I used to think that being part of the online entrepreneurial journey meant that I had to think big and do big things. When I first entered the online world, I saw big, shiny websites, amazing photos and people who “made $10k overnight!” I mean, wow! I wanted to do that too. (Right? Who wouldn’t!?)
So I started working toward that. But I didn’t know where to start. I couldn’t afford the big, shiny website and if you know me in real life, you know that I’m not a big, shiny person. I’m a jeans-and-T-shirt girl who would rather work in her pajamas than put on “real” pants and go to the coffee shop. I don’t get my nails done and I don’t reward myself with spa days and massages. And gold foil and glitter? No thanks!
[bctt tweet=”It’s hard to think big when you can’t afford the big, shiny website.” username=””]
There’s a lot of talk about authenticity in the online world, but I didn’t always know what that meant. In today’s Facebook society, I think “authenticity” has gotten confused with “doing what everyone else is doing because it looks good.”
And I admit that I fell into that in the early years of growing my business. My downfall, if you could even call it that, was that I didn’t have a second income in my house to help supplement my business income. No one else was going to pay the bills if I spent $5,000 on building my website or $2,000 for a photo shoot. And that’s not to knock anyone who can do that right out of the gate, but it just wasn’t an option for me. So there was no way I was “going big” right away. And that left me feeling deflated.
Instead, I learned quickly to make do with what I had and to put on blinders (to the best of my ability).
But then something interesting happened. I learned that Facebook (and social media in general) is just a highlight reel of everyone’s lives and their businesses. Shocker, I know. It took me a while to figure that out. (What can I say? I’m a little naïve.)
[bctt tweet=”Social media is just a highlight reel of others’ businesses and lives. Shocker, I know.” username=””]
I learned that six-figure launches also cost in the tens of thousands of dollars to pull off—shiny graphics, big teams, expensive systems. And six-figure launches also take months and months to create, and are usually only successful for those who have an established place in the online space (aka an email list).
I know, another shocker.
Sadly, those who sell courses and programs to teach people how to pull off six-figure launches often fail to tell their prospects about that. Until they’ve bought the program. And some will even sell the program to death, sending multiple emails in one day, bullying those who don’t engage and flat-out telling you you’re going to fail if you don’t buy the course or coaching package or whatever they happen to be selling that week.
And yes, I’ve seen it. And been on the receiving end of all of the above. It’s not pretty.
Here’s the thing: No two people have the same version of success. I don’t aspire to have a seven-figure business. (But, hey, if it happens, I’m not going to complain.) I don’t need or want to grow a big team. I don’t want to ever stop working one-on-one with clients.
[bctt tweet=”RE: Thinking big: No two people have the same definition of success. That’s okay.” username=””]
What I do want is to grow my business to a point where I can reach and help more people and eventually be partially location independent. I’d love to be able to travel more and create courses that educate and empower business owners to grow their own businesses through quality content and proven strategies. But I don’t need big bucks to do that. And frankly, I don’t want to work that hard to earn the big bucks.
I’m not trying to downplay those who do want to build a big empire. I think that’s great! To each his own. But no one should feel bad because of where they want to be in their life. I used to feel bad about where I was in business. No more.
So for me, thinking big is for the birds. I choose to spend my time growing my own version of success. And you go on building yours! More power to you. But for me, thinking big is for the birds! I’m happy to think “bigger” than where I am now, but there’s a limit to how big I want that to get!
