I Have Absolutely No Idea What I'm Doing
I started my business on a whim. All I have is drive and an idea, but I'm determined to make it a success. When I say I'm running my business on vibes, this is what I mean...
After finishing university, I spent months sweating through job interviews. I filled in my work history after uploading my CV(🙄) countless times, just to end up being ghosted. To say I started my business on a whim would be an understatement. When lockdown 1 halved the jobs on the market, I was done receiving ‘unfortunately…’ emails every other day. I had to take action.
In March of 2020, all I had was an idea. I had no business experience, very little direction, and the entire world was in shambles. When I asked my accountant to set up a company named ‘The Femme Brand Co.’ (I still need to change that nameðŸ˜), I had no idea what I was doing. And I still don’t.
On paper, nothing qualifies me to be an entrepreneur. Because of this, I knew that starting FBC would be a steep learning curve. I’ve spent the last year or so running on vibes. That’s to say, I’ve been making decisions based purely on gut feelings. My business knowledge is limited to that Business Studies GCSE I got back in 2014. But somehow, the decision to become an entrepreneur just feels right. Anyone can spend years collecting business degrees and MBAs. But, with a strong vision and determination, I believe that all of the business skills, like financial planning, will follow.
Experience is The Greatest Teacher
I spent months after setting up FBC learning, studying and planning my next steps. My first client came to me out of the blue. And in hindsight, I was very unprepared. But I took the job anyway. This is probably the best decision I’ve made to date. I learnt more from working with that client than I did in my three months of studying. Working in my business allowed me to create frameworks and develop processes that worked for me. Experience taught me things I never would've learnt from any book, article, podcast, video or course. It sounds like a cliche, but experience really is the greatest teacher. If I started my journey again, the only thing I would do differently is starting sooner because it’s okay to start before you’re ready. Having ‘no idea’ what I’m doing keeps me on my toes. Some days I make good decisions, and some days I fail. But every day is different, and every day is a lesson. There's never a dull moment.
The Art of Being Teachable
Starting before you’re ready and allowing experience to be your teacher means there’s a lot to learn. The most valuable skill I’ve learnt is to be teachable. Being teachable is about learning to let go of pride and ego and becoming open-minded. It’s about asking questions, seeking new information and perspectives, and allowing other’s to challenge yours. I know for a fact I don’t have all the answers. But being teachable opens me up to the possibility of finding those answers. Almost everything I know about business (and anything else), I was taught by someone else. I believe that we can learn something valuable from everyone we meet, listen to or interact with. Being teachable opens you up to so many new opportunities. It’s probably the only thing that has led me this far. I’m not afraid to be the least educated in the room. I don’t fear looking or sounding stupid. The art of being teachable is to be open, to ask in-depth questions, to listen to understand and to apply what you learn. Doing this has helped me to grow in so many ways; both in my business and as a person.
Do First, Think Later
Along with being teachable, I’ve had to adopt a ‘do first, think later’ mentality. As a Strategist, it’s easy for me to get stuck in a cycle of planning. Plans help to give structure and measure progress, but too much planning is productive procrastination. Without action, plans are ultimately useless. Once I realised that experience was the best teacher, I had to learn to stop overthinking and start taking action. Quick disclaimer: having some information will always be necessary, I’m not telling you to jump into anything blindly. But you don’t need to know everything to start. Never allow a lack of knowledge to stop you from going after what you want, especially as an entrepreneur. The truth is, you’ll never know everything. Take action first, you can scrutinise and analyse later.
When I started my business I knew nothing and even now, I have so much to learn. Starting a business with no technical knowledge or practical experience may sound crazy to some. But I’ve learnt that there’s beauty in being a blank canvas because the possibilities are endless. Having no idea what I’m doing has allowed me to build my business on my terms and to forge my own path. Navigating entrepreneurship and learning from my mistakes and experiences has given me a unique perspective on being a founder and on life. You don’t need to have all the answers. Make the first move, take risks, and allow your experiences to shape you.