Ep. 95 8 Lessons I Learned: Embracing The Journey

Get ready to challenge your self-doubts and welcome the entrepreneurial journey with open arms! Do you ever feel like you're just not enough? Let's shatter that illusion together as we navigate the all too familiar feelings of scarcity, whether it's about time, money, or self-worth. I am sharing my personal journey and the empowering realization that YOU are enough and capable of reaching your full potential. I'll walk you through the importance of setting goals, boundaries, intentional networking, and treating your business as more than a hobby, mulling over how these can fuel your growth and evolution.

Ever wondered how to be intentional with the connections you make? I'll share tips on how to network with purpose and why it's crucial for your enterprise. Together, we'll discover the value of a solid business plan and its power in shaping your growth trajectory. We'll also discuss how a productivity-based routine can create space for you and foster growth. So, grab your cuppa, and let's conquer the fear of dreaming big, appreciate our opinions, and learn to build our businesses the right way!

Transcript

Mikita: 0:00

Treat your business like a hobby. That's exactly what happens. So you have to go in with a goal and have a business mindset, even for something you only see as your hobby. Okay, because the thing is, it's always the point to grow. Hey, there, I'm Makita, a small town girl with dreams who started a podcast with an old headset and a laptop at my kitchen table and made my dreams come true.

Mikita: 0:26

On my podcast, time for Tea with Mikita, we chat about living life unapologetically, on your terms, from career advice, entrepreneurship, relationships and everything in between. This is your one stop shop for real conversations and inspiration. If you're looking for connection, then you found it here. Join me every Tuesday as we dive into those sometimes hard to have conversations. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and get comfy, because this is time for tea with Makita and the tea is definitely hot.

Mikita: 1:03

Ever feel like you need a superpower boost of motivation with exclusive tips and tools with your goals in mind? We'll say hello to your new inspiration hotspot, the Tuesday Tea Newsletter. You're a weekly infusion of big thinking, energy that will propel you to chase your wildest dreams and never shy away from using the power of your voice. Sign up for the Tuesday Tea Newsletter today at BeautifullyUnbalancedcom and elevate your goals to the next level. Welcome back. It is definitely time for some tea, and I am Makita here, and I just want to say, first of all, thank you for sharing your time, your space and your amazing energy with me today. Now let's kick this off, because we need a little inspiration here. So my affirmation card for today says what I seek is seeking me, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling that because that's really powerful, because sometimes the universe is so generous that we can't wait for whatever we're looking for in our journey to just come our way, but just knowing sometimes, when it takes a little longer than we expect, that we know that what we're seeking is also seeking us. So just continue to manifest that journey, that dream, and keep going. All right, okay.

Mikita: 2:24

So today we're talking about embracing the entrepreneur journey and I'm going to be sharing eight lessons that I've learned throughout this amazing and sometimes frustrating journey. So I was talking to a really good friend about this and we're talking about this feeling of never having enough not enough time, not enough sleep, not enough money, or feeling like you just don't have enough experience, and it seems that at times we have that not enough syndrome and doing this conversation she asked me about, do I ever feel like I'm not enough? And I think that's one of those conversations that we don't have. Enough is that feeling that you're not alone and am I enough? Am I doing enough? But this is where, like some of this conversation stemmed from, because sometimes we don't feel like there's enough time in our days. Sometimes we don't feel like we're doing enough. So that conversation really sparked this episode, because we've all been in that space of acting ourselves. Should I just be grateful for what I have, and is it wrong for me to want more, to feel like I'm not enough? It's not enough.

Mikita: 3:47

So being a solo entrepreneur and figuring it all out while moonlighting as a nurse has been so crazy. It's been an emotional, intense journey, to say the least, and sometimes you feel like you woke up from a hangover and others you feel like brandy and you're sitting on top of the world. The roller coaster never ends. It's always changing. But I'm always reminding myself that I get to decide when to get off this roller coaster. I get to decide what rides I want to go on and what rides I don't. But more than anything, this journey has been the most empowering. So, throughout these lessons, one thing that I did learn is that I am enough and you are enough, and that you should never settle to think that you should never want more. The thing about growth is it's always pushing you to your full potential. It's pushing you to explore that dream that you've been afraid to even mention, say or talk about, which leads me to my first lesson. The only opinion that matters is yours.

Mikita: 5:04

When you decide to put your energy into building a business or building a career, whatever it is that you are working on, your first thought shouldn't be am I dreaming too big, or what will other people think? And I'm not going to lie, I've been there. I know what that feels like. When I started my podcast, my first thought was who am I to dream so big? And you have to remind yourself that you are the chosen one. You were chosen for the job. Your purpose lies in your gift, and Beyonce said it best your fear can't go where you're headed, and once you realize that your dream is bigger than your fear, you start to see things differently.

Mikita: 5:54

For me, I did the scary things first, so I got on social media and I made this post announcing my intentions. It's one of the scariest things I think I've done. And what was amazing was that, you know, the earth didn't open. I didn't get swallowed up. None of the things that I made up in my head happened Like. People were like, oh great, and next? So you know, we have this whole thing of wondering what other people are going to say, what other people are going to think, but at the end of the day, it only matters what you think, what you feel and how you want to move in this world. Whether you want to get on that roller coaster ride or decide that that's not the ride for you, you're going to wait for the one that's perfect for you. Which leads me to lesson two building your business the right way.

Mikita: 6:49

Now. Starting a business is exciting. You get like all these ideas in your head of how you want things to go, but we forget about the little things like the planning, the organization. But it's so important that you establish a business plan. Now, this does not mean you go talk to Lil Mike down the street and get advice. This means actually reaching out to your small business departments and getting information so that you can start laying a strong foundation. Remember, when you're building anything, you have to have a solid foundation. It's just like building a house If you build it out of paper and it rains, you can't be surprised when it all caves in and folds. So start with your local small business department. They may have programs in place to help you get started. Now I have to say I was very lucky enough to get accepted and our small business community. They had a local cohort program to help small business owners that were trying to get started with their business. Give them that foundation. But you also want to think about, as you're building that foundation, what type of software tools you want to set up. Remember, you are the CEO, so you got to run your business like the boss that you are and put management tools in place to store your information. You are building this thing here from the ground up, from scratch.

Mikita: 8:16

Okay, so your blood, sweat and tears are going into this thing and I think the hardest part for me was because I am a solo manure. It felt weird using like these management tools and I was the only person. Like it's not. Like I'm communicating with someone else, I'm not assigning this task to anyone else, like it's assigned to me and at first I had this idea that, oh, it's just me, like, I don't need all these things. I can keep track of the stuff in my head. But what happens is, when we have all these things in our head, it takes up space for our creativity because we're trying to store so much information and we can only store and process so many things. So when I started developing my own tools and systems and templates, it was so much easier for me to have so much more creativity because my brain wasn't thinking about oh, don't forget this, remember this thing over here, you have to do this, pack this off.

Mikita: 9:14

So I want you to think about you know, what are some tools that you can put in place, and there are some free tools out there. So some of the things that I like to use and I really love Airtable I do. I don't have any affiliates with them, but it has been one of the easiest, and I've used a few different ones, and Asana is one of them Trillo and a lot of these programs actually have free tools. So if you're on a budget and you're just trying to get the best bang and you're not trying to spend money because you're trying to make money all everything that I mentioned from Airtable, asana, trillo. They have a free program that you can use to free version of these things.

Mikita: 9:58

Okay, so start setting up a management tool to track things, to keep up with things, because you remember, you have to change your mindset and I think that's the biggest thing. You want to have a growth mindset. The goal is for the business to grow and for you to hire more people on and when you do, you want to already have a solid foundation set up so when you hire someone, you can say this is how we do things, and it could just flow so much easily, versus you trying to figure out how to set it all up. Okay. Now, the third lesson I learned is the value of investing in yourself and not to apologize for it either. Now, there are a lot of ways to do this, so I want you to think free masterclasses, different books that you can read, that can, that you can learn and grow from mentors, whether they are people that you know personally or mentors that have you know YouTube's and stuff that they teach, and they have a free program or something free that actually helps with your growth.

Mikita: 11:04

You're trying to hone your skills here. This will give you a great starting point, but I gotta tell you, when you are really ready to hone your craft, you have to put your money where your skills is and invest. Invest in you and you will see a big difference when you start investing in yourself, because you are worth the investment, your business is worth the investment. So don't be afraid and be like, oh, I don't need that. We all need to learn and grow from somewhere. Now that doesn't mean go out and spend thousands of dollars on a business coach, but I will say that you should start where you feel you'll get the best bang for your buck and really research and follow the people you're thinking about purchasing for.

Mikita: 12:01

Make sure that they are goals and their teaching method align with your learning style, because that is key. I'm a step-by-step type of person. I want someone to show me step-by-step and I want you to tell me why it works this way, because once I understand the process of it, it works better. So think about your learning style, how you learn and if the person that's teaching it is a great fit for you. And if you're already part of my Tuesday Teenies letter, then you know how I love sharing tips and resources to help you level up. Which brings me to lesson five.

Mikita: 12:37

Start with a strategy, and that means have a goal. You should have a goal in mind. What are you trying to achieve? When you start with the end in mind, the beginning is so much easier Now. It's like going to a wine tasting and the server asks you what wines do you want to try first? And you say all of them, but then you complain when it's too sweet or too dry. You have to know what it is you want to achieve, or just like that wine you're going to end up getting whatever comes your way. So give this some time if you're not completely sure. But remember, as your business grows, so will your goals. So don't feel like you have to think of this overall reaching end of game goal. You're growing a business. It's going to grow. You're going to grow the lessons you've learned, the things that you encounter. It will evolve, so your goals will also evolve. So don't be afraid to pivot. Don't be afraid to create new goals along the way.

Mikita: 13:39

When I started my podcast, the one thing that I knew for sure was I wanted to empower others, and that was pretty much it. I wish I would have had more insight of business minded, but honestly, it was kind of a hobby. I treated it like a hobby, and when you treat your business like a hobby, that's exactly what happens. So you have to go in with a goal and have a business mindset, even for something you only see as your hobby. Okay, because the thing is, it's always the point to grow. You always want to evolve. So when you're thinking about it in the evolution, how would this thing could grow, where it could lead, or even admitting to yourself that you wanted to lead somewhere big and grand, you know it's okay.

Mikita: 14:33

And that's, I think, where we come back to that idea of is this enough? Should I just be happy with what I got? You know? Am I asking for too much? Should I just be grateful? Remember, you were chosen for the dream, given the gift for a reason. You should always aim to be the best that you can be, and that means sometimes reaching for the stars. You know, asking for the big thing. Rarely do we ask for the big thing. It's easy to ask for the small things because we know we can get the small things. But when we realize that not only can we ask for the big things, but we can also get the big things that we start to recognize that we deserve the big things. Why not? Why should Sarah Jane over here, get the big things and you work just as hard Like you should get the big things, and you shouldn't apologize for wanting to grow and to dream a big. All right, when we're thinking about this strategy and thinking about having a goal in mind for what you want, just make sure that you think about what that, in peace, would look like. It is so much easier when you know what the end will look like.

Mikita: 15:52

Now, this lesson I learned right here number six came with a lot of trial and a lot of error, and this is networking with intention. When I think of this, I think of the scene and say the last dance, when Chanel is at the doctor's office with her son and she's sitting there and she says you know, just don't be here to be here. And that's how it is with networking. You don't just want to be in spaces and places just because, or you're only thinking about how you can benefit, be intentional about making connections and always try to collaborate with individuals that have the same values as you, but also understand too that when you're going there, even though you're being intentional, you have to make sure that you are paying. You know, because everybody there may not be intentional. You know what I mean. So just go in with the mindset that you have values and when you're talking to people and you're thinking about who you want to connect with and network with or collaborate with, that they have the same values. The goal is that this relationship grows into a meaningful connection, not just what can you do for me?

Mikita: 17:12

So for me, that situation looked like stressing myself out to be in places and I'm just like I don't even know I want to be here, like just because you get an invite doesn't mean that that's the best decision or best move for your business. You have to think about you know. Do you have the energy it takes to be your best self in this environment and do you feel welcomed? Does the environment actually feel like it's someplace you want to be? Because sometimes I find myself in spaces where I was just felt so uncomfortable, so unnatural for me to be there. That is just like I don't even want to be here. So think about you know when you decide to branch out and start collaborating and networking and going to certain events and working with other people, that you're being really intentional.

Mikita: 18:09

Okay, now let's get into lesson seven, so creating a routine around your productivity. Now, the reason why I love, you know, having a routine is because it gives me the space from mental clarity. Sometimes we get in this working being mentality where we feel that if we're not working we're being lazy, but the truth is we're not being really productive. When we're just working to be working, nothing is really getting done. Trust me, whether you know it or not, you have some sort of routine in place, routines that you do every day, whether it's waking up just to sit on the side of the bed for 10 minutes, scroll through social media or have a cup of coffee.

Mikita: 18:57

Just remember, you want your routine to be one that fosters growth and creates space for you, that helps you have a spiritual connected relationship with yourself and that also keeps you grounded. So think of having time to yourself in the morning, even if it's 10 minutes. You can use that 10 minutes to meditate, to journal, to sit in silence, to just hear your own thoughts, and then maybe it's going for a walk, getting outside, moving your body. You know, getting your body up and moving, and my husband does do this and we're getting back into the habit of it because it kind of let it slip a little bit. But we're back at it now, walking in the morning, because there's something about getting out of nature, being out, getting your body moving. It just helps your mind clear a little bit more. This routine can also look like spending time with your kids or your significant other, like we have like a 30 minute time where we sit, we sip coffee and we talk. We just connect and then from there you know you can map out what you want to accomplish that day and start small.

Mikita: 20:11

Whatever is breaking up the big goals into small goals throughout the week to reach the common goal. And the point of this is not to be busy but instead to be productive. I remember when I used to spend all day working on a project with no end in sight. It's very frustrating to feel like you've worked all day and never accomplished a thing. So here's something that helps me get going and make me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. As you know, I love a good sticky note, so I take a sticky note and I write a checklist First thing in the morning, I write a checklist and I think of some ways that I can create little things to track my progress. So maybe it's like write a blog or draft my outline for the blog and as I check this off, at the end of the day, I can see where I've actually made progress and I've actually did productive things that made a difference and that contributed to my bigger goal.

Mikita: 21:16

So I want you to think of some things you want to add or to do to create a routine for productivity. And remember this routine is also about creating space for yourself, because all these things add up to you. Having a space that centers around your creativity and your productivity and, like I said, sometimes 10 minutes a day is like the best thing ever. If you have kids, you know what I mean, because you have so much coming at you all the time that you barely get a chance to hear your own thoughts. So having an opportunity to just hear your own thoughts sometimes and to really, you know, ask yourself how am I doing today? What is it that I feel like I can emotionally accomplish or mentally accomplish today? How do I want this day to look? One of my friends mentioned that her routine consists of on her way to work. She does a prayer circle with her friends and it's a live call and this is what sets her up to have a positive mindset for the day and it's I think there are some like this one question to like think about throughout their day, and sometimes she shared these things with me and I just find that they're very powerful, thought provoking questions. So maybe you want to do something like that, but, whatever it is, you get to decide, just like that roller coaster ride, right, you get to decide.

Mikita: 22:45

Now, my final lesson that I've learned and I think this is a consistent thing is boundaries. We all know boundaries are important. You need them, not just for other people, but for yourself. I am very good with setting boundaries for other people. I am not as good at setting boundaries for myself. So make sure that you're setting some non-negotiables for yourself and others and draw a line in the sand. Okay, one of my non-negotiables for me is on Saturdays, I spend time with my family. I don't plan anything work related, unless it's unavoidable. I could just know other way. I have to do this thing.

Mikita: 23:28

So what are some boundaries that you think will help you as you move forward and take some time, and I want you to give it some thought and remember, just like your goals, your boundaries also will change. And remember too, if you're setting boundaries for other people, that you actually communicate in these boundaries. You're not just expecting people to read your mind or read your facial expression or your body language, because if you got a face like mine, sometimes my face says a lot but it's not really what I'm thinking. So you have to verbally correct yourself and verbally communicate. People are not mind readers, so be open to say yep, I'm not available after seven o'clock on weeknight, sorry, you know those things. Just set your boundaries, draw that line in the sand and do the same thing with yourself. I just recently set a boundary where, well, yeah, I've got you for myself about having my laptop in the bed I don't know how that's gonna work out yet, but I am giving it a try where I don't bring my laptop and do work in the bed at night, you know. So it's a work in progress.

Mikita: 24:47

Now, those are just few of the lessons I've learned and, like I said, all this began just with this conversation about enough. What does it mean Having that enough syndrome? And it really led me to this thing about embracing. Like throughout my whole entrepreneur journey, there's always been that question of enough, not having enough time, which led to you need more boundaries for yourself and others and you need a routine that centers around productivity and mental clarity and the whole idea of realizing that I create the time that I need when I have boundaries in place, when I have a goal in mind, when I'm setting things up to be more proactive and more productive. Then I can have more time. So the idea of enough really centers around what it is you want. So, if you feel like you're not enough, just think about all the things that you've accomplished, how far you've come. The things that you have done to get to where you're at you are more than enough. Once you can appreciate the lessons that you've learned, you can appreciate the journey. I embrace this journey of entrepreneurship and I want you to embrace whatever journey you're on right now, because there are going to be some lessons, some hard, some easy, but all of them to get you to your bigger goal. So embrace every second. So we're just going to recap some of the lessons that I've learned to embrace throughout this journey.

Mikita: 26:39

We talked about making your opinion the one that truly matters starting your business with a solid foundation that has room for growth. We talked about the importance of investing in yourself because, like I said, you are enough and you should want to evolve and grow, and there's nothing wrong with wanting more. We talked about having a goal, networking with intention, and how valuable that is when it comes to building meaningful relationships. We dived into this idea of creating a routine that makes time for a self connection and the importance of setting boundaries for you and others. Now, that is all the tea that I have to spill today, but I hope this gave you some things to think about as you continue your creative journey. Now head over to beautifulandbalancecom for more heart tea and don't forget to join me next Tuesday for more teedropping knowledge. Until next time, my friend namaste.