Today marks 10 years in business for me. Wow…it almost feels surreal.
I found my way to entrepreneurship similar to many others…through adversity.
I started a job in October 2004 and two weeks later, I discovered two things. One, this place I was working was a wit bit unethical and two…I was pregnant. I felt soo stuck. I told myself “I’ll just find another job once the baby comes”. In the meantime, I developed this pattern of always voicing my disagreement with company practices. This little nasty habit did not make me too popular with my higher ups. After spending a few months stuck working in a place that I knew I didn’t belong…they finally did what I was too afraid to do.
They fired me.
I had never been written up, let alone fired. In hindsight…I totally get it, I can see how God was pushing me towards what was really best for me. But that night, January 12, 2005…I didn’t. I cried ALL night long.
Pregnant, fired and feeling like I had no options. Who hires a woman that is obviously expecting?
The next morning though…that feeling of having my back against the wall birthed in me a spirit of entrepreneurship. The next day, January 13, 2005, I got started with building my practice, The Stone Foundation. By January 30, 2005…I was seeing clients in my own tiny office space. The rest is history….click here to read more.
I remember when I first moved into my tiny office space back in January of 2005…it was the coldest day of the winter. It was with ice on the ground and a baby in my belly that my fire for entrepreneurship was born. Today, I feel hopelessly unemployable.
I had NO idea the highs and lows, twists and turns that I would experience over the next decade. Quite frankly, I’m glad I didn’t. I can’t say that in that moment, I was brave enough to willingly sign up for such a wild ride.
But today, 10 years later, I am so grateful that I took the leap. Building a business has helped me to grow and develop in ways I could not have planned or even imagined. The right amount of pressure, good intentions and some calculated risks have created the perfect storm of opportunity and challenge designed to place me right where I need to be.
I am far from knowing it all…but I have learned so much. I have seen so much of the world of private practice and small business. I have mentored, coached, educated and encouraged hundreds of mental health professionals. I have built a career as a professional speaker…and guess what? I feel like I am just getting started.
The more I learn about business…the more I discover that there is more to know about business. Of all the insights I have gathered, I am now absolutely certain that “It’s not really about what you accomplish, but who you become”
So in honor of my 10 years in business. I am going to share 10 of my favorite insights from my first decade as an entrepreneur. Think of it as a bit of fresh perspective while you are moving forward or getting started with your journey. Everyday for the next 10 days, I will be posting a new insight on Facebook. Hope to connect with you there.