Delegate And Focus

Delegating as a first-time business owner is like a parent leaving their child with a babysitter or dropping them off at school for the first time. The fear of something going wrong is very real, even if you only let go a little bit. But just like kids growing up, businesses can’t grow when the parent/owner micromanages. It’s important to take the time to understand how people work best, what motivates them and how to approach conflict and build together as a team.

Delegation not only lifts your burden but also encourages your team members to contribute their skills and insights. As each person assumes responsibility for their designated tasks, this fosters a culture of collaboration, trust and mutual support.

Stick It Out

Every business journey involves failure. In the first year of BLUSH Fitness, I made every mistake possible: targeting the wrong demographic, implementing ineffective policies and procedures, signing a terrible lease, you name it. But that often painful process taught me that failure is okay. It’s how you deal with it that matters.

Look at every failure as a stepping stone that brings you closer to success. Instead of giving in to the temptation of throwing in the towel when faced with setbacks, you have to be resilient and persevere. Reframing failure as a natural part of launching and running a business helps free you from the fear of making mistakes–which everyone does.

Never lose confidence in yourself. You have to hold on to the unrelenting belief that what you’re doing is going to work. Even when it’s tough and things look bleak, believe in yourself and what you’re doing. If you lose that belief, you’re done.

Never Stop Adapting

As an entrepreneur, adaptability means being willing to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, looking at every challenge as a chance for growth instead of an obstacle to be avoided. That’s why it’s critical to cultivate a learning mindset, staying curious and open to new ideas. Every time you learn something new, once you’re done enjoying the feeling, ask yourself: what’s the next step? What’s the next question this leads to? Keep the process going—because the challenges and new questions will never stop.

In the end, running a business means developing a vision for yourself and going after it relentlessly. Stop waiting for the “perfect time,” because there is no perfect time—or if you want to look at it another way, every time is the perfect time.