Build Your Business AND Live Your Best Life: Here's How
I don't know about you, but when I started building my own business I felt like I was constantly at odds with the idea of also growing my family.
At the time, I didn't even have kids, but there were messages everywhere that said I needed to choose, or that the only way I could afford to do both is if I worked a traditional 9-5 career that offered job "security." The thing is, we've been tricked into thinking we can't be business owners while also:
Growing our families, or
Taking 12+ weeks of vacation every year, or
Traveling and working from anywhere in the world, or
[Insert your dreamy desires here]
How frustrating, right?! But here's the good news: IT'S SO NOT TRUE.
Here's what I wish someone would have told me all those years ago: You can build your own business and live your best life, whatever that means for you. You don't have to choose!
I like to call this living an "and" life. I own my own branding agency AND I'm a mom who gets to create my schedule in a way that's sustainable for me. That means taking Fridays off, spending more time with my kids, having more flexibility to travel, AND still hitting six figures each year with my branding agency.
Your best life might look different from mine, but the point is that you CAN build your business and [fill in the blank]. You're also going to need people like me in your corner who can cheer you on, lift you up, and share all the secrets that will save you tons of time and headache along the way.
Speaking of those secrets, let's talk about....
5 radical shifts to build your business AND live your best life
1. Detox old patterns.
When I finally invested full-time in my business, my goal at the time was to take Fridays off and only work four-day weeks. I built my schedule and made it happen, but wouldn't you know I started feeling pangs of guilt over it. "I should be working right now...." I would tell myself. The little productivity demon that I picked up during my time in the 9-5 world was making me feel like I didn't deserve to take Fridays off, like I should be working just like everyone else! But here's the thing: I didn't start my own business to do things like everybody else. And the sooner you can let go of the old expectations and patterns that aren't serving you, the sooner you'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I still gets pangs of guilt every once in a while, but then I remind myself that I GET to take Fridays off to be with my family and spend precious time with my boys. I designed what success looks like for me and my schedule, and you can to. Just know that it's going to come with a few growing pains as you shed old patterns and expectations.
2. Surround yourself with fellow entrepreneurs.
Another hard truth about growing your own business: A lot of people won't understand it because they don't live it (I'm still not sure my dad understands what I do, or that I make a very comfortable living off of it). Most often, people will project their own fears onto me: "Oh my gosh, you're so brave, I could never just go off and start my own business -- I have a family to take care of!" I've finally come to realize that some people just don't get it, which is why it's SO important to surround yourself with people who DO. Find a circle of fellow solopreneurs or small-business owners who you can build community with. These people will naturally mesh with the structure of your life and lift you up. You'll start to realize that there are plenty of us out here writing our own rules, you just didn't notice us before. And when you do, it's pretty damn magical.
3. Define what security means to you.
Security is probably the number one topic that comes up when I talk with people about owning my own business. Sure, there are new unknowns and responsibilities I've taken on, but they're necessarily not more risky than what people with at-will employment have to navigate. Last year we watched huge companies lay off tens of thousands of employees at a time, which made me feel pretty damn secure in my business. My point is, even a "9-5" life doesn't offer complete security. It also doesn't typically support living an "and" life where you get to control how your time is spent. As you consider starting or growing your own business, I encourage you to define what security and success look like to you. Is it a fiscal goal, or transferring a certain dollar amount to your retirement account(s) every month? Is it being able to make enough to take maternity leave, or doing all of the above while saving for a rainy day? Get clear on what security means to you so you can build a plan to get there. You can absolutely step towards this lifestyle in a sustainable way if you're smart about it, which brings me to my next tip...
4. Create a sustainable model.
Now that you've defined what security means, you'll need to outline a path to make it happen. This part is all about creating a sustainable: schedule, income, work/life balance, etc. And what might work for someone else may not work for you. For example, my creativity tends to ramp up in the evening, but that's also a time when I want to be present with my family. This means that I need to structure my day so there's plenty of space for creative flow, or get coverage some evenings so I can work while my partner or a grandparent is owning the bedtime routine. So, what do you want? What's your dreamy schedule? How can you make it happen? This is going to require a bunch of honesty on your part because, as much as I love a stretch goal, we also need to be realistic about what we can do with the time we have. I talk more about this in this episode of The Refund, which might be helpful to check out as you explore your sustainable model.
5. Never stop learning.
If you want to build or grow your business, you need to be committed to constantly learning. I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is never a dull moment around here. At any given time I'm trying to crack the code on something, whether it's the Instagram algorithm or my taxes, and everything in between. That's why it's so important to find resources and people who can support you on your journey. And there's plenty of FREE content out there, like my newsletter. Sign up here and I'll send you a freebie right away. Then you’ll get a few letters a month, some filled with rich information about building a better brand and attracting more of your dreamy clients, and others that detail how I'm navigating "and" life (sometimes it's cute, sometimes it's not, either way it's real!).
A few parting thoughts…
Remember this: you're not alone if you're feeling a tension between building a business and living your best life. It's not always smooth sailing, but I guarantee someone else has navigated a similar situation before and is sharing plenty of resources to help get you through it. That's the whole reason I started this platform: because I believe that we all deserve to build a thriving business, and not at the expense of everything else we want to achieve. I'm here to cheer you on and help you figure this shit out faster, and with fewer headaches.
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