3 years ago this weekend I left the corporate life, hopefully forever, and joined the entrepreneur world of business! It has been one of the hardest yet most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
Leaving my job that I was very good at and knew everything to start something that I thought I may be good at was no easy task, but with a lot of faith and a lot of hustle God has brought me here.
Here are the top 5 most important things I’ve learned.
1. Relax, you don’t have to finish everything in one day
I came from the corporate sales rat race where everything needed to be done in a day. Starting out I would get so stressed out when I wasn’t able to complete all of my tasks in a day. When you’re first starting out you do all the marketing, sales, back office, customer care, and financial updating. YOU CANT DO IT ALL IN ONE DAY!!!! I learned very quickly how to prioritize and be efficient. I utilize google calendar and apps like Todist to keep me on track. At the beginning of the week I write out my tasks for the week and rank them in order of priority and get things done!
2. Figure out how much money you NEED to live off on and put yourself on Payroll as soon as possible!
I can honestly say that I surprised myself and made a good amount of money my first year in Real estate but I was very convicted by how much money I had wasted by the end of the year. The transition from direct deposit to commission is real. My accountant (which I recommend every business owner and professional have one) suggested that I put myself on payroll. Not only is there great tax benefit to this, It really has forced me to make sure we continue to live with in our means, while growing a business. Sometimes it can be very tempting to not just hit that transfer button from my business account, but I’m already seeing the fruits from it in both my personal household and my business!
3. Establish a team of people around you.
We hear the stories of entrepreneurs working all day and all night! Well it’s not healthy for you mentally and physically. This was the key reason why starting a team was so important to me. I came from a team environment where everyone knew their role and purpose and worked together. I’m pretty sure I got some blank stares when people heard I was starting a real estate team only after my 1st year in real estate, but I truly believed that we really are better together. Though it was a HUGE investment early on in my business, it has been worth it times 10. Having a team has helped all of us find balance and peace of mind knowing that we don’t have to worry, we are a family and we are in this together!
4. Get to know yourself better and take breaks, often.
I have recently fell in love with the ennegeram because I feel like it really does help me to be more self aware of who I am. (I’m in 8 btw) It has made me understand things that I thought about myself and other things that people have mentioned that have never really fully made sense to me. It points out how I tend to react when I’m stressed and also when I’m in a healthy place. Whether it’s enneagram or counseling, I recommend spending some time resting and working on yourself.
5. Find other Entrepreneur friends (find your community)
Last but not least! You need to have an outlet! Entrepreneurs tend to have an entirely different language and it’s important to give and receive encouragement from other likeminded people to keep going! Sometimes you just need that reminder of why you are doing what you are doing and other times you need to celebrate what God has done in your business. I love the community of entrepreneurs that I’ve found! I’ve learned so much about growing and dreaming with them. Don’t do this alone!
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