Recently I’ve had some interesting discussions around the journey of a business owner. The word journey describes the never-ending adventure, full of challenges and victories every. single. day. We are always moving – whether it’s up, down, or sideways.

Owning a business is not a linear line forward – it’s usually a “two steps forward, one step back” kind of deal. You might be on one level with your business, then you change something in your structure, services, or products, which forces you to start right back at the beginning again.

Let’s talk about the journey. I like to look at it as “Stealthily Sprouting” to “Sparkling Success.”

We all start out in stealth mode. No one knows you or what you do. This is where you take the leap. You have a great idea and start a business. The passion is high, but we need to be seen in order to get clients or customers. It’s easy to feel invisible in the noisy and competitive marketplace. You are trading money for time and more than likely hustling solo without the luxury of hiring staff. It’s a stage that can feel overwhelming, confusing, and downright frustrating. If this is you, then please know – you’ve got this! Remember your WHY and your passion will pull you through the hard stuff.

In this next stage, we’re defining our identity. Despite challenges, our passion remains high, and we’re making progress. We might have secured a few clients, and some income is trickling in, even if they’re not our ideal clients and our prices may need adjusting. It’s crucial to focus on marketing at this point, without visibility, progress stalls. To be successful, we must effectively communicate our offerings and value to our target audience. You cannot move to the next stage if no one knows what you do or who you do it for.

Then we’ve “sprouted”, and we’re just busy as shit. Despite our efforts, the bank account just isn’t showing the rewards for effort. We are doing all the right things that the marketing and business gurus tell us to do – forming strategies, analyzing data, seeking more knowledge. We feel like for the amount of work we are doing; we should be further along the journey. Growth is happening, and maybe at this point, hiring assistance becomes a consideration to help with all the busyness!

Realization comes next. You really are doing this, and things are coming into fruition. We are getting clarity in what exactly we offer, our messaging, in our strategies, in our marketing, and we are attracting the people we actually want. They know us, trust us and like us! We know our target audience, what we want to be famous for, and the money is coming in easier than before.

Success. This is where we are completely in love with our business model, our offerings, and working less/earning more. We are enjoying the lifestyle and freedom we set out to create when we started our business. We earn what we are worth, and we are giving back to our communities and making a difference. There is always room for improvement but a good place to be!

So, where do you find yourself on this journey?