In 2020, at age 24, I quit my job as an engineer to focus>1. At first, you'll take>2. Invest in building a team
Once your business starts growing fast, don't operate with the mentality of trying to do everything yourself. Plan ahead and strategize how you'll build your team.
Today, I have a personal assistant, blog manager, management agency, and an entire group of contractors. But I wish I knew sooner that growing a team is a key ingredient to creating a sustainable business and work environment.
In "The Big Leap," psychologist Gay Hendricks says there are four zones of work:
- The Zone of Incompetence, where you're doing things you're not good at, and therefore wasting time.
- The Zone of Competence, where you're getting the job done, but no better than the next person.
- The Zone of Excellence, where you're doing things you enjoy and are better at than most people.
- The Zone of Genius, where you're doing things that you're intuitively amazing at, and that>3. Not everyone will be happy for you
When I shared that I'd brought in $170,000 in my blog's first year of full-time business, I got a lot of congratulatory messages. But some were less supportive.
People>4. Don't let money be your primary drive
Having a six-figure year as a small business will mean different things to different people. It might mean breaking out of the five-figure bracket the first time, but it can also mean teetering on $1 million.
Money milestones are fun, but at the end of the day, they are arbitrary. It's more satisfying to be able to say "I'm financially free" or "I'm doing what I love every day" or "I'm making an impact."
Enjoy the milestone, but don't get caught up in the race to your next dollar figure. To be successful, you have to remember your "why" and keep going. The financial success will eventually follow.
