The harmful prescription of “going all in” on your business

I bet you’ve been told that to be “taken seriously” as a coach/consultant, service provider, or other business owner - you had to be “all in” on your business.

That to get “free”, you had to be working for yourself, building your private practice or individually-owned business… and that if you don’t do that, you can’t be considered successful.

And I think that is one of the most harmful narratives of the entrepreneurial journey.

Truth time.

Do you know how I sustained myself the year I left my corporate job? Having gotten certified as a life coach in 2018 and been “side hustle coaching” for 3 years?

Corporate and sub-contract consulting gigs.

Even with a few months to prepare, I knew I wanted to do strategy, I knew I wanted to combine coaching and operations and literally didn’t know how I was going to do it. I had no energy to really plan it out in my old job.

And…honestly, the business I have today could never have emerged in the toxic soup of patriarchy and extractive capitalism I was fighting with on the daily.

So yes, I had a corporate bonus as a financial backstop.

And yes, I had a lot of business skills and had taken a bunch of courses to get ready.

And it still took me 3 months to land my first paying Soul and Strategy client.

Another 8 months to build up a client portfolio to cover my life needs (which I slashed by half before I left).

And it took me over 15 months after I left, focusing on this full-time… to really land on my message and business model.

I had to work with clients, unlearn from corporate, embrace my unique gifts, and expand my network.

So I took care of my financial needs and released the pressure on my business to have to carry me.

The myth is that you should just jump full-time, and we’re not modeled other paths. That you’re a failure if you can’t “make it” as a service provider 6 to 12 months after you’ve left. But here’s the real truth:

• Networks and relationships take time to build.

• Messages take time to emerge and deepen.

• Foundational marketing and sales elements take time to implement.

• Investing in mentorship or coaching and joining networks does take some money.

• You might honestly need a break to recover from your last job.

So get your needs met first.

Look for bridge or part-time jobs to keep the money coming in - roles that take less time and energy so you can continue building your business.

Take contract coaching roles or sub-contractor copywriter/design roles to improve your craft while learning the business side. (Side note: I’m doing this too, and it’s a great way to see the back end of a more mature business and learn).

Make regular time to devote to your business, but take care of yourself financially so you have the freedom to learn, to fail, to experiment.

P.S. - In $100K Your Way, we cover the real financial needs of your life, the realistic expectations of the next 6 months, and your options to fund your life and release pressure on your biz.