It makes complete sense that entrepreneurship is so attractive to women right now. The traditional work model has never been a good fit for women, especially for those raising families, so for us, being able to custom-design a business that fits the lifestyle we want is the ultimate dream.
But, being an entrepreneur requires one KEY quality: the willingness to take risks. And this is where I see many promising entrepreneurs and new business owners struggle. Especially women.
You see, when I mentor a client, she always starts out saying she is finally ready to step up and build a wildly profitable business.
Then, we get to the place where she is required to “take a risk”. Opportunity x lands right in her lap. And what often happens is—while she finds x exciting—she gets uncomfortable and starts to shrink back. “I can’t spend that kind of money on x,” she says. Or, “I’m not ready for x yet.” Or “x is too big for little old me! Why don’t we start with y or z first?” Or, “x sound great, but let’s save it for next year.”
This is not unusual, because honestly we are not programmed to “go for it”.
When we are born, we first crawl, then walk. In school, we go to grade one, grade two, grade three, and so forth. In college, we become freshmen, sophomores, juniors then seniors. In the working world, we start out as assistants and then we move up to managerial roles.
The problem is, this “grade school” way of thinking stays with us for life. And when you also add in the fact that essentially at a DNA level women are wired for safety, you can see why this becomes a big hurdle.
If you are ready to step up into a bigger purpose and make a big change in your life, this type of ladder-type thinking will defeat you. It feels safer, but in the end, it will get you nowhere. At the most, you may make a step in the right direction, but most often you’ll end up back where you started.
Big gains come from leaping—not ladder climbing. This will take some adjustment to your thinking.
To help my clients start thinking in “leaps”, I recommend they read autobiographies and biographies of big-thinking entrepreneurs like my friend Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, and Bill Gates. One of my favorite stories is in Richard’s humorous autobiography, Losing My Virginity, in which he shares how he started Virgin Airlines. He sold seats on their first flight while still figuring out how they were going to get the plane. (Make your problems seem a bit more manageable?)
You’ll find that when these people came across big opportunities, they were in line with their mission, and they didn’t shy away. They jumped in all the way—even when the resources they needed to do so weren’t apparent yet.
Did you get that last part? They said YES even when they weren’t sure how they’d do it, where they’d get the money, or who could help them. And they found—sure enough as you will too—that when a big opportunity presents itself and you step up and say “yes”, and if you truly believe in your heart that this goal is yours, suddenly the universe seems to rearrange itself to help you.
And here’s the good news… You typically don’t have to go looking for these opportunities. They are usually right in front of you, or one will soon drop in your lap. Once you declare you are ready, your awareness is heightened, a shift occurs, something presents itself, and you will suddenly see the path to all that you and your business can be.
For example, I hear countless times from members who join my Elevate program that once they registered, suddenly the resources they needed to pay for their membership surfaced.
So, are you ready to be an entrepreneur? If your heart is right now is shouting, “Yes!” make note now of the opportunities that are right in front of you.
For example:
– Do you know of a big new client you could land if you really pursued them?
– Are you aware of an accomplished mentor whom you could hire, or whose training or coaching program you could join?
– Do you need to dramatically raise your rates?
– Do you want to create a new income stream to increase your cash flow?
– Are you aware of a powerful event you could attend that could help fast-forward your success?
– Is there an influential person whom you know if you connected with could change your trajectory of success?
Listen up… make the call, register for the spot, place the ad, invest in training, book the trip, list out potential income streams—whatever that step is—and make that big move. All your rewards are waiting… if you’re ready to make the leap!
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© 2012 Ali International, LLC
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