Episode 7: Embracing the Failure Mindset to Succeed as a Entrepreneur
Welcome to the From Hobby to Full Time podcast! All of March we’ll be touching on 4 cornerstone mindset beliefs that you need in order to be a successful entrepreneur.
Show notes:
In this episode we’re gonna start with the BIG one: failure.
I believe that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to embrace a Failure Mindset.
The fear of failure is what stops SO MANY people from going after their dreams. What will people think if I start this styling business and it’s a flop? What if I can’t get clients? What if I promote it on social media and it just don’t work? I might as well not do it.
There are also the failures of action. When you do something, and it’s an utter flop. You make a mistake. You fail.
I want to share three of my failures with you and then three ways for you to over come your own fear of failure.
Failure #1 - I sent an older client (in her 60s) style recommendations using a template that I use. Only, I failed to fully review some of the templated recommendations…. and sent her recommendations for breastfeeding. Obviously this was for another client and she called me on it immediately. I felt horrible!
Lesson learned: From then on out, I always proofed my work 2 and 3 times and made it a habit to print items to read on paper before sending them - you’ll be surprised how many errors you catch this way.
Failure #2 - I worked with a client who assured me she did not need a closet clean out, she just wanted to create outfits. Now, my process when I work with clients is to ALWAYS start with the clean out. But I really wanted to book the service and make the money, so I agreed. I’m sure you can guess what happened… we spent most of the time going over items she didn’t like and cleaning out her closet and made about 8 outfits.
Lesson learned: ALWAYS stick with my process. If a client doesn’t want to go through the process, they are not the right client for me- no matter how much they are willing to pay.
Failure #3 - Another client I was super excited to work with. I spent my three hours sourcing online links for her to shop from… and she hated them all. Somehow, I hadn’t truly nailed her style, or was thinking about HER when I was shopping. I immediately told that to her and did another round of shopping on me. The next round, she loved it all.
Lesson learned: Don’t rush, treat each client like individual people.
Fortunately, these three experiences cover most of what I would consider to be failures. But each and every single of one of them, I’m grateful to have gone through. Because it brought me lessons learned and ways in which to work better.
If I had not embraced the Failure Mindset, I could have easily let these “failures” derail me and who knows if I would still be working for myself today?
“I win or I learn, but I never lose” - Marie Forleo, in her book Everything is Figureoutable.
So, I encourage you today to welcome failure! Here are 3 ways in which you can do so:
Failure is a learning lesson. Remember that FAIL actually means: faithful attempts in learning (from Marie Forleo again!). You’re doing the best you can. You will 100% make mistakes. And you’ll learn from them in order to do it differently next time.
Failure fades. Guess what? Failure is not permanent. It may sting, and sting badly in the moment, but give it a day, a week or a month, and it will fade into the distance. The important thing here is to make sure you keep those lessons learned up front and center.
YOU are not a failure. “Failure is just an event. It’s not a characteristic. People can’t be failures.” - Judge Pratt on MarieTV.
When is a time you failed? What did you learn? I’d love to know!
Listener Qs!
Liana from @bebrillantstyling asks: What are the best ways to gain new clients remotely (i.e. outside meeting in person”?
Ooh, okay so this is a good one! Because it’s the age old question of how to get more clients. But remote can be a whole other ball game because some people are really afraid of the internet and they are convinced that services can only work if your’e in person.
So here are a few recommendations:
Show your work on Instagram / social media. I said this in a previous podcast and I stand by it. Especially if you’re looking for remote clients - most likely they are seeing you on the internet. Give them something to look at! Show outfits you create, show yourself shopping, show yourself WORKING your process.
Show your remote work. The best way to get more remote clients is to show yourself working remotely. This helps potentials get over the fear of it not working or not being effected.
Create tried + true processes, and work through it yourself. I 100% recommend that you have an in person styling business FIRST before you go virtual. This will ensure that you know all the steps you need to take with a client to make sure they are getting the best style services to overhaul their wardrobe. Once you have that down, you can create materials - whether that’s PDFs, worksheets, or videos - to talk / teach your clients how to move through some of the processes on their own. Examples of this will include: cleaning out their closet, ordering items online, trying them on for it, creating outfits.
Vet your clients - when you work remotely with clients, 90% of the time, the client is going to have to do more work themselves because you’re not here. State that up front to your prospects in your initial style consult, make sure they have the time to do it, and assure them you’re there for support.
Reviews
A few episodes ago, I answered Ivonne’s Q on how to get more clients outside of friends and family on the podcast and she had this to say: Wow, thanks so much for answering my Q. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. BTW excellent podcast. If you want to go take al listen, it’s episode #4.