Imagine my surprise when I checked into the hotel lobby and I saw this!

I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Davenport, IA and there was a convention across the street from my hotel. All weekend long I saw people dressed up in unique costumes – like the one in the picture. These were unique people. I’m glad they had a place to come together and be with like-minded friends. They were not alone.

Do you ever feel alone in your business. I call that a fear.

There are 9 fears that can keep our business stuck and one is the ‘I have to do this alone’ fear.

When our son, Chris, was three and our daughter, Emily, was one we had our baby Abigail; a beautiful, precious baby. But Abby never slept more than two hours at a time. Since I was nursing Abby, I never slept more than two hours at a time. After a few months of this, I was a walking zombie. You’d just look at me and I’d start crying because I was not getting any sleep. I kept thinking that after 3 months things would be better, 4 months, 5 months, but she kept crying.

She never appeared to be sick and I didn’t know what to do. I thought I’m a mom. I should know. So I didn’t ask for help. Finally, at seven months old, I thought, I can’t go on like this anymore. I’m going to ask for help. This is not working. I’m standing alone as a mother and this is not working. I took her to our family doctor and we discovered she had ear infections in both her ears. Abby was in pain and I felt like the worst mother in the world.

We started on the Amoxicillin antibiotic which would work and then she’d get another ear infection. We’d start up the medicine again, thing would be OK for awhile, and then she’d get another infection. When Abby was 11 months old we took her to an ear/nose/throat specialist and within a few weeks she had tubes put in both her ears. Within days she was a different baby. Thank goodness I asked for help. I don’t know what would have happened to her hearing if I hadn’t.

Are you standing alone in your business?

Working in a home office can be very lonely; very lonely. But we think that we have to know it all. How can you possibly know everything on how to run a business? Why do we expect that we know everything? We don’t. You need and should want someone to run ideas by. Someone to stand with you.

The cures for the “I have to do this alone” fear are:

• Find a business coach. Make sure your coach is where you want to be in your business someday. This means that they’ve ‘been there and done that’ and can do the same for you.
• Attend a virtual business growth conference where people like you attend.
• Find a webinar series where you can learn what you don’t know – or are not doing very well. Stop thinking by some miracle you are supposed to know everything. Others have figured things out by making mistakes and learning – no reason for you to make the same mistakes.

Elizabeth’s Coaching Requests::

1. Make a decision that it’s time to stop working alone and it’s time to ask for help.
2. Take action and ask your colleagues where they go for help. Who do they turn to?!
3. Stay focused on looking ahead and not the mistakes of the past. I had to forgive myself for not getting Abby help sooner and then move on. Maybe it’s time for you to do that, too.

 

I work with women entrepreneurs who want to grow their business with grace so they can confidently attract the clients they are meant to serve without anxiety or overwhelm.

I’d be honored to speak with you, listen to you, give you a few tips, and share with you about my brand-new coaching experience.

Click there to schedule an appointment!