Taking leaps

Many entrepreneurs (and aspiring entrepreneurs) think they have to know exactly what they’re doing, and how to do it, before they start. They also tend to think and dream on a much smaller scale, in part due to that reason.

In 2008 I made it a point to uplevel my thinking — and the results of that have taken me to places I didn’t even know existed.

I have met amazing people, been approached to partner in incredible opportunities, and while doing so, increase my income. In November I attended an online marketing conference – billed to be a life altering event. This lived up to the hype, and more! A tiny seed of an idea quickly grew, and before Christmas, I started a new membership community, the Corporate Fugitive Network — a “safe haven” for corporate fugitives and those who want to say goodbye to their corporate jobs.

Shortly after that,  Marcia Hoeck and I got together on putting on a telesummit series built around the Corporate Fugitive theme. Next thing you know, we were getting fabulous speakers like Michael Gerber of the E-Myth fame, Pamela Slim from Escape from Cubicle Nation, Michael Port of Book Yourself Solid — and more!

So what did I learn from 2008:

Baby steps won’t get you far – commit yourself 100% and then hold on for the ride.

Open yourself up to new experiences and people outside of your comfort zone – if we didn’t ask Michael Gerber to participate in Corporate Entrepreneurs Unplugged because we thought he would be “too big” to consider it, we would have missed out on the opportunity to interview him.

Be willing to fail, but do it fast – there are no guarantees that your business idea or new product will be a hit. For that reason, why take months and months to perfect it? Get it out there, give it your best shot, and either reap the rewards if it’s successful, or move on quickly if it isn’t. Often our biggest growth comes from our “negative” experiences. I spent months on my first ebook and teleseminar, and only got lukewarm response. But I learned some important lessons – like listening to your market before you develop a product or service, as well as more efficient ways to get projects like that done.

Compensate for your weaknesses – take a hard look at yourself and figure out what you’re simply not good at. ALSO look at what you may be very good at, but spend too much time at. This is delegation begging to happen. Find a virtual assistant, get a part-time employee, or pay a student or a friend who could do the work with direction from you. For example, I spend too much time writing and marketing – and I have realized that just because this is my professional expertise, does not mean that I have to do it for my own business marketing. So the next time I rewrite my website, I will be getting professional help.

Make yourself accountable – At least in the online entrepreneur community where I like to spend a lot of time, coaching and mastermind groups are the norm. When I started my business, I had no idea what this was or how to get either. Since then, I have hired a coach to help me with certain areas of my mindset and business. And I participate in a weekly mastermind session with other entrepreneurs where we each share our wins, challenges, goals for the week, and ask for support from the other members.  I look forward to these meetings and we get up at ungodly hours to talk to each other, because we all live in different time zones. You can also join mastermind groups offered through group coaching programs or form one of your own. (if you want to start one, participate in forums like the one on the Corporate Fugitive Network or several on Facebook and other social media sites).