My first business baby, The M.A.D. Therapy, is celebrating 5 years since it's doors first opened. It has been a whirlwind of unexpected twists and turns that I am immensely grateful for. Starting both of my businesses was the biggest risk I ever took on anything, including myself, and I couldn't be more proud.
To honor the five year mark of my first business, here are 5 things I have learned over the years as an entrepreneur who evolved from a solo therapist to the leader of a group practice.
Do it scared & never fully prepared. You will never feel ready to jump into private practice or entrepreneurship. It’s outside the status quo of the expected 9-5 job. If you wait until you feel ready, have all the answers, or everything prepared and planned, then you will never do it. Get the answers you can, accept that you will learn a lot of the answers as you go, and do it scared.
Show Up Consistently Imperfect. Success isn’t about being perfect or never making mistakes. Success is about making mistakes and learning from them. It’s about showing up everyday consistently. Success and growth aren’t about big moments. They are all the little, seemingly insignificant moments where you showed up consistently and learned from your imperfections.
Get Clear on Your Why. I don’t care if we are talking about relationships or business, there will be days you question why you’re doing what you’re doing. Shit is going to get hard. There is a reason why the expression is “blood, sweat, and tears.” Anything worth doing isn’t going to be easy. You will have highs and lows. Regardless, get clear on your why. Knowing why you’re doing this will ensure you stay focused when you’re on a high and a shiny object jumps into frame. It will also help you get back up and keep going when you’re on a low. Knowing your why is a must for anything you’re doing that’s of value to you.
Recognize What's Yours & What's Others. People will attempt to tell you how to do what you do best without ever having walked a day in your shoes. Without ever having manage the tasks you do. Be open to the feedback others give because it holds potential for lessons, but also be mindful of the limitations of this feedback. The hardest thing you will do is learn how to balance being open to feedback, yet critical of it as well. Sometimes the feedback isn’t really yours.
Let the Hard Times Teach You. Things will get hard. Don’t let these challenging times make you bitter. Don’t let them distract you from the larger goal. Take the hard times and find the lesson within them. Use the hard lessons to grow even further. I have found that sometimes the best lessons come from the hardest of times if we are open to learning and growing.
BONUS: Point. You didn’t get here alone. Don’t forget to point to and recognize the people along the way who have or still are with you. The people that see the larger picture and are invested in making it come alive too. We aren’t (M)aking (A) (D)ifference alone and those who celebrate the vision are worthy of recognition. The biggest difference we will make is when we ban together.
Thank you to my amazing husband, family, friends, exceptional therapists and practice managers with The M.A.D. Therapy, and every single individual to ever partner, work with, celebrate, and support The M.A.D. Therapy and The M.A.D. Beyond.
We got here together &, M.A.D. Friends, we are only just beginning...
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