When I was leaving my well paid job to set up Welcome BE, some thought I was making a huge mistake.
I had been a dedicated corporate workhorse for 14 years, how would I manage without the blinkers that had led me to the heights of "career success"? How would I deal with... freedom?
Entrepreneurship is like having your first child.
You've read the books, heard the stories - the good, the bad and the ugly. But the longing for a more meaningful life is just too strong to ignore, so you throw caution to the wind, together with that regular pay check and you go for it!
My transition from the 9-5 job to the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, has been nothing short of amazing.
If you're on the 9-5 treadmill and dream of being your own boss, or maybe you're in the world of entrepreneurship already and want to compare notes;
Here are my three essential tips to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
1. Read the right books
When I started out, I considered reading books, which were not directly related to my business, to be a luxury I could ill afford.
However, because my time was my own (an entrepreneurial perk!), I did it anyway.
Some of my favorite books were Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Don't be put off by the titles. Both books are timeless classics which were written in the 1930s. They convey real and valid truths based on the experiences of peope whose lives are a testament to the value of the ideas presented.
By giving in to my guilty pleasure, I discovered that these books talk about concepts that subconsciously, I was already incorporating into my coaching business!
It was the positive reinforcement I needed to keep doing what I was doing.
For example, How to Win Friends and Influence People talks about the power of listening and being genuinely interested in people (without having an agenda). Contrary to being an indication of a poor business model, this is actually one of the best things you can do for your business because you develop the "like, know and trust" factor.
- Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers
- Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg
- Thrive - Arianna Huffington
- Daring Greatly - Brene Brown
These four books have taught me that it's OK to feel vulnerable; that by "Feeling the Fear and Doing it Anyway" and embracing our vulnerability, we pave the way to achieving our goals and becoming truly successful .
Great... But how does this benefit my business?
My clients, are non native English Speaking Professionals with careers which require them to have excellent English communication skills.
Some consider that native English speakers have the unfair advantage when it comes to career progress and that, despite the focus on diversity, communication remains a challenge for them as many international companies fail to invest enough in improving the English communciation skills of their international workforce.
Reading these books has enabled me to give my clients the confidence they need to embrace their vulnerability around communication and more importantly, to do something about it. They develop the courage to take their future into their own hands and come to realise that they can invest in themselves without "waiting for permission".
Vulnerability - 0, Successful Career - 1
I help them to lean in, dare greatly, feel the fear and do it anyway, while thriving in the process, using the wisdom of these wonderful authors.
2. Join an International Toastmasters Club
While you may have been a great speaker in your corporate job, spend a few months working from home and it'll feel like those skills are a distant memory, together with the social interaction you once enjoyed!
You're the CEO, CFO, COO, HR Director, Training Manager and Social Media Manager of your entreprise and while that makes you AMAZING, you also find yourself alone (cue the violins).
The friendly and supportive Phoenix Tara Toastmasters club not only provided me with the social interaction which is the essence of any human being, it also gave me the confidence I needed to develop my speaking voice, and more surprisingly, my writing voice!
My first Huffington Post article was inspired by a Phoenix Tara Toastmasters speech and when the opportunity arises for a Ted X talk, with the help of my fellow Toastmasters, I'm determined to be ready!
When I step inside the door of our meeting's luxury location at the magnificent Dunboyne Castle Hotel, I am no longer Sharon Rossignuolo, wife, mother, business English coach, I am Sharon Rossignuolo, VIP speaker!
- 3. Join an online Entrepreneur Support Group
I'm a business English coach.
I'm not a career coach. I'm not an English teacher. I'm not a business coach. I'm a combination of all three.
That's left me somewhere between three different stools, rather than the usual two!
I tried joining the online teacher and ESL groups on Facebook but it was a virtual "crash and burn" situation and I found myself with people who didn't "get" what I did.
It was then I realized I had to broaden my horizons and find like minded entrepreneurs whose mission, regardless of their line of business, was to help others succeed in life, career and/or business.
That's when I found Carrie Green and The Female Entrepreneur Association.
Carrie Green "gets it" because she has done it herself.
One of her mantras is, "I Can, I Will, Watch me".
Between the weekly 10-minute Masterclasses on The Female Entrepreneur Association and the Training Bundles which she shares through The Members Club, Carrie takes her fellow entrepreneurs on a journey where she consistently encourages, supports and inspires us so that we can all be successful in helping others to achieve amazing things.
The online group spans across continents, making it truly international, which is exactly what I hope for my business!
Carrie Green is an example of someone who has thought and grown rich, won and influenced people, felt the fear, leaned in, dared greatly, and thrived.
As for me and my entrepreneurial journey, I started thriving the day I decided to leave my 9-5 job.
I feel the fear every day and while I haven't managed to grow rich, I certainly think about it regularly.
I dare greatly when I put myself out there on Social Media, when I write blog posts and LinkedIn articles.
I lean in when I know I am the right person who can offer value and if others can't see it, then I win them over and influence them accordingly!
What will your entrepreneurial journey look like?