The best business advice I ever got + still follow today.

I am going to jump back to talking about creating movement in your body in a few weeks, but right now, I want to talk about creating movement in your business.

I get emails all the time from people asking me about what it takes to grow a thriving business that is also a reflection of all my values and skills.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, an artist, or working in a corporate job, what I am going to share today will apply across the board.

No matter how much my business grows, THIS is some of the best advice I got when I was starting out.

It is the same advice I come back to over and over again.  (It also applies to your life, so lean in.)

The best business advice I ever got + still follow today.

1.  Don’t be afraid to try things. All kinds of things. Even crazy things.

So often we are afraid of failing or looking stupid to our peers. We have an idea that seems like a good one, but we wait and wait to try it out because we aren’t certain it will work.

The truth is, your idea might in fact be a total bust OR it might be the best thing you have ever done. Either way, you won’t know until you give it a try. You MUST try things. It is the very best way to gain more information about what actually works. For you and your business.

2.    Take super great care of the first few folks you meet on your path.

While I know the desire is to have thousands and thousands of people who love you and pay you lots of money, those first few people who give you even a few dollars are honestly your most valuable.

There is something about the beginning stages of doing anything. There is an innocent passion and enthusiasm that will likely never be replicated quite the same way once you have been in business for a while. I am not saying you are not going to be stoked every time you get new business, but it’s like falling in love for the first time.  It only happens quite like that once.

You want to harness that energy with your first few clients. If you do a great job, those are the people who will likely go out to tell everyone they know about how amazing you are.

3.    Give, give, and give. Then ask, ask, and ask.

I love the story of Stephen Charles Lincoln who runs the Protein Bakery. He makes cookies that are high in dietary fiber, low in gluten, and delivers up to 5 times more protein than the average baked treat.

When he first started baking, he was a group fitness instructor who taught over 25 classes a week.  He would bring in dozens of cookies and give them to his students after class. For free.

Of course after he gave them free cookies, he would ask for their feedback.

Through giving and asking, he was able to figure out what his most popular combinations were. He now has a thriving business selling his products all over the US.

I know there is all this talk out there about charging what you are worth.

NEWSFLASH! When you are just starting out, you don’t always know the worth of your product or service because you haven’t tested it to see if it actually works.

While you might not be getting money right away, you will be getting something that is much more valuable and could make and save you thousands of dollars down the road.

One of the instrumental people on my path to growing the business I have now is a woman named Marie Forleo.  She was one of the first business coaches I invested in, just so I could learn from her.

Because frankly, she is the best.

Marie has a series of FREE TRAINING VIDEOS out right now.

I am going to be back to talk about Marie again in a few days, but if your interest is piqued, I highly recommend you check them out here.

I tell you whole-heartedly that she packs a ton of value into her FREE TRAINING. (Sometimes I actually think it has more value then some people’s paid programs.)

Check them out here and then let me know what you think.

Now below, leave me a comment and tell me:

1)    Which piece of advice is most valuable to you right now?
2)    Do you have any advice you got when starting out that has served you since?

I look forward to hearing from you!

Love
Erin