Starting a Business is Chapter 16

On a Road to Self Discovery

When starting a business, there are some things that you need to know, and a lot that you don’t need to know right now – but can learn along the way.  One of the things that I learned when starting McKeating Solutions, and that I see with a lot of the entrepreneurs and business owners with whom I connect, is that you need to know yourself.   I’m not talking about in a “Hi, I’m Maggie” kind of a way.

When I say that you need to discover who you are, I mean at a very basic level.  Starting a business is filled with emotions (the elation at the start, the fear and doubt that creep in along the way, the joys and everything in between), it takes a lot of hard work (energy, passion and dedication), and at the end of the day you have yourself to count on (and maybe a few others in your life who are awesome and there for you).

Why do you need to go on a journey of self discovery?

Who are you doing this for? Yes there is your family, your kids, and those obvious reasons.  But ultimately you are doing it for yourself.  You cannot pour from an empty cup.  To love those in your life, you have to take care of yourself, and for many of us entrepreneurs, working for someone else saps our energy, our creativity and ultimately our capacity for love.   You are starting a business for yourself first, and then for the other people in your life.  This means you need to know yourself, what excites and drives you, what you need in terms of self care and restoration, and how to spot those times when you need to take a break.

How do you discover yourself?

Spend some time, by yourself, getting to know yourself.  My favorite way is to sit down with a journal and just write: Write about your desires, your joys, your fears and aspirations.  It’s just you and the pen/paper – you can say and think anything you want so don’t be afraid to really push yourself.

If journaling isn’t your style, take a walk, take a drive, go for a coffee date by yourself and think through the the same prompts in the paragraph above.  Think through why you want to become an entrepreneur – is it the freedom? Is it the spark of creativity that is calling you to start your own business? What is it about this crazy lifestyle that you need.  Because let’s face it, if you feel like you are dying to become an entrepreneur – you are meant to be an entrepreneur.  Not everyone is called to this life, but there are some people that will never be happy or healthy (let alone both) working for someone else.

If you are exploring becoming an entrepreneur – I invite you to connect with me and other entrepreneurs in our book club Content and Coffee.  You don’t have stay for long, or even pick up our current book.  Just come and meet us, engage with us.  Spend some time with us.  See what we’re doing, thinking and feeling.  If you feel home, then stay – we’d love to work with you on your journey to self discovery and entrepreneurship.