3 Things I’ve Learned in 3 Months as an Entrepreneur

Well, it’s been almost exactly three months since I launched my business. I think it’s time for an update…

First of all, I just need to say that the last few months have FLOWN on by. I’m so confused because it feels like it was just New Year’s, but then all of a sudden it was then Valentine’s Day, I went to Colorado, and now I’m about to meet my mom in Texas for our mother/daughter weekend. WHERE IS TIME GOING.

All of this is to say that when you are doing something you love, something you truly care about, I honestly think time moves more quickly. I used to sit at my desk at work and by 10am I was ready to go home. That’s ONE hour in. Now? I start working at 7am and all of a sudden it’s 1pm. I think that’s both a good and bad thing, but the fact that I’m not sitting there twiddling my thumbs until 6pm is pretty fantastic ??

If I had to sum up how the past three months have been, I would say they’ve been mind-blowing in the absolute best way possible. Never in my dreams did I think I would receive the outpouring of love and support or the opportunities I’ve been given. I wasn’t really worried about succeeding as an entrepreneur in the long run, but I do feel VERY lucky when I think about how far I’ve come in a short period of time.

There’s still a loooong long way for me to go, but here’s what I’ve learned since announcing my social media consulting business as a full-time endeavor…

That whole motivation thing is harder than you might think. I’d like to think I’m pretty good about self-motivation and time management, but MAN is it hard to keep yourself focused when no one is giving you real deadlines. I seriously have to implement my own for all of my clients so that I don’t drop the ball, and if I don’t plan my week down to the hour, I will forget to focus on things. This is something I struggle with on the daily, but am really working on! It’s gotten better, but I swear I’ve developed ADD or something…?

Kindness will get you unbelievably far. So here’s the tea: I haven’t actually had to send out any cold emails or proposals to potential clients that didn’t email me first…and for that, I am SO incredibly lucky. But you know what? I swear it’s just karma or something because I’ve found leads in the most unlikely places. People I’ve only talked to via Instagram comment or DM, friends of friends I met once, connections through alumni…those are the people that have now become my clients.

I couldn’t disagree more with the idea that women have to be hard, cold, and cut throat to get ahead in business. I actually think the complete opposite. You never know who you’re going to meet or speak to, so treat everyone with kindness and be generous with your time when you’re building those relationships.

Keep information close. So basically when you’re a business owner who offers shareable knowledge as part of their business (like I do), sending proposals can be tricky. While I want to present my thought process and strategy to win a client over, I have to be strategic in what I share because if I give too much away, they won’t need me.

If you’re in a business with skills that are not easily learned (like photography or finance), then you probably don’t have to worry about this! But for me? I know for a fact I’ve sent out ideas that were then taken and used by someone else, and that’s on me! Lesson learned.

Wow, just writing all of that actually just made me realize how far I’ve come since January, but also how far I still need and WANT to go. It’s a been a whirlwind, to say the least!!

I am so grateful for this life I live, the journey I’m on, and the support I receive from all of you every step of the way. I hope to be able to write another one of these in three more months, three years, and three decades?

xo Jordan

all photos taken by Leah Davis of Kindred Soul Studios