Happy birthday to ... ME!

It's been about a year since I hung my shingle and it's been one heck of a ride. I've leaned some valuable lessons from starting my own business that I thought might be helpful to anyone who is embarking on a new journey.

1. Take care of yourself. You are going to feel like calling it quits at least five times a day, and that’s on a good day. When it gets to be too much, step away from what you are doing for a bit. Pushing through will just bring more stress and cause you to resent what you are doing. Do something mindless or call a friend who makes you laugh.

2. Get over your fear of whatever it is you think you’re not good at. I am far from a math whiz but having my own business means I must keep track of earnings and expenses. It is uncomfortable and scary. But I have no choice but to buckle up and dive in.

Pro tip: You can find good tutorials on YouTube.

3. Expand your team of trusted allies. These are your mentors, former co-workers, BFFs, the people who believe in you most. When you get in over your head, lean on your team for guidance and assistance.

4. No one is going to work as hard for your dreams as you are. Period. I took a few workshops with notable people in the wellness world because I thought they would hire me or send me clients. When they chose to work with other people instead of me, it made me question my abilities for a minute. Luckily, I had my team to get me back on track.

The truth is no one is going to swoop in and make you a star or your company a household name. The buck starts and ends with you every day.

5. Your B+ is someone else’s A. Be your own harshest critic but know you are never going to achieve perfection. Striving for the impossible can become an excuse for not getting things up and running.

To avoid getting stuck, I set short deadlines for projects and ask a team member to hold me accountable. After I’ve checked things a few times and am confident there are no glaring errors, I take a deep breath and put it out there.