Surviving My First 365 Days as an Entrepreneur
Tales of Terror,
Triumph & WTFs
Including 32 Life-Changing Tips
When Starting a Brand-New Venture from Scratch
This ain’t for the faint-hearted folks, it’s not for everybody…
And the irony?
It definitely CAN be.
You see, we’ve survived our first 365 days in completely uncharted waters.
I walked away from a 14 year “secure job” in government.
Natalie ditched her corporate gig after 14 years, too.
Together we built a business from scratch, in a completely new industry, with no experience, no knowledge, no inside contacts and…
Absolutely no clue, whatsoever!
If you’ve ever had a nagging chatter in your head saying…
“You deserve better”
“Why are you still doing the same ol’ same ol’?”
“Another year has gone, now what?“
Then listen up…
Have you ever wanted to start a business, but were too terrified to take the leap?
Stuck in the same monotonous humdrum for over ten years, and daydreamed what it’s like outside the safety of your cave?
Excellent, you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, but here’s the reality check…
Starting your own business out of thin air, during a worldwide pandemic is…
…gut-wrenching, heart-stopping, adrenaline dumps causing
confusion, excitement, tears, and unforgettable moments.
And yet…we survived!
You see, on 2 January 2021 was the birth of E L CONCEPTS, and our very first step into the unknown.
It’s impossible to capture every single moment here (we’ll put it in a book someday, probably) but here are the main bits from our
First 365 days.
In The Beginning There Was…
Excitement, go get, the world is my oyster vigor when starting something new.
It was fantastic.
Everywhere we went, we pitched our sales message, folks were frothing at the mouth wanting us to create killer copy for their business.
We were so overwhelmed with all the support and enthusiasm from friends and family.
(no strangers yet, we were new…nobody trusts new, remember)
We planned rapid expansion in the next few months…what could possibly go wrong?
The Terror
Imagine this…
You’re standing at a fairground looking up at a bright red rollercoaster, hurtling through the air at 100 miles per hour.
Folks are screaming, laughing, and having a ball of a time. So you’re thinking,
“Mmm that looks like fun…let me have a go, too.”
You buy a ticket and wait your turn to board the harmlessly named… Tower of Terror.
“Errrm that’s strange…hardly anyone is the line…must be my lucky day.”
A siren shrieks and the red boxes come to a dead stop.
It’s your turn to climb aboard the “ride of your life” - as the sticker on the grubby plastic seat suggests.
Palms sweaty, you stumble into your seat (3rd from the front). A smorgasbord of emotions floods your body.
It’s flight or fight time!
Being the badass you are, you gonna fight…by that I mean stay in your seat.
The ride slowly climbs up, up, up…
“What the hell was I thinking? I’ve never been on a roller coaster before,” says that little voice in the deep dank recesses of your reptilian brain.
But you quickly shut down that noisy chatter and simply sit tight…
“I’m in control, how hard can this be?”
You’re freefalling 100 feet towards sheer destruction below.
Before hitting the ground, you’re whip-lashed straight up again towards an upside-down hairpin bend.
You can hear blood-curdling screams from the helpless victim next to you, yelps for “mommy” from behind, and hysterical laughter from the maniac who chose to ride shotgun!
Then it dawns on you…
All those joyful sounds you heard earlier, while looking up at the Tower of Terror…
Were cries for help!
And the dudes and dudettes having the most fun were pros…they’ve done this a dozen times!
You’re slammed out of your epiphany, by the shoulder blade of your partner in craziness next to you.
Another dip takes you deep into a hellish dark pit, filled with revolting sounds, and creepies crawling across your face (the rollercoaster has transformed into a mining cart, apparently).
Before long, you’re spewed out into the blinding daylight, and onto the platform to an abrupt halt.
The ride is finally over!
You get off.
A little greyer (with a hairstyle Einstein would envy), legs still shaking, teeth clattering, and a half-baked smile…“I’ve made it…I survived! Woohoo!”
That’s day one of being an entrepreneur.
Which leads nicely into our first lesson in business…
WTF 1: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
This headline I swiped from the great John Carlton (go read all his stuff, it’s brilliant).
Anyway, I finally understood what it actually means, because we had first-hand experience trying to help fellow entrepreneurs…only to have our fingers severely burned.
You see, when starting out, you’ve got diddle squat experience under your belt, you’ve gotta earn your stripes in the business world. That often means working for FREE.
So, we helped out, because you know, we at least knew about headlines, hooks, body copy, bullets, features and benefits, CTAs, etc. (It would be weird building a copywriting business, and not knowing basic advertising principles).
Boy, oh boy, did we get crucified for our work.
We delivered good work…neigh brilliant work…the ad pulled as we expected it would.
However, the client was not happy (for whatever reason) and decided to give their “expert opinion” on how it could be better.
So, first lesson of business.
Yes, work for FREE only if you’re playing the long game with a client.
It’s like dating (I suppose), if you like the person, you’ve gotta wine and dine, even a bit of schmoozing, before your crush even considers you dateable material, right?
So, if they’ve got leads, clients, or connections that you want to tap into later on…freebies are fine.
But ditch the freeloaders…it’s good for your mental health.
WTF 2: Don’t Listen To What People Say…Watch What They Do
Folks buy all sorts of things they can’t afford.
Don’t believe people who say they can’t afford what you’re selling.
Fun example…
Early this year we landed a potentially lucrative gig.
The project would take us approximately 3 months to complete.
Obviously, these were exciting times for E L CONCEPTS, and a big payday is quite rare when starting out.
To cut a long story short, I researched, wrote and re-wrote copy for this project day and night.
It was grueling, to be honest, I hated every minute of it.
Anyways, we handed in the project, on time as promised despite the torture (I think Natalie took two weeks just to edit it). And guess what?
This client so sadly informed us that they could not pay for the project (due to various “personal reasons”).
So what do we do?
WE SUED THEM!
No, no we didn’t do that.
We simply said…Ok cool, no problem
(It sucked big time, but apparently this does happen).
The wind was knocked out of our sails, and sweat equity was lost to father time…but we simply picked ourselves up and kept moving forward.
Not too long after this “business lesson,” we heard this same client renovated their house.
Don’t believe what people say, watch what they do.
WTF 3: We Launched A Book
About three months into our new adventure, we finally decided to create an eBook. (We played with the idea from day one.)
This resource would be insanely useful to any budding business owner or entrepreneur.
The book was a collection of the most used words and phrases in selling (basically a cheat sheet for anyone needing to flip to a resource when creating products or services).
We were excited!
Who brings out a book within the first 6 months of business?
(I know folks who’ve been in the business trenches for decades, without a single social media post.)
And here we were about to launch an eBook (completely free) with 3000+ of the best words to use in the biz.
And what was the result of our AWESOME book launch?
The book completely bombed big time!
Only a few lucky souls managed to sign-up for the resource. (Oh yes, the eBook was supposed to be used for lead generation.)
It was heartbreaking.
It took us a few days to recover…but this is what we learned.
1. Who is going to flip through 3000 concepts?
Almost nobody. (BTW we actually created a series of 4 books, so the grand total you’d have to trawl through would be 10 000!)
2. Would business folks take the time to use it?
3. Most folks have been burned by giving away their precious email deets by sociopathic marketing predators…maybe people thought we were one of them.
4. And finally, maybe we missed our target audience completely.
The take-home message was, even though we were super proud of what we’d created…
Who cares?
That was a big business lesson. Nobody cares about you, your hopes, your dreams, what you’re proud of…
…Your prospect only cares about what you can do for them.
Understand your market to its core, what gives your ideal customer nightmares, cold sweats, and euphoric bliss.
Then give them…EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.
Powerful stuff, wouldn’t you agree?
Triumph: Create Your Own Luck
Everyone has that one person in their family who believes…
“If I win the lottery, all my problems will magically disappear.”
Maybe you’re that person in your family, I don’t know…
But we enjoy odds in our favor, as in…
We created our own luck.
And in a minute, I’ll explain how you can create your own luck, too!
I read that there are four kinds of luck.
The first luck is winning the lottery (or any big prize).
This is random, can happen to anyone, anywhere in the world…but only a few will ever experience it.
The second is luck through hustling.
You’re chasing after every shiny object that’s spewed into the world, so you kick up enough dust with all your hustling that eventually you strike it lucky.
The third kind of luck is when you’re in an industry for a very long time.
Eventually, you spot a gap in the market and create something to serve all those who need your product or service.
And then there’s the fourth kind, the one all highly successful people understand and use…and you can use, to create your own luck.
How?
You become the very best at what you do, THE EXPERT!
You’re doing things nobody else can or will do. People will flock to you from all around the world just to work with you.
If they stumble upon something that only you can solve… their luck just became your luck…
So yes, you can create your own luck.
Stay ready and pay the price in sweat equity, you’ll get a lot luckier, and more often than Aunt Suzy playing her magic numbers.
And that’s how we got so “lucky”.
There were months when we had no work. It was hard.
But during that downtime, we kept sharpening our skills, going on courses, reading, studying, writing…
Every single day we showed up.
And when the gigs came, (and they came thick and fast) we devoured every single opportunity without thinking twice.
We were doing things that had nothing to do with our core business.
That might sound like a waste of time to most, but those random requests from clients…
Landed us BIG work down the line.
So, stay ready, stay hungry and create your own luck.
32 Life-Changing Tips
1. You’ll Be Trading 9-5 for 24/7
If you’re currently in a job, would you want to work all day and all night…including weekends and holidays?
Maybe you would, most people…
HELL NAW!
“My evenings I want to kick back and relax”
“My weekends are my time, I’m not working”
“What!? Are you crazy to work on holidays?”
These are usually the sort of comments you’ll hear when starting a business.
There’s no such thing as 9-5, weekends off, and lazy holidays.
Are we workaholics?
Nope.
But let me ask you this…(and this is for the parents out there)
Are you only a parent 9-5?
Only during the week?
You’re a parent every minute, of every day…all day long.
Your business is your new baby.
It needs love, attention, care, and lots of nurturing.
And like a good parent, the more you invest in your kids…the more you’ll get out.
The more time, energy, and effort we’ve put in…the greater the rewards we’ve managed to reap in a very short time.
2. Do exactly what you want to do
Don’t limit yourself to what others think you can do, don’t be limited by what others say you can do.
If you desire something it will happen…if you fear something…it will happen.
Choose wisely.
3. Stay prepared, stay patient, and stay persistent
Opportunities will come your way, be ready to receive it.
Planting an apple seed today won’t produce apples next week.
4. Do a little every day
Just one more thing today is one more thing than yesterday, and one step closer to your goal.
5. You WILL lose your mind…good
Because where you’re going, you’ll need a new way of thinking.
6. Stick to one idea at a time
You’ll have lots of awesome ideas, and lots of “what the hell was I thinking?” ones.
Use the ones that move you forward towards your first goal (park the others for another year, right now they’re just distractions).
7. Multi-tasking is a myth
Doing one thing, then doing another thing is simply shifting your focus.
You’re always only doing one thing at a time.
8. Get rid of perfectionism…it will send you to an early grave
Consider the little device that you’re reading this blog from…was it perfect when you bought it?
Not at all.
And how do I know?
Because it needs regular updates, hell it even needs to be replaced after a few years.
Focus on progress NOT perfection.
9. Choose the right partner
If you’re married…your marriage will be tested.
If you’re married to your business partner…well errr…
That was the best decision of my life!
(I’m not just saying this because she’s probably reading this now…it’s the truth, don’t believe the haters.)
10. You have to believe in your dream first, nobody else will
Because they can’t see what you see.
11. Creativity has no competition…period!
If you’re creating something (especially from scratch), then you’ll never have competition.
You are completely unique and there’s no one that can do what you do, how you do it, in the way you do it…even if they offer the exact product or service.
So, focus on creating not competing.
12. Have massive goals. Make it ridiculous
If your goals aren’t scaring and exciting you at the same time…you’re not reaching high enough.
Forget about reasonable goals, you’ll reach them and be disappointed anyway and it limits what you’re truly capable of achieving.
13. Shut up and move in silence…till it’s time to say checkmate
Don’t tell anybody about your goals (just say it’s very big)…unless you want to deal with a full barrage of negative ignorance.
Simply put your head down, shush, and let your work speak for itself.
Listen more, speak less (you have two ears and one mouth for a reason).
14. Do the opposite of everything you hear (only listen to experts)
I love the saying, you’re entitled to your own opinion not your own facts. There’s lots of opinions out there, stick to those who know the facts.
15. Treat yourself and have fun
If you’re not enjoying this journey, then why are you doing it?
16. Take responsibility for everything
It will liberate you. From your time, your income, your business success and failure.
Take responsibility for everything. You can’t have excuses and results at the same time, it’s one or the other.
17. Everything is cheaper during the week
Meals, holidays, everything is cheaper.
You think you’re scoring a good deal on that weekend getaway,right?
Wait till you become an entrepreneur, you’ll have freedom of choice, quieter malls, and a whole host of awesome stuff…the world works completely differently on the outside.
18. You’ll meet your other self
Put yourself in a position where everything is on the line, and you’ll be introduced to your REAL self. Hardship doesn’t create courage…it reveals it.
19. If you don’t like the rules, first understand them…then break them
At some point someone decided to make those rules up anyway, why not be that someone too.
20. Don’t tiptoe through life
You’ve got one shot to live with gusto.
People live like they’re first going to have a practice run before the real thing…you’ve only got one chance.
Life is short, nobody gets out alive…so live it to the fullest.
21. You can always make more money; you can’t make more time
Use time wisely and make every second count.
You don’t want to be that person waking up after 60, realizing you’ve missed out on life. Spending the remainder of your life with regrets.
22. Try something new every day
If you fail, you’ve learned something, if you succeed…you’ve learned something.
Yes, it’s impossible to fail if you keep learning, correcting, and moving forward.
23. You’re either growing or you’re dying
This could easily be our business slogan.
Staying the same is a lie folks. If you’re not moving up then you’re moving down, change is the only constant.
People fight so hard to stay the same, yet it requires the same amount of energy to achieve massive goals, as it takes to fight to stay the same, odd, yet true.
24. Don’t live with guilt…it achieves nothing
Have remorse, say sorry, correct your mistakes and work on fixing the problem.
Guilt focuses on you, remorse focuses on others.
25. Overestimate start-up costs
Take how much money you think you need to start your business, then double or even triple it.
This one almost caught us off guard, so beware. (Unless you’ve got some mad skills with serious business lined up.)
26. There isn’t a problem that can’t be solved
Just keep looking for the solution and it will come to you.
27. Your subconscious is infinitely more powerful than your conscious mind
Study how to truly use its power and you’ll never work hard again. Read up on flow states and Bob Proctor’s material, your life will never be the same again.
28. If you want to stand out in your life, business, whatever, then be prepared to do what nobody else is prepared to do
29. Focus on your career and you’ll make a living…Focus on yourself and you’ll make a fortune
Owning a business is tough.
Mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually you’ll be tested.
Read every single self-development book you can find, trust me.
(From the true experts, of course.)
You’ll be amazed at what you’re truly capable of, but you’ve got to find out how to tap into it your UNLIMITED potential.
30. Find stories of folks who’ve made it
The most inspirational ones are the rags to riches tales, and there are plenty.
We used this as fuel when things got difficult (and it will).
What’s particularly helpful, is people who’ve already arrived at the destination you want to be.
Find those stories because success leaves clues. (Most of the time success leaves complete blueprints that you simply have to follow.)
31. Please and Thank You will get you very far in business
It’s weird that I have to mention this one (it should be obvious…it isn’t).
You’ll knock the socks off most people with basic manners…You’ll open even more doors.
32. Give, give, give then ask
Add immense value to everything you do, and provide outstanding service to your clients. Then wait and watch the magic happen.
Final Thoughts
From the follows, likes, shares and comments to our absolutely amazing clients we’ve had the privilege of working with over the past year.
A massive thank you for all your love and support!
(Yes, Nadia Aniff, I will single you out…and you know why, many blessings to you and your family.)
In conclusion…
Go buy your ticket folks and take the ride…
We look forward to sitting right next to you in 2022.
Bye for now
PS: Give your business a boost in sales with fresh new copy.
Simply fill in the form below, and let’s get your business growing in 2022.
