Last September, I quit my 9-5, for good. And although it kind of seems like I’ve been at this whole “entrepreneurship” thing for a while (and to some degree, I have!), it’s been about six months since I officially made the switch to work for myself, and be my OWN boss – full time.

So I figure, it’s as good a time as any to do some reflection, and share some key learnings. And I’ve certainly learned a LOT in these last six months. About business, yes. But also about branding. About personal development. About service, and intentions. About fulfillment. And about what it means to be happy.

But I’m packaging all these learnings up in an easy-to-read blog post to help YOU learn from my experiences (and make your own path to success a little easier to navigate). Here are the six biggest lessons I’ve learned in six months of being my own boss.

1. “Fake it til you make it” is REAL, y’all.

By far, one of the most important things I’ve come to realize in these last six months is that one of the best things you can do for your business is act like you’re already successful.

This is important for two main reasons. First of all, when people see that you are having success… they’re going to know what you’re DOING to be successful. Their interest is going to be piqued. This is true for both your friends, family, and social media network… as well as for your customers. Especially if you are selling a product or service, people are going to look to you as an EXAMPLE of what that product can do for them (more on this in #2). If you display to others that you are happy, successful, and thriving… people will believe that you ARE happy, successful, and thriving!

Secondly, the idea of “faking it until you make it” has significant psychological implications. Even if you don’t feel successful (yet!), the act of pretending like you are, or maybe realizing the areas where you ARE successful has a snowball effect. When you start to tap into what it feels like to be successful (even if you’re “faking it”) at first and experience this feeling of power, then slowly, you will be able to foster this feeling of success within yourself… which will then empower you TRULY seek out and embody success!

Social psychology Amy Cuddy is an advocate of the phrase “fake it until you make it,” or rather, “fake it until you become it.”

And if you truly put in the work to act like you are already successful… pretty soon, you won’t find that you’re acting at all! Perception is reality, and it’s just as easy to believe and portray that you’re successful, as it is to believe and portray that you are not. CHOOSE to believe in your own success, and others will too.

2. You ARE your product

One of the best lessons I’ve learned about business and marketing in these last six months is that you ARE your product. No matter what you’re selling or offering to others, the first place people will look when they’re considering buying is to you.

Because of this, it’s so important to make sure that people can FIND you online. Create a website. Show up on social media (daily, if you can!) Film live videos. Anything that you can do to get in front of people and represent what you’re selling in a positive, intentional way will only help with your exposure and marketing efforts.

You ARE the best reflection of your own personal brand. Your story is your brand. So, it’s incredibly important to HAVE a story of your own. Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why are you selling what you’re selling? How did you get to this point? Finalize your personal narrative and share it often. But you have to make sure your narrative is authentic because…

3. Authenticity matters

When I was in the process of writing “35 Days of Confidence,” one of the most important discoveries that prompted me to write the book was transformative power of living authentically.

In short: if you’re not living your life in a way that is consistent with your values, your desires, your goals, your passions… then you’re not going to be happy. And you’re definitely not going to be confident!

Authenticity is the key to confidence, and it is also so important if you want to discover true fulfillment and success in life.

I’ve really made this my personal mission over the last six months – creating a life and livelihood that allows me to remain true to my passions, gifts, and service – and it has changed. the. game. for me, friends. If you want to hear me talk about this, and the role of authenticity in finding true confidence and fulfillment, check out this video.

So yes, it’s important to make money. But it’s even more important to do this in a way that is authentic to you, and who you truly are. And if you’re struggling with that, then I encourage you to reach out, or send me an email at poisedandprofessionalblog@gmail.com today.

4. All great businesses come from a place of service

All business are created (or should be created) with the intend to sell a product or service that people need and desire. The only way to create a truly successful business, is to create it business with this goal in mind – to serve and help other people.

And this is what a lot of people get wrong. Because the reality is: success doesn’t come from having a lot of money; money comes as a result of success. And the only way to create that success is to lead from a place of service. It if you create a business where you are intentionally serving others, it’s only a matter of time until you are successful.

Want to deep dive this concept of success from service? Check out this old-school audio of “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale. You will NOT regret the 30 minutes you spend listening to this talk.

5. People will judge you

No matter what kind of business you’re trying to start, or what kind of major life move you make, one thing is certain: people will judge you.

This is not a bad thing.

Once you get over the initial sting of judgement by others (which you will – quickly! – if you continue to lead from a place of service, and focus on your own goals and success path), you’ll find that most of that judgement comes from a place of fear, or a place or jealousy. The people that judge you are unhappy with their OWN circumstances, and attempt to deal with it by projecting that judgement on you. Do not let it deter you.

And here’s another thing: It’s not just you. EVERYONE, especially those you are making big life changes and decide to actively change their future, fall victim to judgement. 

I love this quote from an article by Jamie Worthy about judgement that entrepreneurs (specifically network marketers) face:

“…If someone wanted to quit their six figure a year corporate job to follow their heart’s desire and open a small coffee shop in their home town of five thousand people.. they would get judged HARD!!! I mean they would be called completely CRAZY!!! It’s not fair.  It sucks.  But that’s they way it goes.  People truly don’t want to see others follow their passions because they are so stuck in their own misery.  They don’t want to see others succeed because they are so imprisoned by their “failures” and mishaps. “

You are DOING something to create a life you’re proud of. You are FOLLOWING your dreams, and your purpose! And once you can shift your focus solely on that, and adjust your mindset and your perspective to not dwell on this judgement (but maybe, rather, use it as fuel for your success!) – just watch how high you can soar, friend! Being able to tune out this negative noise will be one of the best life and business skills you develop.

6. It’s OK to take some time off

One of the lessons I learned pretty quickly when I first left by 9-5 and began working for myself is that… my business didn’t work unless I did.

One of the comforts of a 9-5 job (and the reason so many people are drawn to them) is the stability. No matter what you’re doing or what you’re working on (or not working on), as long as you show up every day, you will get paid. You will receive a consistent paycheck.

When you work for yourself (depending on your line of work, and your systems), this isn’t necessarily the case. It certainly wasn’t (and still isn’t!) for me.

People tend to think that being an entrepreneur and working for yourself means TOTAL free time in your days! You can do whatever you want! And yes, this is somewhat true.

But when you work for yourself, you need to actually WORK. You can’t just show up to your home office every day and expect a paycheck to direct deposit into your checking account every other week.

One of my biggest business goals this year is to increase my number of passive income streams, and the degree to which they contribute to my bottom line. At this point, I have four, and counting. My long-term plan is that these passive income streams make up the majority of my revenue (and that that revenue increases substantially, since I won’t be trading my time for money any more).

But for now, I have to put in the work to make that happen. I have to set up the systems, create the brand awareness, grow my network, and crank on building valuable products and services that people want.

And that’s okay.

But it’s also okay to take a break every once in a while. I have one of those personalities where I have a hard time doing “nothing” – if I’m just sitting and watching TV, guilt inevitably creeps in that surely there’s SOMETHING valuable I can be doing right now instead of just sitting here!

Being a full-time entrepreneur has been a great learning curve for me in this respect as well – in the art of finding balance and creating time for rest (TRUE rest). I’m not perfect at it, but it’s something I’m working on. We all deserve a break every once in a while.

If you’re thinking of making a similar transition in your own life, I hope sharing these lessons is helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out – I’d love to help you any way I can.

Header photo by Adriana Zuniga Williams