Freedom, Flexibility & Frazzled: Staying sane whilst navigating your entrepreneurial journey

This morning I shared my raw and honest journey in business, over the last eight years, to the Female Entrepreneurs Network in Portsmouth.

I can talk about my passion for Tribal Impact until the cows come home but when it comes to unpicking the journey of starting and building a business, it took a bit of time to figure out what to say.

The opportunity to pause and reflect was a good one - thanks Courtney Elkins and Amy Doyle for allowing me to share those stories. I hope, if anything, it brought some comfort to those in the room that we aren't alone.

Here's a summary of what I covered in case it might help others considering making the leap and starting a business of their own!

Hint: it's less "Your plan" and more "Reality"

Don't be afraid to screw up

Someone asked "how do you know when to start trusting your intuition more?" and it made me think. On reflection, the strength in your gut comes with experience. Experience comes from messing up and learning from it. I'm currently reading Permission To Screw Up by Kristen Hadeed - laugh out loud funny and makes me realise I'm just human!

I've made many mistakes - some of which I shared in the room today. My advice, keep making them, make them fast and...

Take time to pause and reflect

Not easy when you're making a living, running a home and perhaps juggling a family. Now, I'm not suggesting that you 'down tools' and book yourself a 3 week retreat somewhere (although I have seriously considered that, inspired by my customers). But be sure to spend time with you. Just you. See how long you can just sit for without reaching out to your phone.

Listen, listen and then listen some more

When it comes to tackling a tricky situation or problem, my support system is amazing. My family, my leadership team, our Tribal members, my mentors and our customers. They all provide feedback - raw and unfiltered in most cases - but I prefer to know than not know. I may not action immediately if at all but I digest, process and then trust my intuition.

Trust your intuition (it's normally right)

If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. Your gut is telling you which way to turn, which decision to take but it's daunting, right? That's why it's good to listen. Seek feedback - not to reinforce your intuition but to challenge it. On the whole, people are so unbelievably generous with their time and will help others on their journey. You just need to ask!

Outsource what you're not good at

...as soon as you can! I'll never forget spilling out all my financial paperwork and receipts onto a pub table. At the time Lyn Grenyer just looked at me and said "you need some help". Music to my ears. She started contracting a couple of days a month, turned into a day a week, then few days a week and now our full time CFO. Know your strengths and outsource the rest as soon as you can!

Invest in a coach

Note I said 'invest' and not 'get'. That's because it's worth every penny. I've written about coaching before. I've had a life coach, an executive coach - loved it so much I even trained an qualified as an executive coach! A good coach won't tell you the answers but they'll help you pause and reflect (point 2) and help you focus and work through situations. I wouldn't be here without Romy Murray 🙏🏼

I also shared some brilliant sketches that I come across on social media - a good reminder that it's not all easy sailing. There are ups and downs, it's perfectly normal and you're not alone.