This is a story of entrepreneurial beginnings and what goes behind-the-scenes of starting a business, when you have BIG dreams, but the reality doesn’t quite reflect that yet.
It is time I come out of my closet here… (and NO, it’s not what you think ;))
I’ve been in a bit of a creative cocoon since I started my business. But I think it’s time I come out of this coma of work/work/work (whether for my business, or personal development), and it’s time to freakin’ enjoy the life a little more! Or a whole lot more.
I was so focused on building my Dream Job, that for a while I stopped doing the things that made me ME. I quit tango. I stopped picking up my Nikon. I even stopped travelling. Me!, the suitcase-junkie, didn’t leave the country for two years.
Reading books? Sure! But God forbid it’s reading for pleasure, no, no, no. It had better help me become a stronger/more creative/more evolved version of myself, or create a better business, or learn something new about the world.
So why am I telling you this now?
I’ve been using Internet only-for-business for a while now too. And I realised it’s time to let go. (Let it goooooo! ;)) And have some FUN again.
I mean, don’t get me wrong. I LOOOOOVE what I’m doing. (And if right now you’re thinking, ‘what IS it that you’re doing?’, then, in simple words: I work with Facebook Ads and help entrepreneurs and business owners use the ads to grow their businesses and achieve their goals. In a nut-shell. ;))
But it’s the fact that I LOVE doing what I’m doing that took me to the Universe of straight-up workaholism. Because… it’s like a child saying ‘But muuuum, can I play for just one more hour, pleeeeease!?’ ;)
EXCEPT, in doing so, my life experiences have become very mono-focused and work-centered. And I’d keep telling myself that ‘I’ll start doing all those non-work things that I like doing again once… [fill in a milestone]’ And I’d keep coming up with new things I need to achieve in my business first!
But this isn’t the way. And I know it. And by reading it this far I’m sure you KNOW it too (even if we all need a little reminder sometimes.)
So… where am I going with this?
One thing I need to “let go” of first.
While I’ve been in that “creative cocoon” and “start-up business” mode, I kept hiding from people in REAL life what it is I do, showing my stuff only to those I met in the online, business-related circles. While my business was just starting out, for some *silly* reason I felt ashamed that I had a SMALL business. That during the first year of my biz I was still working a side job in Starbucks, while figuring out my own stuff.
And while now I SEE how silly this was, at that point I felt the need to hide what I’m doing from people around me, out of shame that they’d know I was still making coffees, while everyone around me had “real jobs”. You know, those 9-5, corporate, benefits, promotions and so on. Not that there is anything wrong with that! But they had salaries, while I had Starbucks and my small business. And my BIG dreams.
I felt that disconnect between where I was and where I wanted to be, and to avoid potentially awkward questions about “How is your business doing?”, I even avoided some social situations and people I know, out of fear how to answer this without seeing some sort of pity and concern on their faces.
And believe me, it’s not easy. To keep believing in yourself and your dreams when everyone around you is on a different path and the only people you know who are doing the same thing are your “online friends”. And you meet up on Skype or Whatsapp and have that great understanding and connection. But then you hang up and your dad is asking “when are you going to get a real job?”, or a friend who just got promoted at work casually asks you “How is business doing?”, and you yourself are feeling confused at times… but you keep going.
You keep going, because the dream is BIGGER than you. BIGGER than your fears and doubts. You’re gonna freakin’ do it no matter what.
So in an act of letting go of my need to devote my whole days to working in order to prove something (mostly) to myself and (a bit) to the world, let me PROUDLY TELL YOU:
I am an entrepreneur.
I have a SUCCESSFUL business. (At which point am I “allowed” to say this? I think NOW is as good a time as any to claim that phrase and my accomplishments.)
I have clients who LOVE working with me.
And I get them R.E.S.U.L.T.S.
Oh, and have I mentioned that in the meantime I got into MENSA? Just for fun, to see if I could ;)
So if you want to check out what I do, OR better yet, if you’d like to share what I do with anyone you know who is an entrepreneur or has a business and could use some help with their Facebook Ads, share away: http://katbern.biz :)
I am happy to say: I’m open for business (I’ve been open for a while now, but shhh… we’ll skip that oversight ;)) and I’m open to helping even more people with reaching their business goals and dreams using Facebook Ads.
And I promise I will no longer be “hiding” behind being busy. It’s time to stop postponing doing all those things that make me ME.
More tango, more travel, more pictures, and reading just for fun again. (Heeello, Harry Potter! ;)) I look forward to all those things.
Life’s only just began!!!!!! And I’m LOVIN’ it. ❤️
Now… what makes you YOU? Leave a comment and let me know one non-work thing you can do to feel like the REAL you again… And then go do it!
