I attended a networking event where Mrs. Cinnamon Bowser, Founder of NailTaxi, which is listed as one of the fastest-growing small businesses in America was the keynote speaker. The event was hosted by the Synergi Group. In her keynote address entitled: Moving Forward, Mrs.Bowser chronicled her story of how NailTaxi came into existence and shared 5 Tidbits for Moving Forward. I think the 5 Tidbits, which follows this sentence, are very practical and applicable, not just for business owners, but for others who want to move forward in their lives.
Tidbit 1: Make a decision: This is perhaps the most difficult thing anything one who wants to move from where they are now to where they want to be, will do. I remembered for several months deliberating over resigning from what I considered then, a “good” job and starting my business. It wasn’t an easy decision, and it took a tremendous amount of courage and faith to quit, but I took a leap of faith and ventured out. Mrs. Bowser made a valid point when she said “if you don’t make a decision, you are sitting on the fence, and you can’t move forward”. A decision empowers you to move forward. It shows your commitment to whatever you want to focus on or give priority to.
Tidbit 2: Think Big: I remember when I started my business I asked myself the question, how many clients do I need to generate income and will allow me to continue my financial contribution to my household? The number I came up with was relatively low, and for a while, I was very satisfied with it because I didn’t want more than what I could handle. However, I soon realized that the number didn’t provide me with what I needed to grow my business and participate in other kinds of professional development events. It became apparent that I was limiting myself. As you can imagine, I changed that number quickly and soon after hearing Mrs. Bowser’s 5 Tidbits, that number quadrupled. I entered into the realm of possibility thinking, into the model of abundance and got rid of the model of scarcity, which was what I had been operating on. Thinking big enables you to paint a picture of what you want, regardless of how you will get there.
Tidbit 3: Find products and services that support your business: As business owners, we should seek out services and/or products that enhance and benefit our business. However, this can be overwhelming because it requires that we do more than what we are currently doing. It may also become a challenge for us, given our limited resources such as time, money, and/or personnel. But if we shift our prospective into possibility thinking, we may find that our work may become easier and even grow because of them.
Tidbit 4: Find a cheerleader/develop a support system: As a coach, I serve as a cheerleader for my clients, so who are my cheerleaders, or support system? My support system consists of my husband, my mother, my brother, my sister, friends, associates, and other entrepreneurs. These individuals not only provide moral, financial and physical support, but they also challenge me to think “outside of the box”. My husband is perhaps my biggest cheerleader of them all. His creative, logical, rational and artistic mind helps me to see things in new and meaningful ways. This has served my business well. If you don’t currently have a support system or cheerleaders, find them.
Tidbit 5: Recognized and conquer Your Fears: Mrs. Bowser shared how terrified she was to make an initial call to a potential partner that was going to move her business forward. And when she told the story, the entire audience, which was primarily made up of all women entrepreneurs, made a unified sound of agreement. It was like a you too moment that loudly echoed in the room. The fact of the matter is we all have fears they are a part of our human nature. In some ways, fear is a good thing, it protects us and warns us from danger, but many times there isn’t any danger a head. More times than often the danger is a false perception appearing real in our minds. Mrs. Bowser said that “fear can be crippling if we give in to it”. Conquer your fears by making one bold decision that will move your business forward.
In closing, this very dynamic speaker and entrepreneur, motivated and challenged me to move forward in bold and innovative ways.
