5 Things I Want to Tell Entrepreneurs

In a world full of fake advertising, misleading marketers and lying liars, I feel a little honesty is always needed. Entrepreneurship isn’t all sunshine and smiles.

It’s hard.

So instead of lying and pretending that things are always perfect, here are 5 things I want you to know about this journey that we are on together.

1. It’s okay to have self doubt. Insecurity. Worries. And yes, even crippling, paralyzing fear. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something they can’t possibly deliver, or – to be fair – is totally delusional.

2. That entrepreneur you admire? He or she has gone through struggles and challenges that we cannot comprehend. In time some will share these stories but others we may never know. When you’re going through your own hell you are not alone, even if others can’t speak up.

3. Alignment has to be backed by talent. Every time an artist like Pharrell or Sam Smith shares that “once I got into alignment with who I am, everything clicked” I cringe a little. I imagine music producers worldwide do as well. Alignment is important but it has to be backed by the talent to deliver. I could be 100% aligned with my vision and purpose as a comedienne but that doesn’t mean I can make anyone laugh from a stage.

4. Entrepreneurship is a journey. A marathon. An epic poem, not a haiku. So shore up your strength, strap on those walking boots and be prepared for the journey. The best part? You don’t have to do it all alone.

5. Everyone gets stuck; keep moving forward. One of my favorite mantras is “forward motion” because no matter what you’re currently struggling with, the only way out is through it. And once you’re through, don’t worry about looking back, fretting over what you did wrong. Keep going. There’s a poem from Ralph Waldo Emerson that sums this up nicely.

Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
Forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day;
Begin it well and serenely,
And with too high a spirit to be encumbered
with your old nonsense.

Action Step: If this has helped you today would you share it with someone who might be over stressed in his or her own business? Or click to tweet it?