There is a subtle thing that happens a lot to women who want to start a business or grow their current business that derails them. It’s called business book-course addiction. Taking class after class is a great way to avoid the angsty agony that comes with taking the actions needed to grow.

It’s not easy to get started putting yourself out there but no amount of course taking and book-buying can make that go away. There will never be a time when the first steps of anything are all yippee skippy and shit.

When I first started this journey I was trying to do in-person workshops in Colorado. I set them up, caught the eye-rolling of others, saw the workshop dates pass again and again with no enrollments.

When I got to Georgia in 2015 burned out and seriously depressed I had to keep trying if I wanted to avoid government work and the Periscope livestream app had just come out. I watched it every day and 2 months after it’s debut I debuted.

If I was writing tricky copy I would present this as and then my business grew and grew and sunshine shone upon me and life was puppies and kittens and trips to Paris from then on.

No.

Actually, fuck no.

I went out by the creek, turned the camera on, and started my ‘scope. There was no one there because I was entirely unknown but I talked as long about emotions and essential oils as I could bear which was less than 10 minutes I’m sure.

I turned the camera off, sweated, cried, and wanted to throw up. I felt on fire with shame and embarrassment. My head raged with those who do you think you are voices that we all have. I went back to the house and felt like crap until I remembered that all first time things are usually awful. I thought about what might make it easier and told myself to try again the next day.

The next day I planned ahead and told my mom and sister what time I would be there so there would be someone to talk “to”. I turned the camera on and repeated the cycle of sweating and shaming. Again and again and again. A few days in and a few people showed up and then a few more and then a few more.

It took about 50 livestreams before I felt entirely comfortable starting the livestream and with whatever things happened during the scope like twin babies crying, cats knocking stuff over, accidentally burping or surprise sneezing, the camera popping out of the tripod, mean and dirty trolls, etc. etc.

I started in June 2015 and in August committed to a daily ‘scope for a full year and except for a few days when I was very sick I showed up every single day.

In that year I was studying my ass off and I still do but listen it’s not like school where you study and THEN go do the things.

It’s study WHILE you do the things.

You have to take daily actions and get off the — I’ll start as soon as this magical course or this fascinating book gives me the missing bit that will make it easier — merry go round.

Being in a business is a parallel track of learning and doing and evaluating at the same time. It’s not sequential learn then do then evaluate then learn then do some more.

It’s riding a fast-moving river not methodically building brick by brick.

The missing bit is the concept you’ve been sold that there is some mysterious process or technique you need before you can start and this or that course has the pain-free way for only another $5k or $10K or $25k.

The online biz industry is not much different than the diet industry in that is sells you that magic pill fairy tale. If you get out of the course and you’re still scared to start it’s a failing in you not that the teacher never told you the truth.

There. Is. No. Magic. Pill.

The only thing you need to start is you. Your unique life experiences, your unique voice, and points of view, you honey bunny, just you.

You have to want success so much that the pain involved along the way is bearable and overcomeable (and I promise anyone can bear it and overcome it).

Take another course if you want, buy another book, but set your day up to study AND take action.

Don’t wait any longer to shine your light because in case you haven’t noticed the world needs all the radiant womxn it can get.

If you think you need support while moving baby step by baby step through the resistance and procrastination Human Design coaching, the way I do it, does work. I still can’t act for you but I can show how to utilize that unique blueprint of yours in ways that don’t make the growing pains go away but do make them a lot less scary.