Stop Hoarding Business Advice, Put It Into Action.
I am here to give you advice about hoarding business advice.
There is a lot of advice and information out there: social media, friends, colleagues, books, blogs, newsletters, etc. It’s coming from every angle. Most people are hoarding advice but not doing anything with it. They keep stacking advice on top of more advice and constantly just running in circles. You’re never going to get anywhere with that. Your better off just
Take a deep breath, and recalibrate.
Ask yourself:
What is it that I want to do at this moment?
Are you at a job and looking to start a side hustle?
Are you looking to get out of your job and start a business?
Take time to realize where you are and what your next steps (may) look like. It won’t come overnight; you need to distill it down because, like everyone else, I am sure you have many ideas and things you want to do. The most important message is to: start small and get your feet wet.
Here are a few areas to consider when starting your first business:
Are you looking to build an agency?
Are you looking to build a SaaS product?
Are you looking to build a personal brand?
Are you looking to build a direct-to-consumer brand?
Remember: You don’t have to stick to one thing for the long term, you can diversify, but you need a single starting point. In the words of Nicolas Cole: it’s not a marriage decision.
How do you decide whose advice to take?
There is no easy answer, but there are a few things you can do.
Find people on Social Media (specifically Twitter and LinkedIn) and spend time reading their recent posts and go back and read some of their older stuff. Look for a real connection, content that resonates with you and empowers you to take the next steps. Find 2-3 people across Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Spend time really consuming, not just skimming.
Don’t hesitate to DM those people on Twitter or Instagram and tell them that you enjoy their content and that you’re looking forward to learning from them. It’s ok if they don’t answer, don’t feel discouraged.
Applying advice that you consume.
When you read something that really touches you or hits you differently, you know that feeling like “OH SHIT…” make sure you feel that in your bones.
Start putting advice into action. Start writing things down, making a visual for yourself. It can be in a google doc, notion, a whiteboard in your house, or a journal. Putting it on paper is the starting point to making it real and tangible.
Don’t strive for perfection; it’s not reality.
One step at a time. Get out of your comfort zone and start.