They don ’ t tell you this stuff : Philippa Mannagh ’ s guide to Business
No one talks about this stuff , so I am going to . The stuff they don ’ t tell you when going into business or parenthood for that matter . The stuff you find out along the way and a mentor may say down the track , “ Yes , I have been there before .” The stuff that makes us stronger yet breaks our backs . The stuff that brings us to self-doubt tears one day yet shout to the heavens the next .
When little old me , who one day , long ago started a hobby business with a laptop on my lap and a goal to earn $ 50 a week in the bank , she never realised what was going would be involved along the way .
Sometimes , there wouldn ’ t be enough money to put across for milk , other times there would be , but the tax man would take it all back again . The rollercoaster emotions that come with running a business on your own . The highs , the lows and the neutral days in between . One minute you are searching seek . com for a real job . The next there is no way in hell that you would work for someone again . The lifestyle is too good ! You see the advantage yet why is it so hard all the time ? Where are the blogs about how hard it can be ? Where are the conversations and memes that say “ bull sh * t ” – there must be some ?
I am going to start with a what they don ’ t tell you series . Starting out as an entrepreneur , I thought it would be easy . I had no idea what I was getting myself into . The highs , the lows , the juggle , the proud moments and the business bullying . I thought that all I needed to do was charge a few clients , earn a bit and find someone to do my taxes .
What I discovered , however , is that it can get VERY real , very fast . The enormousness of business ownership can creep up on you and take hold of you at a weak moment . So much of the success is pinned upon the state of mind you possess . The discipline that you wrap around you and the people you choose to surround yourself with .
To start this series , I will share three things I learnt first hand when starting out
What they don ’ t tell you … 1 .) People get jealous
You will loose friends . No ? Yes ! This was the first piece of wisdom that someone shared with me when I was starting out . They told me that not everyone will like this , that you are in business , worse if you are successful . You will lose friends and some may be jealous , nasty or even shut you out . I couldn ’ t believe this ! I settled on the fact that they may have had dumb friends . There was no way that I could imagine owning a business would affect friendships . It ’ s sad but true – I did discover this and I was grateful that someone told me it would come . It was also the people that I least expected . I had to acknowledge quickly that it wasn ’ t everyone who was going to walk beside me on this journey . Some may call out and wave , some may drive past and not look out the window , but there would be those that walked beside me ; barefoot and blisters … every step of the way . Surround yourself with the right people , find your tribe .
2 .) You will feel like a fraud at times
People will look to you for inspiration , knowledge and wisdom . At a certain point , without even noticing the line in the sand ,
you will become a leader . Sometimes you will deliver with your head held high at the peak of your game . Other times you will wonder why one would book with you . That self-talk … are you good enough ? Why should they be paying you ? Our minds and self-doubt are powerful things . I hear many successful people talk about these same feelings at different stages of their business journey . Others can see how great you are , how much value you provide and the excellent strengths you possess . At times , we need to look through their glasses and look in to see what they see . Reading testimonials always helps and feeding back to yourself all the success stories you have written along the way . I remember worrying sometimes before meeting a client , what if they knew more than me ? What if they found out I was the fraud I thought I was ? You know what , I never came out of a meeting feeling like I had failed someone or let them down by my lack of knowledge . I had to remind myself for a while , have you been caught out before , no , then carry on and believe in your strengths – they come to you for a reason . Believe in yourself .
3 .) If you don ’ t value yourself , no one will
I think we have all done it . Chasing the penny , accepting any client that walks
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