The Art of Being a No Bullshit Business Mentor

I never intended to start a business. I started a community out of my own need and desire to be in community. Later on, a business evolved, a no bullshit business I might add..We often hear a lot of fluff and noise in the world about starting a business, being a business owner, and the surface level non-sense that is involved in doing so.. I’m here to give you the no bullshit answers, tips, and advice I know you may not want to hear but need to.

There is no blueprint or perfect plan to becoming an entrepreneur. Start doing what you want.

Today, there simply is no blueprint or any set ways to do entrepreneurship. We’re given a lot of tools that allow you to take a stab at owning and running your own business, however, there is no set in stone way in which you have to do things. If you’re looking for a specific “how-to” or copy and paste method to have a business like someone you admire you most likely won’t have the same results as them. I know that is hard to hear, and maybe confusing to understand. Because there is no blueprint you have the opportunity to make your business, YOURS. Without the copy and paste method that seems like it would be easier. This is such a blessing. Utilize that blessing and stop trying to be like everyone else.

If you want to scale your business you have to find tools that work specifically with you to scale.

Having tools to help you automate and scale is a necessity to create a successful business. Sure, we think we can do it all on our own, and looking into some of these new platforms can seem like an energy drainer within itself. But, once you get the hang of it, it’s magic. Finding platforms that fit into your business are crucial. Again, you don’t need to use exactly what someone else is using. What works with you? Four years ago I was doing it all by myself. Every post, every caption, every picture, every eventbrite was done by me. Automating now has become the biggest tool and group funnels has changed my life. 

Owning a business is not just creating content and going viral, it’s evolving with the times and giving people value.

Too often, people just want to start a business and create content. But do you know how to be organized? Do you know how to be responsible for retaining an LLC? Do you have an accountant? Do you even know what a brand is? 

What I learned being a teacher is that you have to know the curriculum in order to teach someone the curriculum. You have to know the kids, monitor and adjust, and follow state guidelines. You have to work with a team, you have to listen to a boss and work with the school as a whole. My experience as a teacher has dramatically helped how I share and teach what is going on in my business. This has helped me prepare and teach content in a way that helps people actually retain the knowledge. It’s not about going viral and posting every single day, it’s about value based content that helps get people results. 

You need help. When you can’t afford someone, be honest with yourself and hire an intern to start.

We’ve all been there. Doing all the things, and reaching a point when you can’t do it all anymore but also don’t have the money to pay someone. Ugh the internal struggle this causes. Well, from experience when you know you can’t do things on your own anymore but also can’t afford hiring someone you hire an intern. Getting people to work for you who need hands-on experience in your  field for a summer, or season of your business is just as valuable to people. There is always potential to hire them on as a contractor, full or part-time employee afterwards!

You have to monitor and adjust what it is that you’re delivering and listen to your community.

What you did the first time usually is not going to be what you do in the long run. It’s important to listen to your community on what they need support in and deliver that. We are made to evolve, and not know how to do everything the right way at first. The reason some people look effortless at their delivery is because they put a lot of effort into refining it. Again, I learned this in teaching. If your students aren’t retaining the information it’s not always a “them” problem. It’s usually the way you’re teaching the material type of problem. You have to cultivate the awareness and the ability to dive into your engagement and analytics to see what’s working, what’s not, what people want from you, and adjust from there!

Surround yourself with people that “get it.”

You must surround yourself with like-minded people that understand, get it, and will inspire you to do it. People who have been doing this a lot longer than you can help you learn about successes or failures, mistakes, or simply just stories of experience that will help you feel less alone. Knowing women with diverse backgrounds in different industries is key to connection and growth.

It’s not about getting rich and making money, stop making that your driver.

We hear a lot about money as we learn about a business. It’s easy to see that Suzie Q has made $50k on her last launch, that so in so just hit 6 figures, and that miss over there is sold out of client work for the next year. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to make money. However, it’s important to ask yourself how do you actually define success? It’s not about how everyone else defines success? Where do you find alignment in your business?  What do you want your life to look like? How much money do you want to make? At the end of the day it’s no one else’s business and it shouldn’t matter so once again, do what you want!

If you need more no bullshit business advice reach out to Amanda for help in this area! She will take you from where you’re at to where you want to go!

You can find this conversation on the Coffey & Code Podcast w/ Ashley Coffey | The Art of Being a No Bullshit Business Mentor with Amanda Smith
Check out @coffeyandcode and @ashleyrcoffey89