Starr Leadership is 1 Year Old!
It’s been 1 Year!
One year ago, I created my business, registered it with the state and federal government, secured my website, and began opening business bank and credit card accounts. I can’t believe it’s been a year already! As I’ve been reflecting on the last year, I have come so far and learned much. I thought I’d share what I learned.
1. Good work yields more work. Consulting and coaching is a referral business, and I’ve been blessed with an extensive network of supporters who have helped promote my new business. The consultants and coaches I interviewed in preparing my business plan all said you work hard to secure your initial set of clients, and then at some point, business begins to fall into your lap (assuming you delight your clients). I found that hard to believe, but it’s true. Good work yields more work. My business growth has not been linear. I will add a corollary, delivering good work during my nearly 30 years in corporate America, which has enabled this extensive network of supporters to be willing to recommend me. So, regardless of your future dreams, Do Good Work in the moment.
2. Starting your own business takes a lot of work. But rewarding. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s so different than corporate America. And it’s so worth it. I’ve refreshed my accounting skills along with my HTML skills. I’ve learned how to develop and utilize a CRM (by the way, I’m on my 2nd CRM software after I hated my first uninformed choice). Imposter syndrome shows up everywhere, and nothing is easy. When I went to the bank to open my bank account, the teller informed me that while my business was registered with the state, I failed to make myself an Officer, so I wasn’t authorized to conduct business on my company’s behalf. Oops. It was initially overwhelming, but I am glad I had a business coach to help me navigate and break down the seemingly endless tedious tasks into bite-sized, doable pieces.
3. I love the entrepreneur and coaching/consulting ecosystem. It’s more than a lifestyle; it’s an ecosystem, and I’ve settled in nicely. It’s collaborative, and there’s an abundance mindset. I’ve had colleagues show me the ropes and bring me onto contracts, even though it cost them profit, to help me find my way. I have many on speed dial, and I am always willing to entertain my tedious questions. There’s this feeling of camaraderie that good work in the industry helps everyone. I spend my days in meetings I want to have and be in! Imagine that! I have play dates during the week (not every week, but three out of four!). I get to choose when, where, and how I work! Which leads me to…
4. Structure and Rhythms are critical. It took me six months to settle into a structure and rhythm that works for me. I underestimated my reliance on the structure of corporate America, and in an instant, it was gone. At first, the allure of sleeping in, leisurely breakfasts, long workouts, and endless weekday ski days is intense. Then you realize you are IT. Nothing is happening if you aren’t networking, prospecting, or working with current clients. I utilize time blocking much more than I did previously. I time block everything from workouts to writing, prospecting, back-office admin work, developing content for clients, etc. If you look at my calendar now, it seems more structured than when I was at Lam or Intel, but I have much more freedom. Interesting paradox. I also have quarterly OKRs—something I used to loathe. I hold quarterly strategic planning sessions with myself, and I time block 30 minutes a week to review my OKRs and grade my weekly performance to them. Sound crazy? I believe that contributed to me beating my revenue goal for Q1’24 by 100%!
5. It’s hard to sell yourself. Those who know me know I have no problem espousing the benefits of the products and services I believe in. Yet, when it comes to selling my services, I struggled. I am grateful that in my prep phase, I interviewed someone who shared their lesson learned and said, “Get a sales coach on day one.” He recommended Theophan Mackenzie, and I appreciate it. Theophan helped me overcome this hurdle, which is essential in building a business!
I’ve just begun this journey, and I’m excited about the future. Thank you for your support and referrals; keep them coming. If you are interested in launching your own business and want to chat, I’m happy to discuss my experience and lessons learned. chat!