Hi! I'm Marie
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Button TextEver wonder what the world’s most successful entrepreneurs looked like when they first started?
Like beginners.
No one — and I mean no one — has it all figured out at the starting gate. Running the race is how you learn and grow.
One of the most important habits of successful people is, simply, starting.
Start Before You’re Ready
Starting before you’re ready means taking action every day. It’ll help you overcome paralyzing fear, and fast-track growth, learning, and achievement.
If you’re itching to start a business but feel overwhelmed about where to begin, you’re far from alone.
In this MarieTV, I answer a question from Edina, who wrote in to ask:
“I’ve recently left my job as a school counselor to become a parenting coach. Now it’s time to actually get out there and do it, but I feel tremendously overwhelmed and have no clue how to sign a client. … I feel like I’m in a catch-22 where I can’t sign clients without good marketing, but I can’t tweak my marketing without clients. Help.”
Watch this episode and keep reading below the video for my advice to Edina — and any entrepreneur who’s feeling stuck on the path toward success.
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In this episode of MarieTV, we do have some adult language. So if you do have little ones around, grab your headphones now.
Hey, it’s Marie Forleo and welcome to another episode of MarieTV and the Marie Forleo Podcast. Now, if you’ve been itching to start a business but you are overwhelmed with how to actually get started, this one is for you. Today’s question comes from Edina, who writes, “Hey Marie, I’ve recently left my job as a school counselor to become a parenting coach. Now it’s time to actually get out there and do it, but I feel tremendously overwhelmed and have no clue how to sign a client. I understand you say to “start before you’re ready,” but there’s only so much brainstorming and strategizing I can do. I feel like I’m in a catch-22 where I can’t sign clients without good marketing, but I can’t tweak my marketing without clients. Help.” Edina, this is a fantastic question. So first, a little bit of clarification here. Starting before you’re ready does not mean spending weeks or months brainstorming or strategizing. No, it doesn’t.
What it does mean is training yourself to get out there and do the actual work with real humans. And I got to be honest with you, love, you do not need fancy marketing to get yourself some clients. I’m sorry, you are not in a catch-22. I think you’re just a little scared. And my darling, that is okay. Look, we humans often learn best by example. So here are two entrepreneurs who started before they were ready, so to speak, so you can see exactly what that looks like in real life. You up for it? Go ahead, let’s go. So first, let’s look at Lisa Price. Who’s the founder of the natural hair care brand Carol’s Daughter. So Lisa got her start in the 80s. She was playing with fragrances and essential oils in her kitchen in Brooklyn. Now, at first, she gave what she made away to her friends and family, but her mom smartly encouraged her to start selling her goods at her church’s flea market.
Now Lisa never planned to really even start a business, but she thought, hey, why not? Worst case scenario, she’d have a fun day out. Well, guess what happened? She sold out of every single thing and then she spent the rest of the summer going to craft festivals. So she slowly started to build a following and her customers actually started to ask if she had anything for their hair. Now, initially she didn’t, so she went home and guess what she did? She figured out how to make hair products because, yes, everything is figureoutable. Now, Lisa then gave those hair products to hairdressers, she got their feedback, and then she started to make improvements. So little by little, Lisa kept growing her business until eventually, guess what? Her business was not so little anymore. Fast forward to 2014 and Lisa’s company was acquired by L’Oreal.
Now look, Lisa started before she was ready, she didn’t start off with any fancy marketing. She didn’t have any marketing whatsoever, but she took action. She gave away her product, she got feedback, she kept iterating and adjusting from there. Now the next example is Brandon Stanton, the photographer, behind the amazing blog, Humans of New York. So here’s what happened. Brandon lost his job in the financial industry, so he had always had this interest in photography, but he didn’t have any experience and he didn’t even own a camera. But here’s one thing he did know. He did not want to go back to that job, back to that industry, which made him so unhappy. His goal was really to simplify. He just wanted to earn enough money to keep a roof over his head so that he could do what he really wanted to do, which was take photos. So he moved to New York city and he committed to this, taking 10,000 photos of people on the street and plotting them on the map. And while he was doing this, he ate Cheerios, he ate Turkey sandwiches, and he slept on a mattress on the floor.
This guy spent thousands and thousands of hours editing thousands and thousands of photos, learning what worked and what didn’t. And he also started getting really comfortable talking with and interviewing strangers on the street while he was photographing them, which eventually transformed into Humans of New York, the beloved brand and business that we all know about today. So Brandon’s got over 25 million followers. He created two bestselling books too. Now, just like Lisa, he didn’t start off with any fancy marketing, right? He just started before he was ready, he started taking action. He allowed himself to learn and really grow along the way. So, for you, Edina, if you want to be a parenting coach, guess what? You need to start coaching some damn parents, woman. You need to get out there and do the work even if you’ve got to do it for free.
So if I were you, I would make a list of every single parent that I knew and I would send them an email or a text message or a smoke signal, whatever, and I would tell them that I could help them solve their parenting problems and that I was willing to do it for free. Or guess what? You could pull a Lisa, you could go get a booth at your local flea market and make a big sign that says, “Free parenting advice,” and you could give your card to anybody who walks up to you. Or guess what? You could pull a Brandon, right? And you could go on the streets and you could stop people, anybody who has a kid, and you can say, “Hey, are you a parent? Are your kids giving you any problems? I was a school counselor for 10 years and I’m starting a new business as a parenting coach and I’d be happy to help you solve any problems you’ve got with your kids and I’ll do it for free.”
Now, Edina, obviously, I’m having a little fun with these ideas, but all the points are valid. Starting before you’re ready means doing the work. Now, if you want a little more structure for how to actually do this, meaning how to attract ideal clients, how to know what to charge, how to set up your business so that it’s sustainable, you, my darling, need to get your butt into B-School. We show you how to do all of this step by step and of course the program comes with a risk-free guarantee. But honestly, even if you don’t do B-School, you could use some of the ideas we just talked about and get your business going right fricking now. Edina, let me tell you, if you went for this, I mean, actually went for this with your full heart, I guarantee you, you would have three to five new clients within a week.
And if you ever forget what starting before you’re ready means don’t forget what my dear friend Steven Pressfield says, “Put your ass where your heart wants to be.” That was my A, to your Q, Edina. I really do hope it helps. Now I would love to hear from you. We’ve got a two-parter today. So first, what’s one action step that you can take to start before you’re ready? What’s the one thing that immediately pops into your mind and your heart? I want you to write it down and, most importantly, do it. Now second, I want you to leave an encouraging reply to someone else’s comment here and cheer them on. All of us go a lot further, a lot faster, when we feel like someone believes in us and you have a chance to do that right now. Now, this’ll just take you a few minutes and I promise you it’ll make a huge difference both to you and the person receiving it.
Let me know what you thought of today’s episode. I want you to come say hi to me on social media @MarieForleo on all the platforms, or tell me over in the comments at marieforleo.com. Once you’re there, be sure to subscribe to our email list and become an MF Insider. You’re going to get a jolt of love and positivity and action-based learning every single week. Until next time, stay on your game and keep going for your dreams because the world needs that very special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for tuning into MarieTV and the Marie Forleo Podcast and I’ll catch you next time.
Hey, are you ready to bring your dream business to life? Is it finally time to make the difference you were born to make? Good, because we can help. Get started now at joinbschool.com.
The “start before you’re ready” strategy means exactly what it says. Stop thinking and start doing. Make a move. Any move. Send the email. Register for the class. Pick up the phone. Schedule the meeting. Have the conversation.
Starting before you’re ready is not:
- Brainstorming
- Strategizing
- Outlining
- Dreaming
- Talking about your business idea
Here’s what it is:
- Getting out there
- Doing the actual work
- Serving real humans
You do not need fancy marketing to get started in business, and you don’t have to have everything figured out.
Should You Start Now? Ask Yourself These 3 Qs:
Still think you need to wait for the “right time” to start your business? These three questions will help you figure out what’s holding you back.
Question #1: Do You Need More Information?
“Start before you’re ready” isn’t an invitation to be ignorant or haphazard.
But be warned: extensive research and planning is often procrastination in disguise. You can spend weeks, months, even years “preparing” without making any tangible progress.
Research, especially online, can be particularly dicey. I’ve gotten myself sucked into multi-hour, multi-day research rabbit holes far too many times to count. Remember, you don’t need to know everything about your dream, nor do you need to map out every step toward success. Stop hiding behind books and websites.
Develop a bias for action. Make appointments. Have real-life conversations. You’ll learn more and see faster progress.
If you must research, take these steps to stay productive:
- Give yourself a clear research objective (the ONE thing you’ll learn, find out, confirm, or act on).
- Set a window of time to find it.
- Use a timer, get the information you need, and take action on it immediately.
Question #2: Do You Need More Experience?
One of the scariest parts of starting before you’re ready is that you don’t have as much experience or know-how as people who’ve been in business longer than you.
Of course!
If inexperience is the obstacle you’re facing, then go out and get it. It can be as straightforward as that. Offer to work for free. Find a job or internship in the industry, no matter how small.
Better yet, get experience by doing the work. Take small, forward-moving steps, like giving away free samples of your product or service in exchange for feedback. If the thing you want to do is create, like making art or writing a book, practice. Do it over and over and over, starting now.
The sooner you start, the sooner you learn and grow.
Question #3: Do You Need a Step-by-Step Plan?
First of all, you probably don’t.
Starting before you’re ready means doing the work before you know what every step down the road will bring. Because, if you wait for that kind of certainty, guess what? You’ll never start.
For some extra guidance on how to start before you’re ready, embrace the everything is figureoutable philosophy, and remember: you were born with everything you need to answer the call of your soul.
You wouldn’t have the dream if you didn’t already have what it takes to make it happen.
Here are two ideas to help you tap into the courage, strength, and ability you already possess:
- Get skin in the game. Find a way to put your time, money, or your ego on the line, so you’re motivated to overcome procrastination and take action.
- Get in the growth zone. The growth zone is a magical, albeit scary place, just outside of your comfort zone. You’ll feel vulnerable and insecure, but to grow, you must let go of your need for comfort and security and train yourself to value growth and learning.
2 Entrepreneurs Who Started Before They Were Ready
Still not convinced you should start before you’re ready? I love these stories about two well-known business owners who started far before they were ready — and how it paid off, big time.
Lisa Price, Founder of Carol’s Daughter
Lisa is the founder of the natural hair care brand Carol’s Daughter.
She got her start in the 80s playing with fragrances and essential oils in her Brooklyn kitchen. At first, she was giving it away, until her mom encouraged her to sell what she made at her church’s flea market.
She never planned to start a business. She just thought this would be a fun day out.
Then she sold out of every single thing.
Lisa started going to craft festivals and slowly built a customer base. She wasn’t even making hair care products until customers started asking about them — and she figured out how to make them.
She gave those hair products to hairdressers, got their feedback, and made improvements. Little by little, Lisa grew her business by taking action. Fast forward to 2014, when Lisa’s company was — drumroll, please!! — acquired by L’Oreal.
She got to that place in her business by taking consistent action and starting before she was ready.
Brandon Stanton, Photographer & Author, “Humans of New York”
Brandon is the photographer behind the amazing blog Humans of New York. When he started, he didn’t have any experience — or even own a camera.
Brandon lost a job in the financial industry, and didn’t want to go back. He’d always been interested in photography and just wanted to earn enough money to keep a roof over his head and do the work he loved.
He moved to New York City and committed to taking 10,000 photos of people on the street and plotting them on a map.
Brandon spent thousands and thousands of hours editing thousands and thousands of photos, learning along the way what worked and what didn’t. He also got really comfortable talking with and interviewing strangers. The stories that accompanied his photos eventually became the Humans of New York brand and business that’s wildly successful today, with more than 20 million followers and two bestselling books.
How Can YOU Start Before You’re Ready?
If you, like Edina, are sitting on a dream and wondering how to make it happen, here’s the thing: You need to get out there and do the work, even if you’ve got to do it for free.
If you want to be a parenting coach, guess what? You need to start coaching some dang parents.
If I were Edina, I would make a list of every single parent that I knew and I’d send them an email and offer to help them solve their parenting problems — for free — in exchange for a referral or testimonial.
Or you could pull a Lisa and get a booth at your local flea market and make a big sign that says, "Free parenting advice," and give your card to anybody who walks up to you.
Or you could pull a Brandon and literally stop people on the street and say, "Hey, are you a parent? Are your kids giving you any problems? I was a school counselor for 10 years and I'm starting a new business as a parenting coach and I'd be happy to help you solve any problems you've got with your kids!"
Now, obviously, I'm having a little fun with these ideas, but all the points are valid.
Starting before you're ready means doing the work.
Because the world needs you to do it. You matter. Your ideas matter. Prosperity in all its forms is your birthright. I’m in your corner, and I believe in you.
When you make a commitment to keep growing and learning and surround yourself with people who lift you up, there’s nothing you can’t achieve!
Now, let’s turn this insight into action!
- Answer fast: What’s one thing you can do right now to start before you’re ready? In a notebook, write down the action step that immediately enters your mind and heart. Say it out loud.
- How can you commit time, money, or social accountability to take that step forward? Put some skin in the game, and make your move now!
Got a friend, client, or colleague who’s sitting on a great business idea and needs to start already? Share this post. They’ll thank you for it, and you’ll have one more person to hold you accountable to your dreams, too.
All my love,
XO
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