4/28/25: The Truth About Starting a Business: Passion, Grit, and Showing Up

A lot of people have grand visions of starting their own business—being super successful, making a lot of money, and having all the freedom and power. I love the idea of having my own business because I knew a while ago I wanted to be my own boss and let who I really am and what I have to offer shine. I would love to be super successful, make a lot of money, and have all the freedom… absolutely no vision of power. But I also know you get out what you put in, and these things don’t happen overnight.

I think there are people out there who truly believe if you have the money to do it, you can start a successful business overnight—and let me tell you… NO! Choosing to start your own business and successfully operate it takes some very specific characteristics. Are you curious if you have what it takes?

The very first thing you need is a passion for the good or service you are offering and a vision for the future. Coaching was a great fit for me! My favorite aspects of direct selling and healthcare administration have always been coaching and collaboration. I can imagine seeing clients achieving things in their business because of what we worked on together. I’ve had plenty of other opportunities present themselves, but I know that they are not for me because my passion isn’t sparked, and I have no vision for the future in that opportunity. So, what else do you need?

Well, you need resilience and determination. A lot of building your own business will not come easy. Doors will close—or not even open—permits won’t come through, you’ll struggle to find leads, rent costs will be astronomical, and you will realize the time commitment is way more than you planned for. The list goes on and on. Each day you will have to wake up and be ready to take on the next challenge. I knew when I jumped into the adventure, nothing would come easy. I would need to find clients, prove my value, and work my butt off to get it going. Am I tired in this season of my life? Oh, you have no idea! I’m falling asleep in the chair midday tired. But I wake up each day and know this is what I want, and I am prepared to put in the work. You’ll need that internal push, too!

Networking and relationship building will be a MUST! I’m a super introverted extrovert (that makes sense, right?). I flourish in one-on-one and small group situations but shrink in large groups. But guess what! Now that I’m building a business, I need to share about myself and what I offer, and that will undoubtedly involve talking to people. If you are going to start and build a successful business, you are going to want to polish up on those people skills. I cannot stress this next part enough—network and build relationships BUT always BE YOURSELF! People want to do business with someone they know, like, and trust, and if you rub them the wrong way, they will not be your cheerleader or promoter.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. You also need to be innovative, creative, quick on your feet, hardworking—all while being the CEO, COO, CFO, Marketing Director, and IT. Building a business isn’t for the faint of heart. So before you jump in, I encourage you to:

1. Make sure it feeds your passion and excites you
2. Check yourself and be willing to put in the work, even on the hard days
3. Be willing to get outside your comfort zone, network, build relationships, and be authentic

What do you think would be your strengths in starting your own business? Weaknesses? How could you improve on those?