Invest in yourself: letter to a female entreprenuer part 2

Dear fierce, smart and beautiful boss lady, 

In part one of my letter I discussed dealing with rejection, having relationships with the right friends and building your network. Now, I’m going to tell you all the things that you can do personally to make sure that you are healthy, happy and whole enough to take on the challenge and roller coaster journey of entrepreneurship. 

Invest in yourself

Always continue to educate yourself about the business that you’re in. You’ll quickly develop a deep understanding about  your chosen industry. When I started I was hungry for knowledge. I subscribed to industry trade magazines; joined groups that were connected to the field and went on as many free or paid for courses as I could. I would always look for opportunities for funding as well.

Self-care

When I started out in business I had a full-time day job in the media industry and would come home at night and get to work. There were emails to send, I had to edit and write articles and so much more – it was exhausting!  It got to a point where something had to give. So my business partner and I decided to say goodbye to the day jobs, go all in and see if we could survive. And guess what? We thrived. At the time it was the best move we made. Your health is all you’ve got. Without your health you’ve got nothing so make sure you put yourself higher on your to do list. 

Outside of work what do you enjoy doing? I love playing netball because it provides me with regular exercise, allows me to develop relationships, I learn to take feedback so that I can improve and it helps with my communication skills. These are all things that can help in my day-to-day business life and on a personal self-care level too. Having something outside of work that you enjoy doing will help you maintain balance. Think about what your outlet can be and find a way to work it into your diary. 

Positive mental attitude 

Your mental health is also just as important as you physical health. Running your own business can be an emotional roller coaster. You’ll have ups and downs that can leave you depressed and stressed when things go wrong and then so happy and feeling on the most euphoric high when things turn around. So plan your day and start it right in order to take care of your well-being.

I have positive affirmations stuck to my wall that I read every morning. Positive affirmations are phrases or statements that retrain your brain to think the right way and in doing so, cultivate the right mindset and energy for everything you want in your life. I wish I’d know about this when I first started, it would have counteracted the doubts and negative thoughts I had in my head. Here are a few you can say aloud or write down or include on a vision board to manifest into your life. 

• I am building a successful company every day.
• I am smart, successful, savvy about business.
• I will honour my dreams and remind myself daily that I deserve success, happiness, and money just as much as anyone else. I am ready to receive it.
• Money flows into my business easily and effortlessly
• Every pound I spend comes back to me multiplied
• I work when I want, where I want, with people I want to work with
• My business is overflowing with opportunities

If affirmations aren’t your thing then listen to something  that gets you fired up; a Ted Talk or motivational video on YouTube or dance to your favourite song and get your body moving. Do whatever it takes to put a smile on your face because happiness comes from within. Not because of external factors. Once you realise that, no matter what happens with your business, you will be OK. 

Social media 

Yes, social media is a fantastic marketing tool to use to build your brand. If you’re starting out use knowem.com to ensure that you can secure the same social handle for all your channels and you can confirm if the website and trademark is available. It will save you a lot of hassle down the line. Use scheduling tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite to manage your posts. It’s hard to run a business and market it at the same time. See if there’s a marketing student out there that may be willing to help to gain some experience. 

Social media can be an inspiring network sphere. It can connect you with people who are on the same journey as you, people who can help you grow your business and even mentors. Try to focus on following people who galvanize your entrepreneurial energy. And remember that sometimes you need to switch off from your socials. It’s OK to take social media breaks if you’re working on a big project or you need headspace to recalibrate. And if you’re scrolling through Instagram and find some people’s posts make you feel inadequate or negative about yourself, click that unfollow button. You have no time or need to feel bad about  your life.. Social media is a highlights reel. . People show short snippets of their lives and of course it’s natural to document the good and gloss over the bad. Perception and reality are two different things. That girl who is jet-setting around the world, staying in fancy hotels and celebrating her first million? Her hustle could have meant that she had years of crippling debt, bare cupboards and countless sleepless nights. That guy bragging about his successful startup? He might be struggling to make ends meet, doing the work of ten people because he can’t afford staff and he has no family or friends willing to help. Never be envious of someone else’s life or business because you don’t know what they had to do to get there. 

Value your reputation

As an entrepreneur you are a natural born leader because you have taken a risk to start, you care about your results, you encourage ideas and innovation. Just remember you are the one that has to answer to clients, customers or investors. Some of your success may be down to word of mouth. What do you want people to say about you and your business? Your reputation precedes you so make sure it’s good things. If you do something wrong, own up to your mistake and come up with a solution to fix it. 

Legacy is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people. No matter how small or insignificant your role feels in the beginning, just know that it counts on your way to the top. Even the most iconic, reputable, and lauded business leaders worked their way from the bottom up. 

We all have the capacity for greatness. You are a phenomenal woman, who will achieve extraordinary things. Create the grandest vision for your life and then go for it. I can’t wait for the world to see your magic. 

Keep your eyes on the prize,

Annika 

Photo by Vana Ash on Unsplash