Running a business is really hard

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I've just received my second email from someone complaining that they have just received six emails from me in the last minute and they aren't happy.

Neither am I. 

In fact right at this moment I feel like giving up. Life was easy (well easier) when I was research scientist. 

Instead, I write a very humble apology to send to the lovely people who signed up for my free webinar explaining that (despite spending hours working out the exact sequence and dates) my automated series of emails promoting my very first online course had somehow gone wrong and sent everything in one go. 

I feel devastated. I really pride myself in not spamming people and only emailing useful stuff and I had just spammed almost 100 people. 

I am definitely ready to give up. 

You see running a business is hard. 

Particularly when your business is helping people. 

Every day you have to show up authentically, and in the way I work openly too. 

It's vulnerable. 

And it's hard work. 

And things go wrong. 

Often when you see the face of business you see the best of people. You see an image that we (as business owners) are trying to project. The professional, we've got our shit together image. But the reality is that we're human too. And things go wrong. 

We may forget to reply to your really important email because we're also dealing with a family crisis.

We may feel hurt when we're publicly criticised for promoting a free webinar - yes, I will showcase my services because it's one of the few ways I can promote what I do but I have still spent hours writing a really good webinar that people will get a lot of value from. 

We may mess up a date occasionally because for some strange reason we've put your appointment in at the wrong time. 

But still we show up. 

We show because we care. I am absolutely 100% sure everyone in the healthcare sector is doing this job precisely because we care. 

We show up when we're feeling unwell or in pain.

We show up when we're grieving the death of the third person we love in 2 years.

We show when life has hit us with so much personal crap to deal with that we would really rather just crawl into bed and sleep for the next 12 months. 

We show up because our business is important to us and because if we didn't show up we would not be able to make a living. 

And every day that we show up, no matter what our personal life is throwing at us, we try to give our best. 

We try to give our best because there is no better feeling in the world seeing that one client finding relief from 6 years of pain, or carrying their pregnancy to full term after two miscarriages, or finding the confidence to finally make the changes to their life they've always wanted to. 

I never in million years dreamed that running my own business would be this hard...... and that's after completing a PhD!

But every single person I help (even if it's just through one my free talks or workshops) makes it all worthwhile.

So yes, today I felt like giving up but I know that even though running a business is one the hardest things I have ever done, it is also one of the most rewarding. So instead I'll take one tiny step forward, have a good night's sleep and be ready to give my best in the morning.  








2 comments

Claire Mitchell
 

I love this blog, Victoria. It really resonated with me and I know it will resonate with loads of business owners. It IS hard to run a business. Thank you for sharing xx

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Victoria Wright
Staff
 

Thanks Claire. I really appreciate the feedback.

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