge charity event. I raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the non-profit – while my own revenues were only $20,000. 🙁
[ctt title=”Think twice before taking advantage of your lifestyle business if you haven\’t earned it yet.” tweet=”Think twice before taking advantage of your lifestyle business if you haven’t earned it yet. http://ctt.ec/Bf9vr+” coverup=”Bf9vr”]
I hated picking up the phone to call prospects because I had an enormous fear of rejection.
Had second thoughts about skydiving. Jumping out of an airplane was a good business lesson for me. To paraphrase Darren Hardy of Success Magazine, “it only takes 20 seconds of courage to break through your fears.”
[ctt title=”The anticipation of doing something new creates more fear than the act itself. Do it anyway!” tweet=”The anticipation of doing something new creates more fear than the act itself. Do it anyway! http://ctt.ec/ej2ZA+” coverup=”ej2ZA”]
Year 4
Believed that a franchise coach with another firm was a competitor. Nobody who likes my style would ever work with him – and vice versa. But I still found myself bristling whenever I was around him. And even stooped to his level whenever we were in the same room. Ugh.
[ctt title=”There\’s no need to feel threatened by perceived competition. Own who you are and know that there\’s plenty for everyone.” tweet=”There’s no need to feel threatened by perceived competition. Own who you are and know that there’s plenty for everyone. http://ctt.ec/F3UU3+” coverup=”F3UU3″]
Allowed a business colleague’s jealousy make my life a living hell. She thought my franchise book gave me an unfair advantage over the other franchise coaches in our area so she fought against me using my book to promote the franchise expo I co-founded. An expo that benefited everyone. Including her.
[ctt title=”Don’t get caught up in other people\’s pettiness or bend over backwards to please them. You never will! ” tweet=”Don’t get caught up in other people’s pettiness or bend over backwards to please them. You never will! http://ctt.ec/Seadh+ via @carolynherfurth” coverup=”Seadh”]
Damaged my relationship with a dear family member over a business decision. As honest and “right” as I believed my intentions were, she felt betrayed. And even though I quickly abandoned what she felt I was doing wrong, it’s taken years to repair the relationship.
Paid a “business” guru $85,000 cash to help me create my 7-figure venture. Lots of gory details. Suffice it to say that didn’t happen. I fell waaaaaay backward in revenue, not forward.
[ctt title=”Don\’t hand over your power with your credit card. ” tweet=”Don’t hand over your power with your credit card. http://ctt.ec/9Ta5a+ via @carolynherfurth” coverup=”9Ta5a”]
Year 8
Walked away from my multiple 6-figure business without trying to sell it. And to compound the mistake, I got out before I was clear on the business model for my next venture. Talk about taking a leap without a net!
[ctt title=”Stop with the magical thinking, already! Be clear on your revenue strategy. Always. ” tweet=”Stop with the magical thinking, already! Be clear on your revenue strategy. Always. http://ctt.ec/hb41v+” coverup=”hb41v”]
Tried to make an offer like the gurus do during one of my live events. It was sold out. The room was filled with my ideal clients. When I made my offer, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Calling it an epic, embarrassing disaster would be the understatement of a lifetime.
[ctt title=”Understand how you\’re naturally wired. Don\’t try to sell like someone you\’re not.” tweet=”Understand how you’re naturally wired. Don’t try to sell like someone you’re not. http://ctt.ec/05b8K+” coverup=”05b8K”]
Faithfully followed a “6-figure launch” blueprint and pissed off my community. It felt wrong, but I did it anyway because I thought (or hoped) her promise would come true! I made less than previous launches and my open rate plummeted by half.
I almost walked away from The Biztruth weeks before I started my first mentorship program (now called Evolve Accelerator.) Even though my clients were getting great results from my sales training, I was frustrated trying to recover from my financial mess after my guru addiction. I wasn’t convinced that my new program would improve my financial situation.
Hosted a live event without making an offer to help them further. Women flew in from all over the country. They loved what they learned. There were major breakthroughs. And yet, there was more work for them to do.
Thinking that the first 13 years were filled with mistakes! I continue to learn more and more every day – and love every moment!
[ctt title=”Mistakes are turn signals. It means we\’re in action. They guide us where we need to go. ” tweet=”Mistakes are turn signals. It means we’re in action. They guide us where we need to go. http://ctt.ec/al2g9+ via @carolynherfurth” coverup=”al2g9″]
I wouldn’t trade my 13 years of mistakes for anything* because they’ve allowed me to grow by leaps and bounds and made me who I am today. Thanks for being along for the adventure.
Here’s to 13 more!
* Unless he’s tall, dark and handsome! 😉
