Hey, Boss Babes!
I hope you’re enjoying this entrepreneurial journey—no matter how daunting it gets sometimes. And If you haven’t launched your business yet, I’m still talking to you. As a matter of fact, start calling yourself a Self-Made Boss Babe now, because what a girl thinketh so she becomes.
Today, I want to discuss some “Commandments” or better yet guidelines I’ve adopted to help with my personal entrepreneurial journey. They are tips to help you succeed, not become a victim of cancel culture, or work yourself into exhaustion.
-
Thou shall think of her brand before making radical public statements. I’m not here to silence anyone nor am I promoting group think; however, some hot bedded discussions can get you in hot water if you come off as being insensitive or out of touch.
Unless you make a living from giving commentary on what’s going on in the world, you and your frozen yogurt business might want to stay away from giving your opinions on controversial topics.
Also, you may want to do an audit of your social media or your internet footprint if you think something that you’ve said in the past might come back to haunt you.
2. Thou shall not envy the next boss babe. Envy and jealously, although natural human emotions, go back to your mindset. If you do the mindset work and believe that there’s room for everyone to win, then seeing someone else win even while you're struggling won't affect you as much. Remember, everything always looks perfect when it's set to a Valencia Instagram filter. Seldom do people show how many times they’ve failed or heard the word “no.”
Instead of being jealous, see what they're doing right. Do your market research. Purchase their product. Take inventory of how seamless or difficult it is to make a purchase on their site, the delivery time, and the packaging once you get receive the product. Don’t get jealous. Go harder.
3. Thou shall not go back and forth with internet trolls. We live in a screenshot era, what you write on Al Gore’s internet can be used against you. You have to maintain your decorum and professionalism at all times. You’re building a brand and can't afford to tarnish your name because the username "I hate Justin Bieber" makes a disparaging comment about you or your brand. A simple, “Thanks for your feedback” will suffice.
4. Thou shall not make unrealistic goals. Sometimes it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. Setting realistic goals helps you manage what’s in front of you. If you can reach a $1000 month in your business, perhaps next month you can shoot for making $3000 or just be consistent at making $1000 for at least 3 consecutive months.
And as much as you may think it would be cool if your business went viral, do you have the bandwidth and money to accommodate your new customers? You need products to sell them. Where you get those supplies if you grow too fast? Think about that when you're kicking yourself for not making it big yet. Having systems in place will help you once you decide to scale.
5. Thou shall not pout when family and friends do not support your business. No one likes a bitter entrepreneur. Please don’t make social media posts about people not supporting you. What it shows is that you don’t know how to run business. Because if you did, you would know that your family and friends are not your customers. Be a Boss Babe who knows where to find her tribe and leave the subliminal posts to the amateurs.
6. Thou shall not half-ass the grind. Full ass it, girl. Sometimes your business is not where it needs to be because you treat it like a hobby instead of a full-fledged business. If you neglected your significant other, how long would he or she stick around without feeling appreciated? Well, think of your business like a spouse and cater to it as much as you can.
7. Thou shall not DIY all processes. Have ever seen someone who refuses to make multiple trips to their car to retrieve their groceries? Instead, they make one trip struggling with 10 bags on each arm. Eventually, they get to their destination, but inside the shopping bags, the eggs are cracked, the oat milk is spilled, and the tomatoes are smashed. This all could have been prevented if she just paced herself or at least ask for help. Don’t be that person. You can learn just about anything via YouTube; however, sometimes you can outsource tasks by using Craigslist, Fiverr, Upwork, or by hiring an intern.
8. Thou shall not undervalue herself to make a sale. As an entrepreneur, there are days when you won’t make a sale. Now, do you get desperate or creative with your marketing efforts? I’d go with the latter. Once you undervalue yourself by either giving a huge discount or overextending yourself for pennies, the person on the receiving end in turn won’t value you. People who know their worth don’t discount themselves into destitution.
9. Thou shall not buy courses, mentoring packages, and books and not execute. Please save your money if you don’t plan on implementing the things you’ve learned via books and mentorship. And for Pete’s sake, stop leaving bad reviews on courses where you didn’t take the action steps outlined and now you’re upset about the lack of return on investment. After you read these Self-Made Boss Babe Commandments, please go apply what you've learned.
10. Thou shall carve out personal time for self-care. I pride myself on being a hard-core hustler, but I know when to rest. I absolutely endorse adult naps. In all seriousness, I know the angst of running a business. You feel like you'll miss a sale or an opportunity if you don't answer your phone or email immediately. However, I'm here to tell you that being overwhelmed and not addressing what's making you feel that way won't help with your productivity. Take a step back and go do something like exercising or meditating that will help quell your stress level.
Entrepreneurship looks different for everyone; however, setting standards for yourself will help bring you the results you want without compromising your productivity, integrity, or brand image.
What are your commandments or nonnegotiable with building your brand?
