1 leap, 3 rules
I’ve met so many people with all different kinds of careers. One common topic in our conversations has always been “I want to start my own biz”. I light up because I’ve been there and I get excited because I want to see them take the leap. It takes a lot and not everyone jumps. Those that do, never look back, ask Djenaba Johnson-Jones. Take the leap, set standards, be patient and get ready for one hell of a ride!
Here are 3 rules that I’ve tried to follow. Hope they help.
1).-Build “your” brand, don’t blend personal and company brand. Many make this mistake. Your personal brand will differentiate you from your competitors, give you authority and credibility in your field, and stick with you in the event your company ultimately experiences failure.-
My example:
In this day and age, social media is everything and as we all know by now, is very powerful. I keep multiple pages on IG, and they’re each their own thing. My gym page highlights strictly its members, workouts, health,etc. My personal page consists of workouts, food, sneakers,etc. Just me in all my nerdy glory. I don’t consider myself a “brand”.(I could fine tune my personal page and make it completely fitness oriented, but being myself has always been another rule…. But that’s for another post)
2) -Follow/surround yourself with people who are in your desired industry. There will always be people who are smarter/ experienced than you. If you’re lucky enough to find these people, make them your friends/mentors. Do what you do best, then apply what you learn from them. This will mold your style and shape your brand.-
My example:
When I decided to take the leap, I emersed myself in fitness. I would follow and watch the leaders in the industry, whether mainstream or underground. Whatever it is they would do that I liked,(an exercise, how they edit videos, writing, etc)I took and applied with my own twist. Remember, you’ll never know everything, so keep learning from those that are where you want to be. You become who you surround yourself with.
3). -Not all money is good money. Definitely a Catch 22. Make money, turn away money?When you’re starting out, it’s easy to fall into the trap of taking money from anyone who offers it. The problem is, not all customers/clients are worth it.
Avoid clients who take up too much of your time, who consistently have unrealistic expectations or who you just generally dread working with. It’s just not worth it!-
My example:
I’m definitely guilty of this but my gym, personality, and style of training have allowed for this to balance out. Here’s what I mean. Yes I see a $ when a new client walks in, but I don’t sugar coat anything just to make a buck. To join WS you have to accept the people, the workouts, the facility and then put up with me,😏. The customers that “aren’t worth it”, will weed themselves out. If they don’t, then I see a lot of burpees in their future🤣😏😈.
Ready to take the leap? 🤟🏾