On my 40th birthday, my life changed completely.
I’d been given the gift of a ‘Colour Analysis’, which is a tool you can use to find out which colours are the most flattering for you to wear.
Before then, I’d always melted into the background in various shades of black. Partly, this was because of how I used to feel about myself. I was already five feet six by the time I started secondary school. Plus I was fat, with wild hair and glasses.
Although I had a naturally loud and fun-loving personality, I thought it best to stay quiet and not make a fuss. That way, I’d avoid all the jokes that would otherwise get hurled in my direction.
But all those years later, the Colour Analysis gift revealed that bright colours actually suited me. Suddenly, I had a VOICE… and a whole new lease of life to match.
The Story of My Side-Hustle
This felt so exhilarating, that I wanted to help other people feel EXACTLY the same. There begins the story of my first side-hustle!
I had a well-paid corporate job and was (or so I felt at the time) born to be an employee. So I trained as an Image Consultant and spent evenings and weekends helping my clients express their own personalities through what they wore.
I absolutely loved it! So much that I soon moved into Personal Branding and business development. I travelled up and down the country to help people learn and grow skills like public speaking, marketing, and website development.
All the while, I dreamed of leaving my job and working for myself full-time. But I couldn’t quite muster up the courage to leave my generous salary behind… until redundancy came knocking.
This is a stressful moment for many people, but I couldn’t have been happier! It seemed like all the stars were in alignment: I’d just take my redundancy package and use it to help create a golden future for myself.
One in which I’d be in complete control.
Passion Just Wasn’t Enough
I had bucket-loads of PASSION for my new full-time business. That would be more than enough… wouldn’t it?
Here’s where my story changes from dreamlike scenes of “happily ever after” to a heart-stopping rollercoaster ride!
It started with life throwing a few curveballs for me to juggle. The first was a global recession. The second – even more devastating for me personally – was my pension being defrauded. 30-years worth of preparing for the future, gone in a flash.
Then there was my LIGHTBULB MOMENT of realisation. Even after all those years as a Side-Hustler, I didn’t actually know anything about business.
I had no idea how to get people to buy from me. Why would I need to? People would happily buy from me because I was MOTIVATED, PASSIONATE and GOOD AT WHAT I DID.
Oh so naïve!
Business started to dwindle, and I soon faced the terrifying prospect of not being able to support myself anymore.
The Knickerless Years
I often describe those times as ‘The Knickerless Years’, because money was so scarce that I couldn’t even afford to buy new underwear.
I went on to make some silly mistakes; wasting so much money I didn’t have on ‘schemes’ that promised the moon but didn’t so much as get me off the ground.
I kept distracting myself with the ‘fancy, frilly’ things that come with having your own business, like building a slick website, lots of time on social media and endless conversations with people over coffee.
I started to wonder if I was really cut out for the Solopreneur’s life. Money was so tight and things weren’t getting any better. Maybe I should just give up, and find another job.
Putting My LightBulb Moment to Good Use
Passion is wonderful, but it’s never going to bring business success on its own.
I loved what I did and I knew how to do it well, but none of that was enough. It was time for me to roll my sleeves up and learn the mechanics of business.
That’s exactly what I did, and I haven’t looked back since.
Here are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Business is a Practical Process
In my business life, I come across Solopreneurs who are distracted by the bright, shiny things that come with having a new business (just like I once was!) They’re developing a snazzy website, they’re chatting over coffee, and they’re cultivating friendly social media profiles.
But trust me: you only get so far without planning, systems, processes, and know-how. In fact…
2. The Missing Link Between PASSION and PROFIT is PLANNING!
I’ve learned that businesses fail if they don’t plan (and take action on that plan!).
They fail when their owners don’t put time, effort, and energy into what’s going on behind the scenes. They fail when the finances are ignored, and they fail when they don’t nurture their customers.
For example: if you’re a Solopreneur, you can’t post a few updates on social media, cross your fingers and hope that customers will come rolling in. Because chances are, they won’t.
You’ve got to KNOW how many customers you need to turn a profit, TARGET your marketing activity directly to them, and then ANALYSE the results carefully… so you can see where your precious time, energy – and money – is best spent.
It wasn’t always easy for me to make business changes I didn’t want to make. But if the stats and figures told me I had to, I did.
3. Failure is as Much a Part of the Process as Success
Business moves fast, but success can be slow to come by. Just ask James Dyson. It took him over 5,000 attempts to create his famous Dual Cyclone vacuum cleaner!
As a solopreneur, accept that YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES, but also promise yourself that you’ll learn from each one. That’s how you’ll make progress, and how you’ll avoid making the same mistake twice.
Where Am I Now?
These days I’ve created a successful and stable business for myself, but things didn’t start that way and it hasn’t always been easy.
I now use my 24 (24!) years in business to help other Solopreneurs, Freelancers, and Side-Hustlers – those incredible people who face the exhausting demands of business all by themselves – to generate the success they deserve and dream of.
In our work together we don’t focus on just one thing.
We work across the entire business using my 360-degree approach that includes my ‘Five Ms’ (Motivation, Management, Money, Marketing, and Mindset) so that NOTHING FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS.
Here’s how you can take the 360-approach in your business.