What is Success for your Business?
Hustle. Grind it out. Want it more than anyone else. No one will outwork me. << All things that came across my Instagram feed this week, and while I appreciate a good work ethic as much as anyone (seriously, I love to work!), there is a certain vibe here that rubbed me the wrong way. It all felt so… difficult. There is an easier, more gentle way to create businesses and success, and the work doesn’t have to be as torturous as some of these online coaches might have you believe. My colleagues (who love their businesses as much as I do) and I talk about this: yes, there are hard days, weeks, and seasons, but there are many ways to enjoy it, to create boundaries and to define success.
I want you to read this next paragraph, and then close your eyes and really think. When you imagine your dream life, what do you see? Do you run a multimillion-dollar company, travel the world for meetings, and speak on huge stages every other week? Do you imagine yourself behind your own counter, greeting customers by name and feeling the warm sunlight filtering through the windows? Every day, do you work from a laptop in a different location, or do you shut down your computer at 2 pm? Would you rather have a large team of people working for you to create the next big thing, or do you prefer to operate on your own?
Pause. Think of which of these feels better in the now. Which of these feels like your definition of success?
If you’re in the same online space I’m in, you’ll often see influencers shouting at you ways to scale your business, make 7 figures, and chase fame. Which, for the record, is AMAZING. If you want that, there are so many ways to make that happen, and I am here for it. Truthfully, I have my own version of those goals.
However, there are seasons of life, and if you’re not in the season where you want that specific dream, you might feel a little bit like you’re not… enough. I’m here to encourage you to believe you are enough and to believe that whatever your version of success looks like, it’s perfect.
My dream business helps my family achieve financial independence, allows me to be creative, surrounded by positive people, and also - free to take off on family adventures often.
I don’t currently want to scale my coworking space. I don’t want locations all over the country, because, in this season, my version of success looks like getting my kids from school every day, and being able to volunteer for their sports teams. (#teammom). It looks like earning more than enough to support our current lifestyle and save for our future, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I need to earn multiple 6 figures each month. While I’m always open to new revenue streams and increasing the cash flow of my businesses, in this season, success isn’t defined just by my bank statements.
(Money With Katie has a great Financial Independence Calculator if you need help determining what your money goals actually are - chances are you don’t need to earn millions to live your dream life.)
When I was first starting as a photographer, I quickly learned that shooting weddings, while a higher ticket offering, meant giving up my weekends with the kids. So I had to nix those. Maybe you’re willing to work longer hours, to bank more cash now, knowing you’ll be able to take an entire month off with your family later. Maybe you’re not willing to sacrifice cash flow or growth, so you hire an assistant to help you achieve your goals faster. Maybe you’re sick of offering a particular service because your clients always need a ton more energy than you expected, so you need to stop offering that and replace it with something else. Maybe you love going into your shop every day, love your vendors and customers, and don’t want to open 6 more locations, even though you could, in theory, multiply your revenue.
My point is this: get clear on what your dream life is, and then build a business that supports that for you. So many times we build a JOB for ourselves, that actually requires longer hours, for less money, and more stress, than if we just stayed in corporate. Maybe you’re willing to work longer hours, to bank more cash now, knowing you’ll be able to take an entire month off with your family later. Maybe you’re not willing to sacrifice cash flow or growth, so you hire an assistant to help you achieve your goals faster. If you’re ready for the stage, and you have the ability to travel now, get those speaking pitches in.
It’s ok to ‘play small’ in your business if doing so lets you create the life and success you want. Don’t get wrapped up in other people's ideas of what success looks like, of what you ‘should’ be doing, or what you might be missing out on by not ‘going for it’.
What if playing small is keeping you from your dreams? Well then, you must flex those confidence muscles, and step outside your comfort zone. Chase your dreams. Create the life you want, that you deserve. But do it your way, and don’t let others overcomplicate what that looks like for you.
Was this helpful? I’d love for you to share it with someone you think might also appreciate it. Or even better - hit the button and DM me on Instagram telling me what *your* dream business looks like!