I was speaking with a friend the other day that said to me "You know when I bought that program, I earnestly believed my business would take off. I mean they made it seem that if I did what they said and followed their blueprint that I'd be an instant six-figure success"
I looked at my friend and told her what I'm writing about today: it's the truth about entrepreneurship that nobody's talking about and can leave you feeling like you've done something wrong if you haven't hit six figures in six months.
Here's the truth:
If someone told you that you had to work for 2-5 years and barely get paid a dime would you do it?
And--I'm talking about profit. Because even if you make 10-60K/year, depending on your business--there are expenses that can far outweigh the cash you bring in the door, and at the end of the day your books can close with you taking home barely a dime...
If someone told you that you'd work harder than you ever had to work at any other job, would you do it?
My favorite quote for this one I heard from Chris Guillebeau "An Entrepreneur would rather work 24 hours a day for themselves than 1 hour a day for somebody else". Often that's the conversion of cash in your pocket for time spent working.
If someone told you that you'd have many panicked mornings wondering what's next, where's the money gonna come from and how the hell are you gonna find the strength to keep going and keep working when there's no guaranteed paycheck at the end of the week--would you keep going?
This is the truth for most entrepreneurs.
But if anybody sold you those 3 things, I bet you'd never buy it.
Instead people sell:
- Do what you love: turn passion into profit this week
- Make money from your laptop: The secret to riches is a click away
- Create abundance with this one secret tip.
- Make 6 figures in 6 months--l'll show you how.
- How to attract and manifest anything you want with this one easy tip.
- Don't believe people who tell you you need 3 years to build a business: I'll show you how to do it in 1 day (just pay me 4k for the secret)
Because fast sells. People want the shortcut. Everybody hopes for the minute-miracle cure.
People want what they want and they want it now--instant gratification sells, even though it doesn't work. The simple truth is: Perseverance is Painful.
Our culture of instant access and instant gratification is what social media thrives on, it's what commercials are made from, and what marketing thrives on.
It's what 101 persuasion hacks are all about (though they'd never dare call it Manipulation 101. Instead you might see it labeled as Soulful Persuasion 101--in efforts of getting the holistic entrepreneur to listen)
The sad thing is--we all fall for it. It's hard to believe anybody these days because most of the marketing I see lacks integrity.
And I've fallen for it. I see my friends fall for it. I see colleagues who know better fall for it. And I see more and more people trying these same tactics hoping it will work for them.
But, there has to be a better way.
There's a movement of people who actually are looking for a challenge. People tired of our Get It Easy and Fast Culture. People who enroll in Spartan Races and Sealfit Trainings just to see if they have what it takes to go the long-haul, persevere, and keep getting up anytime they fail.
People who know that success rarely happens overnight.
If you want the truth about what it takes to make it, quit listening to commercials. That includes online webinar-commercials and the equivalent of hydrogenated-oil Facebook ads streaming through your newsfeed seducing you to the next easy-money-hack.
Instead walk over to the mom and pop shop in your neighborhood. The one that always has a lineup and seems to be making a killing (and they are now) But ask them how it all started. I guarantee (99% of the time) the first 2 years were killer--filled with uncertainty.
Here's an analogy that came to me in meditation one day: if a business is like a baby, you can't force a 6-month old to be a 2 year old, and a 2 year old can't be forced to be an 8 year old....and so on. Even if you read every parenting book on the planet, take parenting-classes, and seek guidance regularly--the baby is going to grow at its own natural pace. Certainly there are ways to go through the process with more ease, support, intelligence, and confidence, which is why I believe education, self-care and self-development are important--but don't get tricked into thinking there's a secret shortcut. Just like a baby grows at its own pace no matter how much support it gets, the same is true for your business.
The question is: are you willing to be in it for the long-haul?
If you are, welcome to the camp of entrepreneurship.
Your success awaits your perseverance.
Tova Payne is a writer and consultant merging spirituality with entrepreneurship -- helping people take conscious action to create work from the inside-out. For more tips on taking action to start and finish your dream projects and a meditation audio for clarity click here. For more about Tova visit www.tovapayne.com