A Few Lessons Learned while being a TC Business Owner

Coach Michelle Spalding Author

If there is anything I have learned in being an entrepreneur, it’s that there really is no one right way.

There is no magic formula, no secret method you can buy, and no matter how much you learn, there will always be more.

Over the years, as the owner of a transaction coordinator business,  I did a lot of striving and hustling to keep up with what I thought was the right path of a successful business owner. And oh, the mistakes I made and the abuse I put myself through.

After nothing shy of a breakdown, then thankfully a breakthrough, I discovered that my path as a business owner was exactly that, my path. I could walk it as fast or slow as I wanted. I could stop along the way, enjoy the scenery, and even pause there for a much-needed rest occasionally. What I could not do if I expected to continue in business was compare myself to others and put myself down for not being where they are. After all, without knowing their full story, was it even a fair comparison?  While this is much easier said than done, here are a few things I did to help ease this inner struggle:

1. Reconnect with my why. I started a transaction coordinator business because I wanted to spend more time with my family. There were times over the years that I thought that was supposed to happen one magical day down the road, and to get there, I would have to sacrifice in the present. When I decided to make my why a priority in my business, not only did I find more enjoyment in my work, my income increased. It’s easy to get swept away with exciting opportunities, and when they are in alignment with your why, that’s a good thing. But if they take you away from where you truly want to be, that will cause stress and struggle and likely make you want to even quit the path you’re on.

2. Take time off. Early in my business, time off felt like a luxury I could not afford. I recall a friend of mine stopping by my office to invite me to a workout class at a gym a few blocks from my home. I was at my desk in yoga pants and a T-shirt – I looked ready but hadn’t left my chair in hours. During our conversation,  I told her I did not have time to go, I was busy, I was behind, and I’m sure a bunch of other excuses. Without blinking an eye, she said to me “Who is the boss here?” Of course, I said it was me, to which she responded, “Then prove it to yourself.” Boy, was she right. Taking an hour to attend a class not only helped me physically, it helped me emotionally. When we do not give ourselves space for time off from our businesses, we end up putting ourselves into an endless, exhausting work environment that puts us on the fast track to burnout.

3. Make grace and compassion for yourself a priority. Oh, the emotions involved with running a business I never thought of. The people who would disappoint me, the situations I thought would surely tank my business and the challenges that came from my mistakes. I spent a fair amount of my early business years beating myself up, harshly. It took a while, but with the help of a coach, a few great books, and lots of practice, I have mostly stopped that. Treating others with grace and compassion was easy for me, but doing it for myself, not so much. However, making that a priory has had a ripple effect throughout my entire life. You are going to spend the most amount of time with yourself – why not treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated?

Saying yes to the path of entrepreneurship is a huge decision. It will be filled with ups, downs, and everything in between. It will be challenging but very rewarding at the same time. So along this path, do your best to love yourself, do things because they light you up, and say no to things that do not. Most of all, enjoy the small things on the journey.

If you need some help with your transaction coordinator business – either starting, growing, or reconnecting with the why you had for starting it and making that happen, let me know. One of the things I love now in my role as a Business Alchemist is helping others transform their obstacles into a path to the life and business of their dreams. To learn more about my services, please check out the coaching page.

PS – If you want to learn more about creating your big why – check out chapter 5 in my new book “Glitter, Duct Tape and Magic”.