The Courage To Keep Going In Your Business When No-One Is Watching
Free Resources: I’ve some cool free stuff for your business that you can get here.
Today, I want to talk about something that EVERY female entrepreneur faces at some point – those times when it feels like you’re working really hard, doing all the things in your business, but no-one is watching, no one is cheering you on, and you start wondering… is this even worth it?
The truth is – YES, it is 100% worth it. And today, I’m going to tell you why.
In the early days of my business. I remember hitting ‘publish’ on my first blog post, I remember putting out my first offer, sending my first emails, posting my first Instagram posts… and then? Crickets.
Back then no-one commented, no-one bought anything from me, no-one engaged on social, and there were many times where I started to doubt everything I was doing. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever felt like all your effort is disappearing into the void, I promise you are NOT alone.
Here’s what I learned back in those zero results days: it’s the work you do in the quiet moments, when no one is clapping for you yet, that is the work that builds the foundation for massive success.
It’s the work you do when you’re not seeing the results, that’s the the work that sets you up for ‘future bank’ (money that WILL come from that work at some point further down the line).
Every single person you admire – every big name in business that you wish you were like – has had many, many moments in the ‘void’ as well. The difference with those business owners? They KEPT GOING until the results started to show.
Some of those results took YEARS to achieve. Some of those results came off the back of many challenges and even more failures. But those business owners had a mindset that prevented them from quitting. They kept working through the void until the successes started to appear.
Seth Godin calls the void “The Dip”. In fact he’s written a book about this (funnily enough, called The Dip).
The Dip is the space between zero results and massive success. He speaks about The Dip as a period of time you got through in business where there are very limited results, and often that period of time is much longer than people think it will be, he references how many business owners will quit because of The Dip. They’ll never make it through.
The biggest mistake I see business owners making is quitting too soon. So many would-be entrepreneurs believe that if the results don’t come fast and thick, then something is wrong, or that they’re simply not cut out for business (this is often the case with those who do quit!).
Here’s the truth: your success will not be built off the back of a viral moment. It won’t happen as a result of one big breakthrough. It won’t come short and fast. And it won’t occur because you chase the ‘become successful overnight’ messages from the plentiful fake gurus who want to sell you on this lie.
Your success will be built in the daily, consistent actions you take during the time where no one is watching, and no-one is showing up.
Think about athletes training to become the best Olympians. Or the musicians grinding away when no-one knows who they are before they sell out stadiums. And the authors writing day after day after day, long before they get published.
Your business is the same. It’s the work you put in today during the silent times, that’s the work that will set you up for the big wins later.
For the first couple of years in my own business I was showing up and sharing to air. There really wasn’t anyone standing there cheering me on, engaging with me, buying from me. I had to grit my teeth and push onwards anyway.
One of the things I teach inside my bespoke 40k Plans, and inside my membership 40k Club, is to be prepared for the void, and to have the commitment to continue on despite the silence, because structured consistency is what eventually creates results.
You need strategy that keeps you pushing forward, even when your emotions are screaming at you to stop.
So what do you do when it feels like no one is watching?
- Remember your WHY. Your reason for starting your business should be bigger than those silent weeks or months. Your why needs to be strong enough to push you to keep taking daily action when the results aren’t there.
- Create a scorecard for success. I don’t mean just tracking money in the bank, but tracking smaller consistent actions taken – emails sent, social posts published, pitches made. Tracking what you can control in those silent days will help you to see you’re building the vital foundations that will at some point = the wins coming in.
- Get around people who GET IT. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t understand the journey, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. Get yourself in spaces where people are pushing forwards with the greatest commitment and determination. Those people will pull you up and push you along during your quiet times. 40k Club is a brilliant space for this.
- Commit to showing up for 12 months no matter what. You have to give yourself the gift of persistence. And that persistence needs, at the very least, 12 months of solid work from you. Most people quit right before their breakthroughs start to come. I’ve seen this happen over and over again through the years I’ve been supporting female small business owners.
Here’s what I want you to take away today: Right now you’re planting seeds, even if you can’t see them growing yet.
Every piece of content you create, every email you send, every product you launch – slowly but surely it’s all adding up. Over time it will compound to bring you the results you desire.
You MUST stay the course. You HAVE TO keep showing up. Because the people who win in business? They are the ones who simply refuse to quit.
If you need a roadmap that’s going to work for your business, to help you jump through the silent spaces more quickly, if you need a community of women walking this path with you, come join my low cost membership 40k Club. I’m right there waiting to help you build the systems and strategy that will make your success inevitable.
And if you enjoyed this post, could I ask a small favour? Would you drop a comment below – I’d love to hear what resonated most with you. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog (or save to favourites!), because more motivational and supportive posts just like this are on the way.
Until next time!
Jenny
PS: Remember to grab your free business resources right here.