Written by Tiffany Manbodh
Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint. You go from working 9-5 to 24/7 basically. Your free time is spent racking up ideas for content posts on social media, client acquisition, the monthly newsletter and so much more. You try to maximize every minute of the day and make the most of it— all while trying to get tons of clients. Except I had none.
When I graduated from my health coaching program last year during the summer I thought the clients would just come to me after posting written content on my social media. After all, I had completed my training at one of the best nutrition schools in the country with teachers that were leading medical, health, and wellness experts; so why wouldn’t anyone NOT want to learn from and work with me? I had a rude awakening when I kept hearing crickets.
Here I was with this amazing service and 0 clients. I started to question myself. Could I really be a health coach in this online world? Things began to shift when I came across business coaches on Facebook that were offering free challenges to get more clients and I decided to try it out.
I had a lot to learn and that naturally came with the territory in regards to entrepreneurship. I was going to be the health coach my younger self wished I had and fail forward.
Top 7 Lessons Learned While Failing Forward:
1. Relationships are key to building your business.
You never know who is going to be able to connect you with opportunities and open new doors for you. You need to understand how to properly communicate what you actually do. I’ve gotten better at this since last year.
2. You need to put yourself out there to get visible.
This meant creating video content which I was a bit hesitant with in the beginning. I thought I would look foolish, but realized this was just a limiting belief that would keep me stuck and inhibit the growth of my business. The more I made videos and taught workshops online, the more comfortable I became. Part of me was also afraid of being visible—being too out there. I didn’t want to sound like I was bragging about myself. At the end of the day, I had people to help and I needed to let them know why they should work with me instead of some random person on social media who thought they were an expert with no training.
3. How you feel on an energetic level matters.
If you’re feeling like complete shit or not in the best mood, this can affect your ability to make content or show up for potential clients hanging out on social media—especially if you want to be authentic. Faking it requires way more energy than if you were actually in a good mood.
4. Being patient.
I know this is easier said than done, but I believe that during every single entrepreneur’s journey, encountering waiting phases is just part of the process. An initiation of some sort. This doesn’t necessarily mean sitting around and doing nothing. Instead, it’s a great time for reflection on what’s worked well so far and what needs to be approached differently. Additionally, I’ve found practicing gratitude during this time to be incredible. Tapping into that emotion and just remembering why you wanted to start your business can motivate you.
5. Choose partnerships that feel aligned.
It’s easy in the beginning to collaborate with everyone and anyone just for the exposure and increased visibility. However, being mindful of who you work with is so important. Over time I discovered that my health & wellness philosophy did not quite match up with some individuals I was initially thinking of collaborating with. Instead of compromising my personal values, I decided not to pursue that partnership.
6. Mindset makes a big difference between whether you fail or succeed.
They say everything begins in the mind first. Learning how to cultivate a positive mindset has helped me immensely. I’ve used visualization, scripting, affirmations, etc. to develop a mindset that is focused more on solutions rather than obstacles. I look at obstacles now as a way of getting into alignment, something a very dear person said to me.
7. Giving yourself grace.
You will make mistakes along the way and it’s okay. Each mess up is a learning opportunity. There’s so need to compare yourself to someone else who is farther along in their journey. Be kind to yourself.
I hope you’ve found these lessons helpful. If you’re an entrepreneur, know that you’re not alone and that this journey has its ups and downs. Continue failing forward. It has helped me to explore my own beliefs around failure and redefine what success means to me.
P.S.- I will be launching my brand officially on March 15th and I am determined to make it fun with a giveaway, special offers and so much more. I’d love for you to join me on my journey. Connect with me on Instagram to learn more about what I do as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.
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