8 Business Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier
Hindsight is the best teacher
You read articles and watch tons of youtube videos about business. After your last video, you feel ready to take on the world.
Most of what I learned was learned the hard way. With no mentor or sense of direction, I was a fish out of water learning how to swim. Fortunately, I learned well. Even then, there are a few things I wish I had known beforehand that could've prepared me for business.
In this article, I share a few lessons from my failed clothing line. Hope you enjoy.
1. Doing many things at once will get you nowhere
The first step to building a business or brand is finding what you’re good at. What will set you apart from the crowd?
I knew I could build a community with my clothing brand. 2013 was great timing for streetwear-type fashion. I knew what I needed to do to, however, my lack of patience got in the way of my execution. It would become one of the reasons the brand did not succeed.
I also struggled with idea paralysis. I would have so many “great ideas” and acted on none of them. I wanted to do too much at once. Life doesn’t work that way. I eventually improved having patience and started to see changes in my productivity.
2. You won’t always be inspired
Motivation comes and goes. It’s not some permanent adrenaline rush we expect it to be. Some days you will feel like Iron Man and other days you’ll want to quit. It’s just the ebb and flow of life.
I’m about as motivated as the next person. The difference is using my “why” to work through my rough days. Why did I want to start a clothing brand? I wanted to do something fun and was confident I could create something people would enjoy.
Doing the work when you’re not inspired is when it counts the most. It takes resiliency and determination to see things through. Time goes by faster than we think. It would be a waste to turn around halfway through a race. We have to keep running towards the finish line.
