Introduction
Welcome back to the Entrepreneur Mindset Podcast!
As an entrepreneur, it’s understandable that you’re looking to achieve greatness on your own terms. After all, it’s your vision, your drive and your passion that fuel your business every day. However, the ultimate key to launching a sustainable and profitable business is creating a supportive community that will help you achieve your goals.
Today we are going to talk about community and why it is so important. I know that you probably know that community is important, but have you really taken time to nurture and surround yourself with a community that will help you achieve that sustainability and profitability that is on your vision board?
The Truth About Business
Running a business can be grueling at times. Not only are you working to create your offer, you are building a list, nurturing your connections – new and long-time, you are adjusting your messaging, learning new approaches to engaging your clients, and all while trying to get some sleep each night.
When I first started my business, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I thought that if I followed a few simple approaches I would get to profitability pretty quickly. Luckily my husband knew better. I wish I could take credit for this, but he knew from day 1 that I would need a community of entrepreneurs for support and opportunities to learn and grow.
When I started getting active in my entrepreneurial community, I noticed that I was faster to implement new ideas, got unstuck with greater ease, and started creating offers and sellable things in record time.
This is the same process I’ve used throughout my career as a course creator. My husband had been paying better attention to what I knew worked than I was. But that’s the thing. I couldn’t see that process with the same clarity when I was inside the moment. It is very much like reading the label of the water bottle from inside the bottle. So today and for the next few episodes I want to dig into this concept of community. It sometimes gets a bad rap and is nearly always undervalued by entrepreneurs. It is, however, 100% critical to success.
The Benefits of Leaning Into a Community
Leaning into a community has many different benefits and very few downsides. Just so that we start the conversation over the next few episodes all with the same mindset, lets go through those benefits.
First up and in some ways, most important, leaning into a community that aligns with your business, values, mission, and purpose can help you fight feelings of loneliness, failure and self-doubt that can arise when you work alone. From offering you insight, advice and feedback to holding you accountable to stay on track towards your goals, a community can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurs. I don’t know about you, but when I open up that blank word document to begin a new course, website page, or email sequence it is easy for imposter syndrome to pop up and rear it’s ugly head. When you have a community you can reach out for support and then get back to work instead of getting stuck in doubt.
The second way of having access to a community of entrepreneurs is that you gain access to so many different resources, including skill sets, expertise, and support that are essential when building a business. You can also gain new perspectives, motivation and insight from other people in the community who are on a similar path to success as you. You’ve heard me talk about being a part of the Sell From Stage Elite program with Colin Boyd. The things I learn on those coaching and peer mastermind calls always light at least one new lightbulb. More often, I get several new ideas for adjustments or ways of thinking about my business. Now, it does take energy and commitment to show up and talk to your community BUT never once have I walked away saying, well that was a waste of time. The reality is that I often walk away with pages of notes that I will sort and then file away to use as I work toward my goals.
Now for number three, you’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again. You never know when an authentic connection will turn into a collaboration, referral or a potential new client opportunity. By putting your time and energy into finding and connecting with those people from your community, you’ll be able to grow your business in ways you never thought possible. As a member of Stu McLaren’s membership we had a chance to purchase a shirt in March where proceeds would benefit charity. The shirt simply says we>me. I couldn’t agree more and this is exactly why I’m devoting the next few episodes to the concept and practice of community. We are always better together than apart.
Action Item
So what can you do today to start leaning into a community of entrepreneurs who will help you build your business into something that is not only profitable but sustainable as well?
This week, keep a journal of the questions you’ve had about your business, the challenges you’ve experienced that would have been easier to solve with help, the times when you got off course and could have used some accountability, and finally note down how you felt – the highs and the lows.
By gaining awareness of what you are experiencing as an entrepreneur it will be easier to find a community that supports your needs and whom you can support as you lean in for help.
Next week, you’ll need this list as we continue the conversation so don’t skip this step!
Conclusions
So, what do you think? Is it time to let go of the “lone wolf” mindset and embrace the power of community? Or maybe you’ve embraced community in the past but have gotten out of the habit of leaning in. Or maybe, you find yourself helping your community but not allowing them to help you.
Regardless of where you are right now, you can take the next step forward and focus on leaning into the community with each passing day.
Together, we can create a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurship where we can all succeed. Remember: the path to success is not a solo journey. It’s a collaborative adventure where we > me!
Before we wrap up for today, I’m going to let you in on a little early action. On April 26 I’m hosting a masterclass designed to help you build your course in record time and with ease. And, if you haven’t already guessed, community is a part of the recipe for getting your course finished and launched. We are going to talk about four mistakes that most course creators make and how to get your course on track and launched. You can register for the free masterclass using the link in the show notes.
And I will see you back here next week for another episode of the Entrepreneur Mindset Podcast, where a focus on mentoring, community, and implementation removes the overwhelm of building your successful and profitable business and adds in a dose of momentum.
Until next time, have a healthy, safe, and happy week.
Show Resources:
Register for the Build Your Profitable Online Course in Record Time with Ease Masterclass happening on April 26, 2023: https://www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/course-creator-masterclass/
DM me on Facebook or Instagram if you get stuck:
