Shifting From Employee to Boss Bitch

So you’ve decided to start a business - woohoo!

You’ve quit your job - told your boss where ta’ file any last-minute assignments and have made the proud walk from cubicle to car, grinning from ear to ear, humming Eye of The Tiger to yourself & focusing intensely on NOT tripping over your own feet, as you balance a flimsy box containing your favorite coffee mug, desk plant & weeks worth of stinky Tupperware - because we all know that’s what that dark bottom desk drawer was for.

How’s it feel?

Pretty fucking fantastic, right?

You’re soaring OVER cloud 9 - we’re talking cloud 19 status.

You leave the parking lot, fully realizing that you NEVER have to come back.

You NEVER have to clock in, put on a headset, and relinquish your life to the dreams of a faceless, soul-less, corporation whose only real goal is to mold creative geniuses like yourself into script-spouting robots.

Alright - maybe that was all just me.

But - I digress.

Making the decision to leave the comfort, security, and stability of a full-time position as an employee is a HUGE thing.

This is a really big fuckin deal!

It should be celebrated & memorialized.

Pop the champagne and splurge for good pizza.

The wood fire kind - definitely not frozen.

But that decision is just the beginning.

No matter how amazing you were as an employee, no matter how quickly you were promoted, or how much praise you received for your determination and drive. The mindset of an employee differs SO much from that of a business owner - to the point where those who don’t take the time to shift their mindset, often find their small business failing, and wind up applying for jobs right back where they started, within the year.

Retiring from your position as a grunt and stepping into the power, mindset, and responsibilities that come along with birthing an empire is something that cannot be skipped, overlooked, or put off for another day.

It needs to be addressed post-haste.

Lucky for you, I’ve got some helpful tips to do just that.

One of the biggest and most difficult shifts for many newly self-employed small business owners is moving away from seeing your position as a job, and instead considering it your career. With that comes the change in mindset from being paid for the time you work, and instead receiving money based on the results you deliver.

Especially as a new business owner, first getting started - you may find yourself spending hours and hours of your time organizing, structuring, restructuring, launching, and advertising your new business. But you may not actually see an income, or sign a first client for a month or two.

For a lot of newbies, this can be disheartening and take the wind out of your sails. But the key is staying focused on the bigger picture, the future, your newfound freedom, and the success you’re WORKING toward.

As a self-employed badass boss bitch you need continually ensure that your focus is on long-term planning, not the short-term.

Don’t get me wrong - you still definitely want to make sure you’re celebrating every win you have, no matter how big or small. But, you always need to remain vigilant on the steps that need to be taken to build a successful business - One that’s going to be around long-term that’s going to pay your bills, grow as large as you want it to, allow you the freedom to travel & live out your crazy dreams, as well as giving you the means to retire.

Speaking of retiring.

Being the boss, the big kahuna & “The MAN” also means taking care of the many icky things that were previously handled by your employer.

This includes income taxes, Social Security, Medicare, health insurance, retirement planning, office space overhead, equipment upkeep, supply necessities, marketing, and advertising.

As a professional WordNerd numbers have never really been my thing but as a new business owner having a clear understanding of where my business stands, how much overhead I need to keep the lights on, how much I have to set aside for greedy Uncle Sam, and what I can write off as expenses since my office is in my home, is super important. Almost as important as having a professional Accountant to double-check me and make sure I haven’t done anything too bad.

Another really big change for new business owners is the realization that you’re now the marketing director, copywriter, CEO, CFO, HR department, customer service team, tech support, and escalation guru - but also that you need to get REALLY good - I mean SUPER good - at recognizing which tasks directly result in clients & income, and which tasks are things that can be prioritized lower on the list, or eventually delegated to a Virtual Assistant.

Delegating work has always been a huge struggle for me - Not only now, because my business is my baby & I don’t trust anyone else with it yet, but also because I’ve always been a bit of a control freak. What can I say - I learned in the corporate world that if I wanted something done on time and up to my standards - I should do it myself - relying on others only got me into trouble.

But that was when I was an EMPLOYEE.

Now, as a business owner, I’ve had to make the distinction between the areas of my business that I need to handle, all of my client projects, client conversations, discovery calls, blogging, etc - and the areas where I can delegate to someone else, to assist with networking, being visible on social media, and creating graphics for things.

I’m proud to say that I actually just hired my first VA - or Virtual Assistant - this past week, and I absolutely cannot wait to begin working together. I’m confident that by utilizing some of her strengths, and better leaning into my own, my business can easily double in size before year-end!

When you’re first starting out, as much as you want to DON’T obsess too much over having the perfect logo design or website.

As the saying goes - done is better than perfect.

Take it from me, even if you DO spend HOURS obsessing over your logo, brand colors, and website layout - you’ll still feel the need to change them - at least once or twice - within the first few months.

Instead, design a quick logo, set up a working website, and get out there!

The sooner you’re able to sign your first client, and bring in that first payment - you’ll FEEL like a million bucks! No matter how small the project & payment, the validation that people want to buy what you’re selling, it’s proof positive that you’re a business owner, and does wonders for any nasty self-doubt that can sometimes sneak up on you!

Once you’ve got a few successful projects under your belt, and a little money in the bank, you can go back and re-brand, fix your website, get a fancy logo made by a pro. Treat yourself - and your business.

Alright - it’s time for some not so great tidbits.

As a baby business owner, you’re going to fail.

Sorry if that’s too harsh or blunt for you - but it’s the truth - and we might as well get it out there now.

And while it’s important to be patient and to be kind to yourself it’s equally important to hold yourself accountable and be disciplined.

Take ownership of your business's successes as well as its failures.

When shit happens, which it will, give yourself time to mope, have an ugly cry, scream into your pillow, eat some ice cream, you do you boo.

But then pull yourself back together, put on those big girl panties, stop being a whiny bitch, and get back to work.

I’ve got another bit of tough love for ya - you won’t just fail once.

It’s going to happen multiple times, but each time, fail better, fail differently.

Understand and accept that no one else is going to sweep in and make the tough decisions for you.

No one else is going to take responsibility for the mistakes, fuck ups, or ball drops.

As the boss - that’s all you.

Personally, I’m a pretty spectacular failure - and an even more phenomenal success!

But, neither would carry any power without the other.

In the memorable words of Aaliyah - If at first you don’t succeed - dust yourself off & try again.

Most importantly, stay connected to your passion.

Don’t lose sight of the reason you started your business to begin with.

Write it down.

Post it on the wall.

Revisit it. Often.

Be Bold!

As Eleanor Roosevelt said - Well behaved women rarely make history!

Lean into your strengths.

Stay authentic to your voice - your story - your mission - and your brand.

Remember who you’re serving.

Without clients - no business succeeds.

Learn how to multi-task, as well as how to recognize when you should hyper-focus on a single project.

Don’t spend too much time on social media. While it’s an amazing tool and resource, it can also be a time, life, & soul sucker.

Review your affirmations - daily. Until you believe them!

Don’t make excuses to yourself or for yourself.

Take time - every day - to admire and appreciate the empire you’re building.

Understand that rules are meant to be broken sometimes.

And as the boss - you get to make that call!

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Understand that much of the self-employed journey, especially at the beginning, will be rocky, with mud puddles, piles of dog shit, and screaming toddlers around every corner - but it’s also going to be half days spent working in the sun, being able to take a long weekend away, living the life you’ve imagined, and ending every day knowing that you’re fulfilling your purpose, sharing your gifts and talents with the world.

And while there’s no specific dress code, uniform, secret handshake, or membership card for badass entrepreneurs - like recognizes like.

Surround yourself with the powerful, passionate, and driven people that cross your path.