“I wish I had a mentor or someone I could trust, with experience to help me succeed in my first year of business!”

As a new business owner, I wished I had someone on my side who could shine a light on my path, give me good advice, and help me avoid all the pitfalls I kept falling into!

I didn’t hire my first coach until the tail end of my first year, when I realized I just wasn’t getting anywhere — and I needed outside, expert help to make real, rapid progress.

So to help you navigate your first year, here are 10 things I wish I had known, and advice I wish I’d gotten!

This is for you if:

You’re a new-ish business owner — or you’re not new, but you’re struggling to navigating your first few years of business.
You’re battling self-doubt, low confidence, and anxiety — you want to try something new, but you’re afraid of messing up.
You’re tired of feeling afraid and ready for a stronger mindset, and a set of beliefs that actually support the actions you want to take.

1. Befriend Your Fears

Starting a new business -- or doing anything outside your comfort zone -- can bring up a ton of fearful thoughts and feelings! And our first reaction, understandably, is to try to get rid of the fear…

But fear is a natural part of expanding your comfort zone! In fact, the more you take action that scares you, the more you’ll recognize fear as a good sign that you’re on the right track.

Get to know your fears, accept and allow them to be part of your journey, and invite them to ride along (just make sure they sit in the back seat!).

2. Take Imperfect Action

The fastest way to succeed is to take messy, imperfect action. Start where you are, and seek out experience and progress instead of perfection.

Fail fast to learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. If you’re not messing up sometimes,and doing everything perfectly, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough!

3. Lean Into Discomfort

Discomfort is exactly what you’ll feel when you do something outside your comfort zone! Just like learning to work, or trying a new cooking technique for the first time…worthwhile things often make us uncomfortable!

But you want to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. It’s a sign that you’re growing!

This shift will happen naturally over time, the more you lean into action that makes you feel awkward, nervous, or scared!

4. Let Naysayers Do Their Thing

Loved ones and friends who don’t see your vision usually have limiting beliefs of their own, and a constrained idea of what is possible..

Let them worry if they need to. But don’t let it stop you from taking action! Remember that YOU are the CEO -- you have the vision and the will to figure out how to make it a reality.

Just tell them to watch and learn -- who knows, you may inspire them to finally go after a dream they’ve put off for years!

5. Make Self-Care A Priority

Your business’s success depends on your ability to show up confidently, promote your offers, and take action to make your desires happen… so building up your self-worth should be a top priority in your first year as a business owner!

Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and advocate for your own needs. Instead of punishing yourself with long hours and treating yourself poorly, treat yourself as you would a dear friend, and watch your self-confidence and self-worth grow!

6. Limit Comparison Triggers

If you get caught up in comparing yourself to others and beating yourself up for not being “further along,” congratulations -- you’re human!

Everyone compares themselves to their peers. It’s normal! But you can limit your exposure and take your energy back. Unfollow or mute anyone who triggers comparison, to keep your mindset strong!

7. Celebrate Every Little Win

No matter how small or insignificant each win seems, it needs to be celebrated! The more you celebrate small wins, the more wins you’ll have!

So pop a bottle of bubbly, or write in your gratitude journal. Take a walk outside and reflect on how good it feels to make progress and feel proud of your successes. Just don’t let little wins pass you by unnoticed!

8. Remember Progress is Non-Linear

Setbacks and disappointments come with the territory of progress. There will be ups and downs along the way!

When you feel discouraged by a setback, resist the urge to read it as a trend, or your luck running out. Tomorrow is a whole new day! You can turn your luck around any time you want, if you’re willing to take the action to make it happen.

9. Have a Simple Visibility Plan

Early in your business, it’s easy to get distracted by all the shiny objects and people telling you what you need to be doing. But at the end of the day, all marketing boils down to getting visible to share what you know, and sharing your offers.

Show up 3-5 times per week on ONE platform to share high-value content with your tribe. Don’t try to be everywhere at once, or over-complicate your content plan. Just be present consistently -- that’s how you book clients!

10. Stay Connected to Your Vision

Breakthroughs don’t come from powering through every night and weekend, working a million hours!

They come from taking a step back and giving yourself space to reflect and really tune back into your goals, correct course if needed, and come back with fresh perspective and renewed passion for your goals.

Through the ups and downs, especially when you feel stuck, connect with your vision to keep your passion ignited.

Recap

There you have it! The 10 tips I want to give you today for navigating your first year of business.

As a business coach, I help my clients avoid all the common pitfalls as a new biz owner, and I hope these simple tips serve you well in the weeks and months ahead :)

Read about working together

Swipe my free

BRAND BLUEPRINT + 7-DAY EMAIL COURSE

Grab the Blueprint, find a cozy spot, and let’s build your stand-out brand together! Join my email list and get my Brand Blueprint + 7-day Email Course for free. (You can unsubscribe anytime, but I don’t think you’ll want to!)