It's easy to look at business owners who seem like they've figured it out and wonder why they got a lucky break when they built their business.

The truth is, every business owner has a "before it worked story," because building a business requires time, traction, and persistence. We don't often hear about businesses in their "before it worked phase."

We don't often hear about businesses until other people are talking about this, which often coincides with success.

*This post was originally published on the blog for my marketing company, Simply Integrated.

Did you know there have been four recessions since the 80's? Companies who exist today and were able to make it through those challenging times were able to push through some really difficult circumstances in order to come out stronger. You don't hear about companies who didn't make it through rough waters.

Turning a dream into a thriving business

As entrepreneurs we take something that's nothing make it into something with a process. People don't see all of the challenges you go through, the hard work that you put in, the late nights and early mornings, and the rest of the hard stuff. We hide that reality because we fear failure and doing something new feels crazy vulnerable.

Others look at your business because you figured out what works through a lot of trial and error. And, by figuring out what didn’t work, essentially you figured out what did work.

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My “before it worked” story

I graduated with an MBA, and I always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur. When I was 7, I started my first business of taking a sign language course from the local library and then charged all of my friends to take the same course from me that I had just taken for free! I always had that entrepreneurial spirit in me.

My dream was to open a high-end day spa. So, after graduating, I moved to Illinois and started working for a medical office hoping to learn the ropes on the spa side of things. I learned very quickly that the spa business model and what was required to run that type of business were not for me.

The messy behind the scenes of that experience is that I failed miserable. I was terrible at managing people. I didn’t have the maturity to stare down the toxicity around me. I questioned myself and lacked confidence to gain a strong foothold among my peers. Leaving that job, I felt like a massive failure.

With an already-bruised ego, I started my business as a means to an end and made a whopping $8,000 the first year.

The beginning stages of business can be challenging

I took on a lot of different tasks in the beginning. Whoever was willing to pay me I would do work for them. HR work, social media, writing, editing, policy and procedure manuals, etc. In the beginning my business was very generalized. The more I worked with clients, the more they said, "we want marketing." So I sunk my teeth in and self-taught in all of the marketing that I do for paying clients in my other business, Simply Integrated:

SEO
Content management
Conversion optimization
Funnels
Ideal client development
Buying cycle coaching
Setting up a multi-channel marketing program.

It’s all self-taught because I put the time in to figure out how to be successful. The time I was spending learning how to acquire the in-demand skills was time no one was looking to me. It was my "before it worked" stage where no one really cared because I hadn't proved myself yet.

If you’re going through hell…

There are many hours people don't see when you put the hard work in and that’s okay. What separates people who create successful businesses and those who don't is persistence. If you're willing to do it you just have to know that you're willing to do it until it pays off.

What separates people who create successful businesses and those who don't is persistence.

Do what you have to, as long as it aligns with your moral compass

I remember a time when I looked at my phone and saw $0.63 in my bank account and I had bills due the next day. I only paid them because I had a client that happened to pay early, which was certainly a God thing!

Now, I smile on that time in my business because I know for certainty that no body creates a successful business without weathering the storms...no one!

If you're in a $0.63-scenario, keep focusing on what's in front of you. You've got this!

Make a habit of stepping outside your comfort zone

Now I'm at a point in my business where I have the funds to invest, hire a team of contractors, my bills get paid, we're able to take vacations and do fun things on the income that I'm able to contribute to my family. However, there was a day when I didn't know how it was going to work. Can you relate?

There was a period of about 18 months where I took a part-time job. I took work when I needed to, it hedged the risk of the volatility of income in my business and I was able to provide for my family. I don't think a lot of people know that or stop to listen that there WAS a point in time where I did whatever it took to make it successful.

Every successful entrepreneur has their own “before it worked” story

For anyone wondering why isn't it working for you - know that everybody goes through that season of their business where they don't know if it's going to work, they don't know how they're going to make consistent income or are waking up in the middle of the night wondering where their rent check is going to come from.

One of my favorite stories was Rachel Hollis after people were calling her an "overnight success," saying "don't call me an overnight success it took TEN years! I've been grinding for TEN years to be this overnight success!!"

We only see Rachel Hollis in the spotlight because she worked so darn hard to get there and she worked for so long! Persistence.

As entrepreneurs it’s important that we respect each other's authentic journeys and hard challenges. The awkward moments, the hard decisions that we had to make, the years where you know you don't get a vacation, you don't get healthcare paid for by a company. We don't get these things that come with a 9-5, but we choose that it's worth it.

Three secrets to get through the “before it worked” stage in your business

1. Community

Alone, I don't have what it takes but with community, I can do anything. By surrounding myself with other people, two important things happen:

Normalize choosing hard. Alone, I can drum up a pretty petty pitty party, but when I know others are in the trenches, it creates a culture mindset that we choose to do hard things.
I get connected with other movers and shakers. Here’s how: I tell my community about a challenge I’m going through. They know someone who can help. I get connected. My network grows.

2. A "do what it takes" attitude

If it aligns with your moral compass you have to do it. Nothing is below you when it comes to building your business. It may feel uncomfortable, awkward, grind your gears, make you feel frustrated, or bring out emotions that you're not used to. That’s okay. Do what it takes.

3. Being a forever learner

Pressing play to the podcast when you jump in your car even if it’s 10 or 15 minutes, digging into blog posts instead of scrolling Facebook, finding a mentor and saying to him or her, "Hey, how did you do this? Tell me everything.”

Continually refining our approach is what builds us into successful business owners.

P.S. Here are some of my top favorite female small business resources:

Dream, Build, Grow Free Resource Suite - free business templates for your business plan, marketing plan, ideal client persona, financial statements, and more!
Founding Females Community - an online female mastermind space for entrepreneurs to connect, support, and get inspired
Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business - a guided handbook including everything you need to know from business idea to launch to profiting and scaling your business.

Free Downloads for Female Entrepreneurs

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