Growth Letter #12
OMG I did it!
12 whole months in business.
52 weeks.
365 days.
So many emotions & so many lessons.
And it's with those lessons that I want to start this month's letter.
12 lessons for 12 months in business.
✍️ 12 LESSONS I'VE LEARNED IN MY FIRST YEAR IN BUSINESS
✅ Lesson number 1: It's scary at the start and it's scary for a long time... until you normalize it.
It was super scary to take this leap of faith and even with regular clients, the feeling didn't go away for a long time.
But then one day, my new life was normalized.
I remember catching up with a friend in the summer and telling her that I was feeling really good because all the scary things (uncertainty, showing up on social media, selling my services, managing my finances, building systems, etc) - were now my new normal.
✅ Lesson number 2: When you're a solopreneur/freelancer you diversify your "job" risk.
Coming from a family and a culture that values "having a safe job" so much I never looked at it this way.
But the more I expose myself to coaches and other freelances, solopreneurs, and entrepreneurs, the more I see it.
Working for a single employer gives you a false sense of security.
If your employer fires you, you're unemployed.
If you have 5 clients and one stops working with you, you're still in business.
✅ Lesson number 3: Get the show going first, focus on making it pretty later
It took me a couple of days to get my site up.
It took me 5 minutes to create my logo.
I really didn't want to waste time on this.
Getting customers and getting paid was the real priority.
I can rebrand later when I have time and my revenue justifies this.
✅ Lesson number 4: Get the show going first, focus on the systems as you build it
I spent time working on systems that I never needed.
Total waste of time.
Making the systems before you get the customers makes no sense.
Get the customers and then focus on creating the systems and designing a beautiful journey tailored for them.
✅ Lesson number 5: Perfectionism is a trap. And I fell into it time and time again.
I created a simple version of my marketing strategy course really quickly (and I got incredible reviews).
But then I wanted to make it perfect.
It's been months and it's still not done.
I created a beautiful content calendar for my social media.
I wanted to make it perfect.
The posts never left the planning stage.
Then I challenged myself to post every day and I finally got consistent.
I love planning and strategy, but planning too much makes you fall into the perfectionism trap.
Sometimes you just need to get going (with clarity on the strategy and your ideal customer) and then keep building the plans and the systems.
Done is better than perfect!
✅ Lesson number 6: Your time is your most important asset. Buy your time back by getting help.
I wish I had hired help before.
Instead, I wanted to do all the things for my business, my husband's business, and my clients.
And I was constantly feeling like a failure.
I hired help ("my" sweet Emmi) and she immediately started working on the backlog for my hubby's business.
And now she's always helping me with my marketing.
Finally, I feel that things are moving and I can breathe again!
✅ Lesson number 7: "Mindset is contagious"
You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with. I've seen this over and over again in my life.
Examples:
I wanted to live abroad, but no one I knew had ever moved abroad.
I took a Masters in International Management in Lisbon with an international class and they all "normalized" living abroad for me.
If they could do it, so could I.
I wanted to travel the world, but in Portugal that was pretty uncommon (even if I have a VERY adventurous brother who traveled in India & Nepal for a year!).
I moved to Dublin and I kept meeting people who took 3 months to travel in South America or 6 months to travel in Asia.
If they could do it, so could I.
I wanted to live in the South of Europe but work for a company with the northern mentality (and get the northern salary).
I was traveling the world and met several people working for UK and US companies and living in Bali and Thailand (before remote work was even a thing).
If they could do it, so could I.
I wanted to start my own business, but no one around me was doing it. Years later several friends took the leap and made it work.
If they could do it, so could I.
Who you surround yourself with will dictate your success (or your failure!).
If you want to upgrade your life, find role models and nurture those relationships with care.
✅ Lesson number 8: Manage your business like a business
I have a strange relationship with money (and this is still a work in progress).
Having to manage my finances as a solopreneur stressed me out a lot.
I didn't want any surprise bills or a false sense of having money that wasn't mine (because the government in Portugal takes a BIG slice!).
My hubby and I created a system where all the money that comes in is immediately calculated and put into vaults on Revolut.
There are vaults for:
Business expenses like software & training
Social security
IRS
Travel
Etc.
This gave me so much peace of mind.
But managing your business like a business is not just about that.
It's also about:
Keeping track of your revenue and your expenses
Keeping your business secure with software like Dashlane that stores your passwords safely
Investing in your education
✅ Lesson number 9: There's absolutely nothing you can't figure out
The difference between people who make things work and people who don't?
Their attitude.
If you believe you can, you can.
If you believe you can't, you can't.
It's really that simple.
What you don't know, you can figure out by:
Asking
Researching
Investing in your education
Hiring help
Getting coaches and/or mentors
✅ Lesson number 10: You'll always be figuring it out.
As the business grows, there will always be new challenges.
New roadblocks and bottlenecks.
New problems to solve.
Some you can figure out alone, others you need help.
It's NEVER and set in stone.
It's ALWAYS a work in progress.
✅ Lesson number 11: Being resilient is underrated.
I don't hear enough people talking about resilience in business.
And I don't know any solopreneur, CEO, or Founder who doesn't struggle, or feel pain.
Some days really suck.
I allow myself to cry, feel frustrated, and vent with my closer circle.
I need a day or two.
But then I bounce back and come back stronger.
✅ Lesson number 12: Pick your hard
Building a business is hard.
Having a job is hard.
Pick your hard.
1 year on - and I keep picking building my business.
Will I ever go back?
Never say never, but right now I'm pretty happy with the life I chose.
It gave me more flexibility.
It gave me the work challenges I was craving.
And most of all… it sent my way incredible humans:
My customers
My customer's teams that I help manage
"My" Emmi (my first hire!)
I feel truly blessed!
🏃 GROWTH INSPO #1: MAKE YOUR HEALTH YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
My obsession with working out every day didn't come from nowhere.
I was inspired by THIS post.
And when I saw it, something clicked in my brain.
I love life and I want to be able to enjoy it for years to come - so my health can't be something I care for when I have time.
It needs to be priority #1.
Every. Single. Day.
🧠 GROWTH INSPO #2: MINDSET IS CONTAGIOUS
Remember lesson number 7?
Brandon makes a great point on the same topic that “Mindset is contagious”.
🚀 ONE ACTIONABLE GROWTH TIP: KNOW YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMERS BETTER THAN THEY KNOW THEMSELVES
You can build a business and have customers.
Customers that don't appreciate you.
Customers that bargain on price all the time. Customers that suck your soul.
OR
You can build a business and attract customers who you absolutely love working with.
I'm super proud to say that I've built just that. And my customer retention rate is 100%.
Pure luck?
Nope.
It was because I took the time to be super clear on my ideal customer (and of course - I keep adding value every month).
And I make sure that my customers are also very clear on their Ideal Customer Avatar.
How do you get that clarity too?
By building your Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA).
I could give you the exercise I use for this, but you'll save it in your drive and it would be one of those "I'll do it later" kinds of things that never get done.
Instead - I want to invite you to join me later this month on a Workshop with Emily Claire as part of her 10K Email Club for only €19 (yes it's paid because we want you to commit to showing up and doing the work).
Emily is my friend/client/colleague/copy queen (this girl holds so many titles that I could just go on and on) and she's on a mission to make everyone monetize their emails.
Why does this matter?
Because if you're talking to everyone - you're talking to no one.
You need to step into your ideal customer's shoes and walk in them a million miles.
See the world as they do.
Understand what their fears are, what keeps them up at night, what they value, and what motivates them.
Otherwise, you'll be doing generic copy that doesn't put money in the bank!
This workshop is perfect for Small Business Owners.
Together we'll build your ideal customer avatar in 59 minutes.
It can't get more actionable than this.
Will you join us?
Reply to this newsletter and let me know if you're interested and I'll email all the details soon.
PS: Joining her club will give you access to a bunch of perks - including free monthly workshops (if you're in the club the workshops are included) that will help you nail your copy, grow and convert your list, and more.
👋🏽 CAN I HELP? FRACTIONAL MARKETING FOR B2C FEMALE FOUNDERS
I'll give you a strategy, a roadmap & I'll make marketing implementation really easy.
What I hear most often from all my clients is: “I'd be lost without you”.
Feeling lost in your business and what direction to take? Let's change that - today!
I care about growing your business as much as you do - and I'll do your marketing so you can focus on everything else you love.
YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF GROWTH INSPIRATION
On the first Monday of every month, I'll send you these Growth Letters. I cover marketing, strategy, growth, and mindset. Also, I openly share my own journey in business.
If you enjoy these letters - do me one favour pls.
Pass the link to your friends and family who could also benefit from it.
🚀 3, 2, 1 let's gROw? 🚀
YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM @ROMANA.SIRACUSA
