The Secret Most Startups Don't Know About

Transcript:

Hey guys! Welcome to this week’s episode. I want to take you inside a recent startup mentoring process to show you how businesses are really launched, and it might surprise you. In fact, this episode wasn’t even planned, but after finishing up a mentoring process with a client of mine, I noticed a pattern with him that I knew you needed to know! So let’s dive in!

The idea

I’ll never forget sitting on my husband’s grandmother’s couch that she had given us. My husband and I were 24 years old with a five-year-old son. We lived in a sweet little rent house outside city limits. It was such a fun time. My son and I would go on drives around a circular street by our house in his go-cart. We’d also go for walks just to see a horse and pet her. My husband was working, but I wanted to earn my own money. I loved being a mom, but I’ve always been a business owner. My very first business was medical transcription for a local doctor. I did this for several years until a dispute over my price. I decided to give myself a small raise (up to the standard rate), but the doctor didn’t like that. We parted ways, and I decided I wanted to do something different but didn’t know what.

That day on that couch, I had this thought, “I wish I had someone to show me how to use my new computer.” Now I’ve always been really, really good with computers. I have a natural tendency to pick up on how to use different pieces of software, which to me have a set pattern with small variations that don’t take much to figure out. Of course, I’m referring to home use computers and software. As soon as I had that thought, I had a second thought, “Why not me?”

Fleshing it out

After I decided that I might have a good business idea, I needed to flesh out the details and make sure there’s a market for it. I decided early on that I did not want to specialize in anything but using the computer and the software aspect of use. I found out that no one in the tech industry specialized in those areas. It was all hardware. And I found out pretty quick that I had a viable idea. I launched it on January 1, 1998, and I still have clients to this day.

With my mentoring client, he had an idea for tiny homes/cabins that could go many different directions—building and customizing them, consulting, furnishing them with custom pieces, and, finally, buying land and having cabins and tiny homes on the land for vacationeers or those who want to live there. His dream was more the “buying land” option. But at the time, it didn’t seem like a viable option but something to work toward in the future. So we started heading in the direction of building and customizing. However, I really, really wanted to see him start with his dream. It just fit him, his personality, and the freedom he wants. A building and customizing would use up a lot of his time and possibly tie him to his business. And the entire goal is to create the freedom he wants while pursuing his passion.

I have a specific set of areas I take my clients through to flesh out the idea, develop their brand identity, and strategize their online presence for launch. On top of that, there are specific action steps I require to take the dream to action. I find that this will challenge my clients and if my clients really believe in their ideas, they will press pass the discomfort. So this time is one of a lot of research, phone calls, planning, strategizing, and emotional intelligence development. Everyone has emotional intelligence blind spots that will cause them to get in their own way. By having me in the picture, I present just enough challenge to see if they will break or persevere.

But here’s a secret that is the entire point of this podcast, the pattern that I began to see.

the curve balls

During the “fleshing it out” phase, unforeseen opportunity comes knocking that either propels my clients into their original dream idea or opens up an entirely new revenue stream that was previously unseen. Let me give you two examples.

Back to my tiny home/cabin client. His dream idea was buying land and having these tiny homes and cabins on it along with other services that promoted outdoor fun and freedom surrounded by beauty. Again, it didn’t seem like a now possibility, so we started working toward the other idea with a focus on our eventual destination of the land idea. It was in the midst of fleshing all of this out that an opportunity presented itself where he could realize his dream idea now! Prime real estate location that is absolutely perfect for what he wants to do. I was not surprised. Delight but not surprised because I’ve seen this happen over and over.

In my case for this business, Genius Communication, Ltd Co., I had a sole idea of building two online courses to generate passive income for a future dream I have. I had a huge learning curve that I tackled in 2016 and built my original course, “Genius Communication,” and later launched “Build Your Brand Like a Boss.” It was right after I developed my first course that I was presented with an opportunity to work with local businesses in training their staffs using my material. That then branched into hiring consulting and social media marketing. A large revenue stream opened up that I never saw coming. That’s why I call them curve balls.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Here’s the deal—if I hadn’t started preparing and if my client hadn’t started preparing and walking toward those goals, we wouldn’t have been ready nor in position to capture the opportunities when they came. You see, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. An overnight success is actually years to decades of hard work, never giving up, and honing skill until one day, opportunity knocks on the door and that person is ready to step right in.

It can feel like the foundation work that no one sees is a waste of time. But I guarantee you that while you are working toward your business launch, you are not just developing the product or service, you are positioning yourself for opportunity a.k.a. the curve ball that comes out of nowhere. In addition, you’re also developing the character and emotional intelligence needed to run a successful business and handle the difficulties and difficult decisions that will come your way.

My advice: embrace and enjoy the journey.

It’s not a waste of time. It’s not for nothing…as long as you don’t quit. Be flexible and have eyes to see opportunity when it comes. I could have refused to do local business work because I was so focused on my online course business. But that local work has paid off almost $56k of debt.

For some of you, that dream idea that you don’t quite see how you can do it might be the curve ball. You’ll find yourself able to step right in and not need a “stepping-stone” business to get you there. But, I promise, none of that will happen if you don't start taking real, quality, action steps toward your dream.