Not Knowing Your Way

There is no magic answer to running your business successfully. There is no one-size-fits-all formula. No one else has the recipe that will work for you.

It’s up to you to figure out your own recipe: What works for you? What feels right? What gives you what you really want?

It’s time to run your business your way – with more confidence, profit, and joy.

We often fall victim to other people’s “proven success formulas,” thinking others have the “right” answer. We live in an age of so-called gurus who keep telling us we’re doing it “wrong.”

After decades of working exclusively with women business owners, I’ve experienced and witnessed patterns and roadblocks that keep us unfulfilled.

There is no one “right” way to run a business – there is only your right way. 

Today’s Question:

What are the first five steps you will take to build value and run your business your way?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

What if you don’t know what your way is? To a large extent, the general idea is in your head, but you may have trouble articulating it.

One way to develop “your way” is to start with your beliefs, values, and standards, thinking through concepts you reject.

You may recall in Chapter 7 that I believe all people have the fundamental business right to say “no.” In my case, I’m saying “no” to many paradigms you may recognize.

1. “I reject the old corporate model developed by men for men, which is focused on beating the competition.”

I call myself a High-Achieving Collaborator because it’s time to change the standard. Many women business owners are high achievers. It is the nature of who we are. But achieving – in life, sports, music, art, and business – is built around competition.

We continue to follow the corporate model because we don’t know how to operate differently. Women have the power to change their business community.

I don’t need to worry about competitors, and neither do you. We live in an abundant society, and women are fantastic collaborators. That is why I teach what I teach.

2. “I reject leading with the Good Girl approach. I’ll always be a Good Girl, but it no longer serves me to lead with that thinking.” 

If you’re like me, the limiting belief that someone else holds the answer has been proven wrong – repeatedly. I’ve learned to trust my own instincts and intuition, and you can too. You can experiment with innovative strategies in your business, and you don’t need to follow a cookie-cutter pattern.

But if you don’t know how to run your business differently and it’s your main source of income, you’re not going to gamble and experiment. It takes a lot of courage to look at your business through a different lens and bring your own perspective to it. That is why I teach what I teach.

3. “I reject feeling alone. For the first ten years of my business, I thought I should be on my own. That’s how I could prove to others I was independent, capable, and successful.”

Business owners can feel very alone without a trusted resource who understands their challenges. We may or may not feel lonely, but we feel alone, and that affects us emotionally.

I have intentionally built a support system around me of both men and women whom I trust. This includes my staff, my grown kids, my siblings, my business coach, and my business colleagues.

I encourage you to allow others to support you emotionally. This can radically change the complexion of your business. That is why I teach what I teach.

-- Excerpt from Patty’s book, Your Hidden Advantage: Unlock the Power to Attract Right-fit Clients and Boost Your Revenue

Now What?

There’s too much at stake for you not to know ‘your way’ – and that extends to how you want to exit your business. Just like creating your own recipe for building and running your business, you have a huge advantage when you create the exit of your dreams.

Have you built a profitable and valuable business but instead of feeling like there's something missing, you’re feeling like there's something more?

I specialize in helping women founders transition to their Third Act – when you’re ready to do the work you’ve always longed to do.

Work that lights you up. Work that is your purpose instead of just a paycheck.

In my experience, women don't retire; they transition into a new stage of purpose and impact. Whether you are 40 or 60, the idea of retirement may not appeal to you. Just because you can retire doesn’t mean you’ll want to.

We can redefine ‘retirement’ and think of your eventual business exit as a ‘purposeful transition’.

Are you ready to leap into your Third Act and grab the whole cookie?

That requires a new way of thinking, new skills, a simple and elegant design, and an advocate by your side. Contact me to learn more. 

Discover your Exit Readiness Index™ with this assessment: http://she-exits.com/