Cycle of support
Feel like you’re going at this alone in your business?
Build a cycle of support to help fill the gaps.
It’s not easy being a business owner.
There’s lots of questions that need to be answered and re-answered over time as you grow and evolve your expertise:
What problems do I solve?
For whom do I solve them?
How do I solve them in terms of products and services?
Where do I find the people that I serve?
When do I start thinking about the next thing?
The road to focus and clarity of purpose is paved with confusing and challenging speed bumps and roadblocks.
At the beginning of my business, I was totally lost and had no one to turn to for advice. It was a lonely and overwhelming experience.
But, over time, I’ve realized that while I am a solo business owner, I cannot do this alone.
Fortunately, I’ve befriended a ton of amazing, business savvy colleagues and mentors who’ve helped provide invaluable insights that have gotten me past many points of friction.
Their generosity has, in turn, motivated and inspired me to share my experiences and insights with those who reach out for help.
For example, I’ve spent many hours imparting advice and suggestions to many young photographers who are looking to move away from being a jack-of-all-trades shooter, and leaning into becoming a specialist.
While I have no experience running a 100 million dollar business, this type of conversation falls squarely within my wheelhouse.
And I have to say, it selfishly brings me joy to be able to be of service in this way :)
This has created a constantly running cycle of support amongst the people within my community.
And it’s a fulfilling and empowering cycle, at that!
It allows you the space to receive help and pay it forward in ways that add value to everyone involved.
This sense of community is quite a magical experience because it eliminates the sense of loneliness and living in a silo, which is not a mindset conducive to creativity and growth.
If you find yourself feeling like you’re on an island, consider the idea of reaching out to folks in your community who are further along for help, while also closing the cycle of support loop by offering what you know to those coming up behind you.
You might be surprised at how both sides can immensely contribute to pushing you towards your goals, while also inspiring a more fulfilled experience as you work within your business.
Over to you…
What are your thoughts on creating your own cycle of support? Do you already have this in place? If so, please share your experiences and takeaways in the comment section below.