The recent publication of Trust Your Heart: Transform Your Ideas Into Income, compiled by Marnie Pehrson, revealed the stories of 19 entrepreneurs who trusted their instincts (gut, heart, intuition) and were able to build successful businesses despite many obstacles and challenges. One of my favorite parts of each chapter are the "Lessons Learned." This is where you get true insights into how each entrepreneur was able to prevail and create the business of their dreams.
While I know you expect tips and tactics for for marketing your business on the Web, it's also important to look beyond the marketing tactics to the strategies and activities necessary to establish your awesome business.
I want to know what lessons have helped you on your path to entrepreneurial success. So, I'm having a contest and giving away a copy of Trust Your Heart. Simply answer the following question…
What's the most important lesson you've learned as you have created your business and transformed your ideas into income?
Two ways to enter:
- Post your lesson learned in the comment box below.
- Use the Twitter or Retweet button to share this post and your lesson. Use hashtag #bizlesson so I can track the tweets.
The contest is open through Wednesday, June 8 and I'll pick two winners: one from the comments posted and one from the tweets. I'll announce the winnes on June 9.
That's it. Here's one of the lessons I learned and share in Trust Your Heart:
Model the leaders. I was following the leaders [in my industry], but I didn't stop there. Implementation is everything when you're in the "idea to income" phase. When you discover a strategy or tactic that is working for someone else in your industry, study it and figure out how you can adapt it to your idea.
In addition to the "lesson learned" contest, you also have a chance to win a copy of Trust Your Heart when I interview Marnie Pehrson next Tuesday, June 7.
I'll be giving away a copy of the book during the interview. The interview is going to focus specifcally on how Marnie turned her idea for the book into a bestseller on Amazon using social media to build massive visibility, buzz and drive traffic and sales. Marnie used some creative tactics to hit bestseller status in less than 24 hours. You'll want to be on this call and it's free! Register here to get the dial in details and post your questions for Marnie. You've got to be on the live call to be eligible to win the book.
There you have it…I'm looking forward to reading the lessons you've learned on the road to entrepreneurial success…now go post and tweet!
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For me it is learning how much I need to learn and improve my skills.
Keep following the green lights. Stay focused on what’s working and put your energy there. Focus on the people who are coming, and respond to their needs. Look for things to improve, but don’t spend too much time there or your car will stall at the light.
Keep following the green lights. Stay focused on what’s working and put your energy there. Focus on the people who are coming, and respond to their needs. Look for things to improve, but don’t spend too much time there or your car will stall at the light.
Thanks for posting your lesson, Katherine. I love your car metaphor! #bizlesson
My biggest lesson is not to get stuck if things don’t go the way I expected them to go. Other doors always open up.
Thanks for posting your lesson, Jo. I think many people do get stuck or paralyzed when things don’t go as planned. And you’re right, another door will open – just need to be looking for it and be willing to make adjustments.
Thanks so much, Denise. PS – I loved your story in the book. So far, I’ve loved all the stories.
Hello from Montana,
The best lesson I ever learned was to realize that those who are successful are no smarter, kinder, cuter or more talented than I am. They have just learned to take advantage of opportunities and move forward every day.
Instead of beating yourself up about how the good things slip by, realize that timing is everything. Keep moving and taking action and your turn will come.
Judy Helm Wright
Author and speaker
Love your lesson, Judy! Thanks for sharing…it’s all about taking consistent, constant action. Blog on!
Hi Judy…congratulations! In a random drawing, your comment came up as the WINNER of a copy of Marnie Pehrson’s book, Trust Your Heart: Transform Your Ideas Into Income. Please go to my support desk and submit your mailing address so I can get the book in the mail to you right away! http://denisehelpdesk.com
Work with mentors and coaches, people who have built a successful business and can teach you how to achieve the same success. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and understand it is about the journey and what you are becoming.
Hi Julie, thanks for mentioning mentors and coaches. It’s one of the lessons I learned. One can achieve so much more with support and guidance from those who’ve walked the path before you.
Don’t wait for perfection. Get started with a blog or write an article. If you wait too long, you may no even try and the world is waiting to hear your message. You can adjust your course as you go. The journey gets better as you grow and change. The perfect moment does not come you must go out to create your version of what is.
I wholeheartedly agree! Don’t wait for perfection, get out there and start sharing your message now!
Thanks for sharing your lesson, Debra. This is a critical element when it comes to mindset and the achievement of your goals. There is no such thing as perfection so you’ve got to go for it and tweak as you go.
I learned to trust my gut when I came to my field vs following expert advice. (I’m a therapist.) For example, normally a good website is clean and not too wordy. When you are choosing a therapist, however, you want to read alot about her, and it needs to be in a casual (not business) voice, so that you can sense her personality.
I get lots of clients from my website who tell me that they looked at a dozen websites and chose mine because they felt they already knew me a bit!
~ Deborah Barry, The Happiness Coach!
I learned to trust my gut when I came to my field vs following expert advice. (I’m a therapist.) For example, normally a good website is clean and not too wordy. When you are choosing a therapist, however, you want to read alot about her, and it needs to be in a casual (not business) voice, so that you can sense her personality.
I get lots of clients from my website who tell me that they looked at a dozen websites and chose mine because they felt they already knew me a bit!
~ Deborah Barry, The Happiness Coach!
You make an excellent point, Deborah. You’ve got to know your ideal client and what they need from you in order to make a decision. Expert advice is good for guidelines. Then tweak to fit your business and audience.
One thing I learned in this first year of my online business is to deliver above expectations. Therefore, I am going to share two more important lessons I have learned while creating my Fun and Fit business: 1) have someone to hold you accountable – a business partner, colleague, team member, committed friend; and 2) allow yourself time to meet your goals and establish yourself. As a bonus comment (see how much I learned about marketing??!!), I learned you have to play to win, so enter every contest and take advantage of opportunities that land your way!
Love your lessons learned, Kymberly. Accountability is so important as it’s easy to get off track and distracted by all the info that’s out there. Thanks for playing!
#bizlesson The biggest lesson I learned is… even if I don’t know everything to make something absolutely perfect, it is very important to implement the idea and fine-tune along the way. If I didn’t do this I wouldn’t have got a lot of my projects started.
Couldn’t agree with you more. As I’ve heard many great teachers advise… better done than perfect. Thanks for sharing your lesson.
#bizlesson I have learned that I have to keep updating my knowledge and my branding. There is so much to keep up with out there, but you have to do it to give your readers the best they deserve!
Hi JoJami, I agree, it’s part of our job to stay on top of the latest trends and information in our industries so we can filter and share the best with our audience. Blog on!
I’ve learned that being my most authentic self is the key to my success! No longer hiding who I am or what my message truly is, I’m free to shine brightly and that inevitably attracts!
Love this! Thanks for sharing your lesson learned, Jennifer.
Excellent point, Jennifer. In this world without boundaries and scads of people offering similar products and services, the key differentiator is YOU… Letting yourself shine through will draw to you the people who are attracted to your way of doing things. Authenticity is key. If you’re portraying a persona that isn’t you, that’s going to come through and be interpreted as a mixed message or even lack of integrity.
I realized that having money but not liking what I do for a living was not worth it. Following my passion and learning to live on a budget have been critical. Life is too short to not follow what makes your heart beat. For me, that is writing and dogs.
Carol, I agree it’s important to follow your passion, and I think you can make money with your passions as well. Dogs are a huge niche on the web so it’s a matter of finding what your readers want and giving it to them. Thanks for playing and blog on!
Be sure to add #bizlesson to your tweets so you can be entered to win a copy of Trust Your Heart!