Entrepreneur Life: 7 weeks in
Happy Friday Peeps! Today marks the end of my 7th week of full-time entrepreneurship! I’ve been wanting to talk about my “new life” since day 1 (this post was actually called Entrepreneur Life: Day 1 lol)., but I’m just now to a point where I feel like I have something to say!
First and foremost, thank you all so much for all of the love and support behind this new journey of mine! It’s the first time in my life that I’ve taken a leap of faith and bet on myself, so to have so many of you in my cheering section means more than I could ever express.
So, now that’s it’s been 7 weeks, here’s 7 things about what I’ve experienced, learned and grown to understand:
I started with my end game in mind. In our very first meeting, my business strategist, Chloe Moore, asked me to write a vivid depiction of where I saw myself exactly 20 years from that moment. From where I was standing/sitting to how my hair looked, who I was with, how I was feeling, how much money I had in my bank account and how I made money that day, I had to give description. Chloe made me read my vision out loud. She wanted me to hear my future. I think about that day every day. It influences every decision I make; not only in business, but also in living.
I know a lot, but I definitely don’t know it all. When I started Nubi Interiors almost 8 years ago, I spent a lot of time researching the difference between an LLC and a sole proprietorship. It took a long time for me to realize that, yes, it’s a decision that matters in the long rug, however, it’s not a decision that brings in any income or helps me to be a better designer. Do the work. The rest can be figured out as you go.
Surround yourself with people that are better at things than you are and know the things that you don’t. I’m capable of researching whatever I need to know, but it’s so much more valuable to have a teammate or someone in close proximity that already knows what you don’t. It’s a huge time saver and better use of resources. I suck at business systems, strategizing and forecasting. I could read 10 books on how to be better at those things or have a business strategist who’s entire existence is to focus on those things so that I don’t have to.
There’s nothing more sustaining than knowing your “why”. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.” This statement from Simon Sinek is one I learned over the last couple years of my corporate life. Not only is it important when it comes to branding, sales and customer relations; it’s imperative to understanding your relationship with your own business. There’s no question that entrepreneurship is hard as fuck. But, understanding your why is the only sustainable fuel to running your business, even when it feels you’re running on fumes. Your why is your purpose: what you would do if you were never paid to do it. Mine: to discover the beauty in all things and help others find the beauty in the things that surround them every day. This is what I do. Whether it’s via design client relationships, merchandising a retail space or chatting on Instastories, this is what I do. I value beauty, thrive in beautiful spaces and am fueled by helping others make their own connections to what they think is beautiful. This is my why.
MONEY IS IMPORTANT! But Chloe says that it shouldn’t be the main goal or driving force behind your business. If you’re chasing the money, you wind up wasting a lot of time and energy on efforts that don’t server you. You lose sight of your purpose and the essence of who you are. Money is meant to make space for you have the life you want. It’s the gas in the car, not the destination. If you run out of gas, you can always walk!
Speaking of money, Chloe helped me come up with a system very early to take a lot of the stress out of earning it. So, I have three main streams of income: interior design client work, plant guide community and sales, workshops and brand partnerships. She said that each should serve a different purpose. My client work is what pays my salary, my plant guide income is what gets folded back into my business and my workshops/speaking engagements/brand partnerships are my spending money. The last two supplement the first if necessary. And in the instance I have an overflow in client income for the month, it goes into savings. This framework allows me to think about money without the anxiety.
I made wellness a priority. Taking care of ME is the most important thing I can do for my business. I am my greatest asset and if I can’t perform at 100%, neither can my business. I have yet to perfect it, but these are the things I try to accomplish almost daily (or on a regular basis) to be my best self:
RESTING. The one I struggle with the most, getting enough sleep. I’ve set an alarm for 10:30 pm to remind myself to prepare for bed. I try to write out my to-dos for the next day, shower, cut off phone time and then be in bed by 11 ish.
ESTABLISHING A MORNING ROUTINE. My mornings set the tone for my day, so I try to wake up at 6:30, drink water, knock out a 30 minute yoga practice, wake up Davin, get dressed, drink coffee and eat breakfast while writing out my intentions for the day in my High Performance Planner, take Davin to school and start my day by 8:30.
SPEAK POSITIVELY TO MYSELF, but keep it real. “Girl, get your shit together.” is a regular mantra of mine. I recognize my low and unproductive moments I and try to quickly pullI myself out of them. I’m a boss ass bitch, but struggle with focusing. The best thing I can do for me is tell me the truth. Self awareness is my super power.
SAYING NO TO PROTECT MY ENERGY. If a client, event or chore costs more energy than I can spare, I say no. It can’t add any value if it costs me energy I don’t have.
SCHEDULING MY SELF CARE. No matter if it's a nail appointment or spending time with my plants, I put it on my calendar just like any other meeting. This makes it real. This makes it important.
Time has totally flown by, but I’m so proud of myself and what I’ve learned in this short amount of time. Stick around, because there’s so much more to come and I can’t wait to share!