Article Summary
Entrepreneurship is hard, yet rewarding but we need to talk about the hard stuff so you know you're not alone. In this conversation, Ruthie Sterrett and I talk about the hard things we've encountered that we didn't know was coming our way as an entrepreneur. From revenue changes to emotions, we share it all and we do it while we are both experiencing hard things. Instead of waiting until we were on the other side of it, we share while we're in the messy middle so you know you're not alone. In the end the reality is that things in life and in entrepreneurship don't get easier, but you get better at handling the hard things that come your way. You've got this and we hope this conversation is something you come back to anytime you need it.
Takeaways
Entrepreneurship often involves taking action and embracing uncertainty, even without having all the answers.
Making hard decisions, such as cutting expenses or ending coaching relationships, is necessary for the long-term success of the business.
Balancing business and personal life requires effective time management and the ability to compartmentalize different aspects of life. Finding work-life integration is more effective than striving for work-life balance.
Social media comparison can negatively impact mental health, so it's important to remember that everyone has their own struggles.
Taking time to feel and reflect on emotions is an important part of personal growth and learning.
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #235). If you'd like to listen to this conversation, use the link below.
![Ep. 235: [Ruthie Sterrett] Embracing Uncertainty & Navigating The Hard Realities of Entrepreneurship](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/eff2c2_65cbd42a2b4445d89d9c3878e89c240c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_49,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/eff2c2_65cbd42a2b4445d89d9c3878e89c240c~mv2.png)
Entrepreneurship Requires Taking Action Before You're Ready
"I knew I was meant to do something with working moms but I didn't know anything more than that." - Ruthie Sterrett
"I decided to work with a coach when I was figuring this out and one day there was a lightbulb that went off and I knew I could support people through marketing." - Ruthie Sterrett
"Once I made the decision it was propelling me to where I was supposed to be."
"I had a coach say this to me and I come back to it often, 'You don't have to see the entire staircase, you just need to take the next step.' Do what feels right, right now. It's not taking action that will stop you." - Ruthie Sterrett
"Planning is great but it's not the plan that will get you where you want to go, it's the exercise of taking action that will." - Ruthie Sterrett
The Ebbs, Flows, Flatlines & Declines In Revenue As An Entrepreneur
"Sometimes it's going to feel like things are going great and other times it will feel like nothing is working." - Amanda McKinney
"Sometimes your revenue is going to flatline and sometimes it's going to decline and when that happens, know that it's normal." - Ruthie Sterrett
"Our human brains want the quick fix...we think "maybe it will work for me". - Ruthie Sterrett
"I'm in a season when I'm not making the revenue projections I made and now I have to make hard decisions about expenses." - Ruthie Sterrett
"We have to be the stewards of our business and sometimes we have to make a short term decision that's tough so we can have long term business success." - Amanda McKinney
Entrepreneurs Have To Make Hard Decisions & Deal With Emotions
"I had to make the decision to cut my VA and end a mentorship with a coach and both of which I value so much." - Ruthie Sterrett
"I'm still grieving the decision. I want to support their businesses. I want to have that support. But as an entrepreneur I'm the holder of the risk and that means I'll have to make hard decisions sometimes." - Ruthie Sterrett
"The emotional part was not what I was prepared for." - Amanda McKinney
"We have to sit in the feelings, both the good and the bad, so we can actually process them...The mental capacity of being a business owner was something I didn't expect." - Ruthie Sterrett
"Life doesn't stop just because you started a business, you have to learn how to compartmentalize but also process the emotions and realize you can't do it all." - Ruthie Sterrett
"It's even hard to sit in the good feelings. I had a mentor tell me that every time I received money in my business that I needed to take a gratitude time out for 5 minutes and feel gratitude for it all." - Ruthie Sterrett
"One of the biggest things that I've had to lean into is taking the time and the whitespace to feel the feelings and process them. I have to remind myself of this often." - Ruthie Sterrett
"Reflecting on (emotions) and knowing that you're not feeling them so they go away but to actually learn from them. That's where the lessons come from, the bright spots come from." - Ruthie Sterrett
"When you close your laptop for the day, close it and remind yourself that you have done enough today. This has made me a better person outside of my office and I do my best to practice this every day." - Amanda McKinney
Comparison, Work/Life Balance vs Integration As An Entrepreneur
"I decided that I'm not aiming for balance anymore, I'm aiming for integration." - Amanda McKinney
"A lot of the comparison comes from the pressure we put on ourselves based on what we see on social media. It messes with our heads." - Ruthie Sterrett
"In order for me to build the sustainable business I want, there will be times that my business has to come first so that I can put my family first the rest of the time." - Amanda McKinney
"What we see on social media or even this conversation, it's a snippet of the day. We only see our own entire story." - Ruthie Sterrett
"I strongly believe that we all get to have boundaries and share the parts of our story that we want to share but our responsibility when we are on the other side of the screen looking at other people's content is to understand they can do the same thing and that we are only seeing a snippet of their day." - Amanda McKinney
Do Hard, Better Because It Doesn't Get Easier In Entrepreneurship
"We just have to be nice to each other...a value in my business and what I want to teach my son is to work hard and be nice to people because you never know what they are going through." - Ruthie Sterrett
"The Duke women's basketball coach has a speech about doing hard better. Things don't get easier but you get better at handling the hard things." - Ruthie Sterrett
Take Away Message / Action
As Kara Lawson, the Duke Women's Basketball coach says "make yourself someone who handles hard, well and then whatever comes at you, you're going to be great."
And all along the way, remember that you're not the only one going through this hard thing. Many others are struggling with that same thing too. That doesn't take the hard away but it helps to know it's not happening because of something you're doing. There will be times when you have to take accountability for your part in the situation but the hard thing would likely happen at some point anyway.
No matter what's going on, know that you can do this and all you have to do is focus on the next step. You don't have to see the entire staircase yet, just take the next step that feels right to you.
And until next time give yourself permission to do hard better and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon.
About Ruthie:
Ruthie Sterrett is the Founder and CEO of The Consistency Corner, a full service marketing agency that provides CMO level strategy and done-for-you implementation for service based businesses. With 15+ years of experience and wins like taking a $20M retail brand to $100M, Ruthie is uniquely qualified to help CEOs take off the marketing hat and get back to leading their company and serving their clients. She is known for her optimistic and upbeat personality paired with a solution finding growth mindset. In her spare time, Ruthie loves cheering on the Purdue Boilermakers while raising her family in sunny Florida.
Ruthie's Links:
Other Resources:
Free Follow-Thru Workshop: https://amandamckinney.com/workshop
All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874
Amanda's Website: https://www.amandamckinney.com/
Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching
Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book
"You don't have to see the entire staircase, you just need to take the next step. Do what feels right. It's not taking action that will stop you."
- Ruthie Sterrett
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