A couple of days ago I had a conversation with my dear friend Robert Donnell about “why you started your business?”. He runs an amazing marketing firm, P5 Marketing.
We often talk about business; how to grow it, scale it, how to get better at delegating. We also talk about how we can carve out freedom and work-life balance. And of course, it wouldn’t be me if we didn’t also discuss how to make sure that we have learned along the way is here to stay. I call that “making our brilliance immortal.”
Why Did You Start Your Business? Remember Why?
In this particular conversation, these two questions came up:
- Why do people start their business? (Why did we?)
- Do they still remember why they started their business when they are in the thick of it? (Do we still remember? Robert and I both do!)
Great questions. What does this look like for you?
Often people start a business because they want to be their own boss. They are an expert at something, and they think
“Why should I keep working for someone else when I can use my skills to build my own dream?”
Many also want to make a difference for their families. They want to have a more flexible schedule so they can be there with their kids and spouse when they want. Work-life balance…
Then there is the desire to create an impact. Make a difference to those the business serves. It could be a local, national, or even global impact.
When someone starts a business they usually do not think about leaving a legacy (some do though). Most will think about that only much later; once they have been in their business for quite some time.
I remember when I started my business. Being my own boss and having time flexibility were huge drivers. And of course, I wanted to serve my clients as well as I could, keep getting even better at it, and make a profound difference. Having lots of variety in my work and always getting to learn more has always been another big factor for me.
Do We Lose Sight of Freedom and Work-Life Balance?
What happens along the way though?
Do we get so focused on growing the business that we forget about our work-life balance?
I think sometimes the answer is “yes.”
We are our own boss, yet, we are driving ourselves way harder than any other boss could ever do. Interesting, huh?
Why Did This Question Come Up?
You probably know that I have created a system called Brilliance Extraction™. It is a method to pull your wisdom, expertise, and expertise from your brain and put them into a system.
I summarize the method’s benefits as a path to “Grow and Scale Your Business, Delegate Effectively, Enjoy Freedom, and Immortalize Your Brilliance“.
I got to thinking…. growing and scaling your business, and delegating more – all that leads to freedom. If you do it right (i.e., with knowledge systems) it also leads to immortalizing your brilliance. Growing, scaling, and delegating are all means to an end – freedom, impact, and creating a legacy.
Should I Led the Conversation with the Concept of Freedom?
I called Robert and shared these thoughts. Maybe I should lead the conversation with the concept of freedom?
As Robert and I discussed it, he said I might be onto something here… yet, do people remember why they started their business? Is it still a driver today? Or has it gotten buried in the day-to-day effort to succeed in business?
Has Freedom Become “Too Cliche”?
And here is another thing: Has talking about freedom became a bit too cliche? Perhaps many of us have heard too many false promises around that word. Streams of residual income. Passive income. Get rich fast, and so on.
My Confession
As for me, I have to confess I am driving myself harder than I would allow any boss. But I also follow the motto “Work hard play hard”. Sometimes I have to remember to put the phone and computer down. Sometimes I am not as present with my family as I want to be.
Sometimes I, too, need a nudge to delegate more. (Thank you, Robert!) Yes, me, the ‘Brilliance Lady.’ Ha!
I guess we all need that nudge and accountability. Eating my own medicine – that is what led to my Brilliance Mining course. And yes, it will teach business owners “How to Grow and Scale Your Business, Delegate Effectively, Enjoy Freedom, and Immortalize Your Brilliance“. Maybe it is good to say all of these benefits – just in case, we can’t quite remember why we got into the business.
I’m curious: Why did you start your business? And are those reasons still driving you today? Comment below or drop me an email. Thank you!
