Over my years in business, I have heard, and believed several myths that held me back majorly in actually moving forward and growing my business.
And because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did, in this episode I am busting five myths that are holding you back and the truth that will set you free. I don’t want you to end this year or start the new year with the chains of these five myths weighing you down.
Let’s dive in!
Show Links:
Show Takeaways:
- Learn the five myths that held me back in business and may be holding you back too!
- Understand the truths of these myths so you can start 2022 with freedom.
- Discover the action step you can take today to move you and your business in the right direction.
Rather read than listen? ⬇️
Over my years in business, I have heard and believed several myths that held me back majorly in actually moving forward and growing my business and TBH growing as a person. And because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I was, this episode is all about 5 of those myths and the truths that will set you free.
So, today I am busting 5 myths that are holding you back. I don’t want you to end this year or start the new year with the chains of these 5 myths weighing you down.
MYTH #1: A TOOL WILL SAVE YOUR BUSINESS.
Every day in Facebook groups, I see something that breaks my heart.
I see entrepreneurs searching for tools to solve much deeper problems.
“What is the best CRM? I know I need one.”
“What email marketing platform should I use? The one I currently use is no good.”
“What does everyone use to track receipts? I am terrible at this.”
9 times out of 10, the problem isn’t with the tools they are using.
People have been running businesses without these fancy tools for years.
You must figure out what your process is for lead management, or email marketing, or bookkeeping and then add in tools that support that process.
Software does not equal to smart processes and systems.
A process = a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. So basically, if you ever do anything more than once, that’s a process.
What are smart processes?
When you get intentional and strategic about how that process can have a positive effect on you, your team, & those you serve and then optimize your process towards that, that’s a smart process.
Notice I didn’t mention one piece of software or app in discussing that. You must understand the different steps or procedures that will align with your goals, business, and brand BEFORE you go searching for the tools to help you implement.
TRUTH: SHIFTING YOUR MINDSET CAN SAVE YOUR BUSINESS
So if the latest tech isn’t going to be your ultimate savior in business, what is?
*drumroll, please*
Mindset, of course.
Now, the conversation around mindset is a vast and profitable one. In fact, coaching is one of the fastest growing in the private sector, expected to push past $20 billion dollars in revenue in 2022. You can hire a one-on-one coach, read books, listen to podcasts, take programs, or any number of other strategies. But what does it all mean?
Well, in case you don’t know or this is a new concept, mindset is simply the way you think about things, your established attitudes about something.
So, as it pertains to systems or processes in your business, if you are currently of the mindset that processes are boring and complicated and you just need someone or something to take it off your plate and make life easier, then you won’t bother to learn how processes are actually a wonderful and necessary thing, because it challenges the way you think about processes.
But if you open yourself up and shift your mindset to something like, “Systems and processes are necessary parts of my business that make my life easier. Taking the time to set them up and really understand them will pay off big in the future.”, then you are at a much better place to really embrace this aspect of your biz and totally rock it!
You have to shift your mindset.
Not only do you have to shift your mindset about processes and systems, but also about what tools can do. Tools are just that – tools. Accessories to help you achieve something – it won’t do all the work for you.
MYTH #2: “THERE IS ONE RIGHT WAY TO DO BUSINESS.” AND “THIS HAS ALWAYS WORKED BEFORE.”
As creatures of habit, we get comfortable with routine, doing the same thing over and over again.
While I wholeheartedly believe that consistency is the key to success, that doesn’t mean mindlessly doing the same thing you’ve always done just because you always have, especially if you start to see that the results aren’t what they used to be.
Which leads to the second part of this myth: “This has always worked before.” Without getting too scientific, we as humans are meant to evolve.
Weird, we are comfortable with familiarity but are predisposed to evolve. But that is the case, so get on board my friend.
TRUTH: INNOVATION WILL PUT YOU AHEAD OR OUT OF BUSINESS. EVOLUTION IS KEY IN ANY ENDEAVOR.
I am sure you’ve seen first hand the results of innovation and evolution in business. Remember Blockbuster. K-Mart. Sears. Innovate, evolve, or go outta biz, babe.
This doesn’t mean you have to reinvent how you do business every quarter. That would be exhausting.
It does mean you should adapt a growth mindset and remain nimble and open.
Remove your limiting beliefs about your capabilities to do any of these things.
Be willing to learn new things. Be open to new opportunities.
Track results of your efforts and draw smart conclusions to make big decisions.
Go to conferences of leaders in your industry and leaders of other industries.
Read lots of books.
Give your self space and time for reflection and big picture envisioning.
Experiment with different strategies. Take calculated risks.
MYTH #3: “IT’S NOT MY FAULT!”
This one triggers me the most. Probably because it used to be me.
I would complain about my lack of good fortune, lack of control over my schedule, lack of money, never being noticed by the hotties and my inescapable fate to die alone – you get the idea. And I surrounded myself with those that would commiserate and allow me to keep up this low-vibe victimhood.
But that didn’t serve me, and it isn’t serving you.
I am not saying that you haven’t had really hard, shitty things happen to you. Life is freakin’ hard. For everyone.
You can’t control how others act. You can’t control acts of God, or weather, or if certain opportunities will be offered to you.
However…
You CAN control how you react to others and those acts of God and weather and if certain opportunities are offered to you. You CAN control what side of the bed you are going to get up on every day. You CAN choose whether you will always be the victim or if you will rise and be the hero in your own story.
You have a choice. And even if you decide not to choose, that is your choice.
It is quite simple. It isn’t easy, but it is simple.
TRUTH: AS A CEO, FOUNDER, OWNER, OR WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELF, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
So, not only do you have to get rid of this “it’s not my fault!” mentality in your personal life, you also have to say goodbye to it professionally as well. You have control and you are the one steering the ship.
That employee that screwed up a major deal for you? You hired them and/or you were supposed to be supervising them and/or you hired or supervised the person that was responsible for them.
In your own business, there is no one that is going to care about your reputation and bottom line and success as much as you. You are responsible for everything that happens in your business. If you have a problem, you are the problem.
But the plus side is that if you are the problem, you are the solution.
Again, you have control over how you do business, and who you hire and fire, and how you interact with clients, and… everything.
You are powerful, my dear. With great power comes great responsibility. But you are capable of great things that require both.
MYTH #4: “I DON’T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO ___ PART OF MY BUSINESS. THAT’S WHY I HIRED SOMEONE ELSE.”
Delegation and outsourcing is imperative if you want to scale your business.
I am of the firm belief that there are experts in all sorts of areas that I really know very little about and paying them to do what they do best for ME is an excellent use of dollars. I don’t change my own oil. I used to get my hair professionally colored. I have a business coach.
But you better believe that I educate myself enough to know if I am getting my money’s worth. Just because I CHOOSE NOT to do it, doesn’t mean I CAN’T do it.
TRUTH: YOU NEED TO KNOW THE BASICS OF ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS SO YOU CAN LEAD YOUR TEAM WELL.
While I agree that you should outsource certain tasks and areas of your biz, especially if it isn’t in your Zone of Genius, you need to know the basics so you can lead and manage your team well.
For example, you don’t need to know how to crunch all the numbers and put together the Balance Sheet, but you should definitely know how to read one.
Or you don’t need to know how the latest algorithm for Facebook or Instagram works, but you better know how to measure and track new strategies put into action by your marketing team.
Ignorance is NOT bliss. Remember the Truth to Myth #3? Truth: As a CEO, founder, owner, or whatever you call yourself, it is your responsibility.
No matter what it is, it is absolutely your responsibility to keep all aspects of your business running smoothly.
MYTH #5: “I TRULY KNOW WHAT MY IDEAL CLIENT OR CUSTOMER WANTS. I DON’T NEED TO ASK, AGAIN OR FOR THE FIRST TIME.”
In this age of online entrepreneurship, many start businesses for people just like them. So they then think they don’t need to talk to real humans to figure out what they want before they create an offer and try to sell to them.
Oops.
No matter if you are your own ideal client or not, you still need to talk to them. It will make life and business 1000% easier and less expensive.
Rather than guessing what language will resonate with someone on a landing page, you will have language that they specifically gave you!
Rather than trying to guess what their objections are when building an offer, you’ll know because you asked them.
Rather than hoping someone will pay $500 for a course on whatever it is you do, you’ll know because you did the research!
TRUTH: YOU NEED TO BECOME OBSESSED WITH YOUR CLIENT AVATAR TO LEARN WHAT THEY TRULY WANT AND NEED.
Remember what I said about humans are predisposed to evolve? That includes your ideal client. They are growing and evolving and so are their problems. You are in this to serve them. So you need to be an expert on them.
Surveys are a great way to do get great information. Annual or bi-annual surveys of your email list (if you have one) on what they’ve found helpful and what they’d like to see more of is a great place to start.
But your work isn’t done there.
Engage with actual, real-life people on social media. Ask lots of questions, without an agenda to try and sell to them. Be genuinely curious and interested.
Call up current or past clients and ask them their #1 challenge right now. You don’t have to solve it, you just have to listen.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Need some help eliminating these myths from your own life and business so you can move forward on your big goals?
You may be ready for some 1:1 help to not only unseat the myths but also set yourself up with a strong customized step- by-step action plan for your next 6 months to ensure you are taking the daily and weekly steps necessary to reach those big goals.
If so, I invite you to check out Real Results Roadmap VIP Days. This 1:1 VIP intensive is specifically designed for you to come away with
• your big goals clearly stated, aligned with what matters to you, & broken down into actionable steps so you make big impact with daily progress.
• a custom-tailored step-by-step action plan so you know exactly what to do every day, week, & month to achieve your goals & uplevel your business
• a customized KPI & Goal Tracker so you make smart, strategic, data-based decisions to push you forward faster. What gets measured, gets managed.
• a repeatable review & realign strategy so you can keep those goals & your progress top of mind & most importantly at the top of your list.
Action Step:
I always like to end each episode with an action step that you can take right now to help you move forward and begin to implement immediately. Here is your action step for this episode:
Which of these myths resonated with you the most? What is one thing you are dedicated to change and why? Journal on this to cement it in your mind.
