In the whirlwind of entrepreneurship, it's easy to forget the one person who's been there through every up and down: YOU.
Dive into this heartfelt exploration of the challenges, triumphs, and unspoken emotions that leaders face daily.
Whether you've just started with a dream and some post-it notes or you're navigating the complex waves of a booming enterprise, this video is your reminder to pause, reflect, and give yourself the acknowledgement you rightfully deserve.
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Mike:
The other day, I found myself in a deep conversation with a woman who is in one of my mastermind groups. Now, this isn't just any client but she's become a true friend that I've been mentoring for a couple of years now. Her business growth and her personal transformation has been, to say the least, staggering. Over that time, there were moments that she jumped for joy, occasions when she shed some tears and quite honestly, a whole bunch of stuff in between. Now, she has dramatically upgraded over this time. She's upgraded her team, her sales, her profits, and herself. She's extremely driven and rarely, if ever, takes her foot off the gas. Now, this allure, this obsession, potentially an addiction when we build a company from scratch. Man-oh-man, when your business on day one is just you, a dream, and some post-it notes. Now, that's pretty special. It's pretty scary, but it's pretty special. And as you grow and ascend to that next level, your business skills, your mental toughness, and your emotional capacity must evolve. At times, this evolution is so fast, and it's so relentless that this period of change can be massively overwhelming. Communicating with your employees, managing your time, maximizing sales, and simultaneously, you need to be the leader, you need to be the top of the pyramid. It can be unbelievably challenging. Now, the analogy I'll use because I'm a mountain biker. It's like blasting down a single-track trail to find a rock ledge suddenly jump in front of you and as you're flying through the air, you need to figure out how to land. You've heard the saying,"You got to build the plane while you're flying it." It's crazy. I get it! Now, at the center of this hurricane of activity, it's you who stands alone. You are forced to make the tough calls, chart the course through these rough waters, and develop the strategy for both the immediate future and for the long term. It's you who must analyze your players and figure out which teammates can rise to the occasion during this growth period. Can they weather the storm? And are there some employees who really want to remain in the eye of the storm where things seem calmer? It's an uncomfortable truth, but not every one of your employees is going to be excited with crazy growth or rapid change. When you are taking your company into uncharted territories, into the future that exists only in your mind, it can be a journey that is laced with doubt and uncertainty. There will be times, when you question your investments, your acquisitions, your strategies, your employees, and there'll be times you even question yourself. Decisions can weigh heavy on your heart, your mind, and your soul. And sometimes, getting a good night's sleep is simply out of the question. It's not going to happen. No matter what level of entrepreneur you are, there will be those quiet times when you must trust your gut, take the plunge, make the call. The challenge is: validation, congratulations, atta boys and atta girls, these are things that we as leaders, CEOs, we seldom receive. This is where the power of self-talk, reflection, and gratitude comes into play. There are times when you must be your own cheerleader. This isn't about becoming complacent or slowing down. It's about taking a moment, even if it's a very short moment, to acknowledge and be proud of your accomplishments. There's that old saying, you've heard it,"It's lonely at the top!" It is a reality when you're an entrepreneur. Starting, growing and running a company is to me, one of the most rewarding things that we can do during this journey called life. I guess, it comes in second only to raising my two kids or finding my soul mate, Donna. It is an endeavor that oftentimes demands every fiber of our being, every waking moment it's about nurturing our idea from infant into a happy, healthy, confident company that will eventually stand on its own. You are the beating heart of your enterprise. You, the visionary who dared to dream, who's now seeing that dream grow and flourish. I salute you and extend to you my heartfelt congratulations. It is a tough road. Being the captain of your ship can sometimes feel like the loneliest place on Earth. But I challenge you, please take some time to honor your journey, to honor yourself, to appreciate the sweat and tears that you've poured into this. After all, you've earned it. You may not be at your finish line. You may be far from making the money you want or having the time freedom that you've heard about, having the ideal team in place, having all your employees, or even making the impact that you're dreaming about. When I shared this idea with my client. Her speedboat was blasting over the tops of the waves. She's going a hundred miles an hour. I encouraged her to pull back on the throttle and shut the engine down. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and spent a short minute reflecting on how far she had come in the past year! You are turning your dream into reality. And for that, you deserve recognition and a pat on the back. Every now and then, you deserve that pat on the back. Be proud. Be ecstatic. Your journey will continue tomorrow. And I know you will be relentless in the pursuit of your dream. But today, for a short moment, please look in the mirror, no matter what's going on, take a deep breath and say,"I am so unbelievably proud of you."