Everything Is Easier The Second Time Around

Embarking on something new comes with numerous challenges, whether it's starting your first business, writing your first tweet, publishing your first newsletter, or earning your first dollar.

Most individuals tend to view the first experience as "the worst."

However, as embarrassing as it may seem to send out your first newsletter, there is something beautiful at that moment. It signifies a sense of liberation and an opportunity to expand your horizons into new territories. A little bit of discomfort is not necessarily a bad thing, trust me.

Imposter syndrome hit me hard when I hit "send" with my first newsletter issue. Only four or five out of the ten people on my list opened the newsletter issue. This realization dawned on me after discovering that some individuals have tens of thousands of subscribers. While you cannot ignore these facts, you should not undervalue yourself either. You have to begin somewhere.

Not all your readers will be thrilled with the content you send out, as some will always find a reason to hate or dislike something. However, there is nothing wrong with that, and you should welcome some friction. Good or bad feedback is still feedback, which you need to continue growing as a creator or entrepreneur. These are the defining moments that push your brain to new limits.

Publishing content for the first time:

Writing is among the most vulnerable ways to express yourself. It's the ideal way to establish a deeper connection with your tribe. Share the depth of your thoughts, learnings, and personal experiences with them, as they're here to read your content.

Remember that trust develops over time.

Your unique experience and the distinct way you deliver your written message will always differ from that of others.

Starting your first business or side-hustle:

When starting your first business, you only know about 5% of what you need to do, and the remaining 95% unfolds as you journey along. The unknown aspect deepens the overall experience, pushes your mental boundaries, and sparks curiosity.

True experience is learning as you go.

Reading thousands of books on how to run a business differs from actually running one.

If you over-prepare, you may stumble more due to certain expectations you might have from someone else's experiences. Therefore, take everything with a grain of salt.

I am not saying reading is bad; on the contrary, I read many different business books and listen to several podcasts, picking up invaluable knowledge. However, one size does not fit all.

If you think anyone that began their first business executed everything perfectly, then you're mistaken.

Embrace the uncertainty:

Feeling a little uncertain is natural when starting something new. However, instead of letting that uncertainty hold you back, embrace it. It's your opportunity to explore new possibilities, learn new skills, and discover more about yourself. Do not fear stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new.

Don't overshoot your goals:

Create bite-size goals when starting out. Focus on small steps and things that you can achieve at your current capacity.

Rather than focusing on making $100,000 with your first business, concentrate on making your first $50. This is a significant difference, but it's a positive reinforcement to your journey rather than being overwhelmed by sky-high goals initially.

The barrier to building online is relatively free if you're willing to spend some time learning new tools and trying things out. The field is wide open, and you can create any play you want.

Podcast stuff:

In this episode of WIMB, I had the pleasure of talking with Sharif Virani, an experienced entrepreneur and CMO who has founded three bootstrapped companies. He is currently the co-founder and director of marketing for Instasnacks, a snack delivery company with the largest candy and snack selection available in Ottawa.

Originally Sharif started his career as an environmental scientist. He enjoyed having a purpose which was saving the environment and promoting sustainability. But eventually, he started working government jobs and realized that this was not for him. He decided to pursue his passion for solving problems and creating value. He started out trying out different things which eventually led to him falling in love with marketing.
Sharif realized that a lot of small businesses don’t understand the marketing needs of today and he wanted to change that. His goal is to use his entrepreneurial experience and knowledge to help other companies and people build products with purpose and scale for today's standards.

I hope you enjoy this episode and learn something new from Sharif’s journey. Some other interesting topics that we talked about were how to deal with impostor syndrome, the difference between a first-time and a seasoned entrepreneur, and the importance of a personal brand.

Listen to the latest episode here

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