Last week, we started our ‘24 Lessons in 24 Months of Business’ series (If you didn’t catch it, you can read it HERE), covering the most important things I’d learned at the 2 year mark of my business and the things that allowed me to grow quickly beyond 6 figures.

So since you’re only here for the nuggets of wisdom, let’s cut to it…

Lesson 13: Ditch your Plan B. 

When you have a Plan B at the back of your mind, it can affect how you approach your business now.

I started a business before this one, but I lacked the confidence to go all-in on it, because in my mind I had a backup plan. This was a huge downfall that negatively impacted me in making any progress.

Go into your business with 100% belief that this will work out because you have no choice but to make it work out. Because who’s going to bet on you if you won’t even bet on yourself?

Lesson 14: Revisit your vision and do it often.

Whether you write it on a post-it note or create a Pinterest-worthy vision board, make sure you have something physical that you can see everyday. Put it up on your bathroom mirror, your laptop, the vanity in your bedroom – whatever you need to do.

What is your big vision? What are you doing all of this for? What are you building towards?

If you don’t know, do some journaling and grounding work so you can identify what it is you’re doing all of this for in the first place. Your big vision is your motivator, it is everything you are moving toward, so make sure it’s all still aligned.

Lesson 15: Prioritize tasks that move the needle.

Trust me on this one, as I know from experience how good it can feel doing what I call ‘click tasks’ – Feeling productive because you’re ticking off lots of small (but less important) tasks that don’t actually move the needle in your business. 

Sit down with a plan every morning, or try working in Sprints (that’s how my team and I operate) to really think about what will move the needle towards your goal.

For example, if cash flow is important to you right now, focus on doing tasks that are revenue generating. If you’re gearing up to a launch or a new product, only prioritize the tasks that are primarily focused on that.

Lesson 16: Be unapologetic.

Don’t worry about what other people think and be unapologetic in how you show up. In your niche, you’re stood in a room with thousands of other people – Be yourself and you’ll stand out from the crowd (and you get to feel good about yourself as well. Always a nice perk.)

Lesson 17: Always be evolving. 

Your brand is a continuously developing story, so don’t stay stagnant. Allow it to evolve. And remember that marketing is going to be changing faster than anything else, so don’t get complacent with it. What worked last year might not work this year. That’s okay – be humble and be ready to implement, refine, and repeat.

Lesson 18: Hire slow and early. 

People often wait until they’re in a time-crunch, desperate position to hire. I did this myself more than once, which often resulted in even more issues down the line. (Remember, these are my hard-earned lessons, so you don’t have to go through the same.) 

Hiring too quickly can lead to a whole host of problems like:

• • • • Staff that are unaligned with the business’ values
      • A person who doesn’t have the right skills for the specific job
      • People that are great, but purely temporary. Meaning all that training and onboarding was for nothing.

Take the time to hire slowly. Many times I’ve restarted entire hiring processes because I just couldn’t find anyone that was a good fit (even though it meant spending two more months in the hiring/onboarding grind!)

But in the end, it pays off because you have a dedicated team of right fit people surrounding you. 

Focus long term instead of short-term, no matter how tempting it can be to hire quickly.

Lesson 19: Encourage autonomy when onboarding.

Be slow and intentional with new team members. Handout small amounts of responsibility in a slow pace so that they can truly master them, as opposed to giving them all of their responsibilities at once and expecting them to understand everything thoroughly in a short time.

I spend months onboarding new team members, slowly handing out different tasks, encouraging autonomy, valuing thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and how to make each one of those better. Over time, it means that they become the true master of their role, and it fosters independent, driven team members ready to expand and evolve with the business as it grows.

Lesson 20: Disconnect frequently. 

Yep.

From social,
From the business,
From your email,
From your phone,
From life.

Get away from it all and let yourself feel open and free.

It’s often the times when we feel like we have the least amount of time to spare – not even a five minute break – that we need that time the most. And when we do allow ourselves time to step away, we can step back feeling more capable, and often with new perspectives that could help us solve our problems in a more simplified way.

Lesson 21: Own your story. 

Even if it seems like you don’t have something special to share. There are thousands of people out there in a similar position and are wishing someone understood their pains and frustrations.

Own your story and talk about it frequently. Make sure people know where you came from. Why do you do what you do now? And how does that matter to them?

Lesson 22: Learn to say “No.” 

I frequently get asked how I manage my schedule, inquiries, and requests to do things like collabs or coffee chats. The answer is in two parts:

First is my team, who supports me wherever they can. 

And second is that I simply say, “No” A LOT. 

I know for a fact that I can’t do it all and have to set really strict boundaries to make sure I still have time for moving the needle and living my life. For example, if somebody asks to have a coffee chat, I just politely say, “I don’t do coffee chats anymore. But if you want to engage, I’m happy to chat in the DMs.” If the relationship goes further, then we can carve out more time.

You need to be in the business of protecting your time and energy so that you can serve your family first, then your team, and then your clients, because that’s the order that it needs to happen in.

People respect you more when you respect yourself.

Lesson 23: Be willing to throw the roadmap out the window. 

What you planned for at the end of last year might not be what your business needs right now. This was a really hard one for me to learn, because I would have entire business plans set out in front of me for the next quarter, but then something would come up and there would be no wiggle room.

Your business plan is a living, breathing document. You can change it, adapt it, and you can course-correct over time. You don’t have to do something just because you put it on the plan. If it no longer suits the situation, change it.

Lesson 24: Be innovative. 

This space has so many look-alikes and copycats, that I URGE you not to create a business that looks like everyone else’s.

Just. Don’t. Do. It. (Please)

It’s really easy to start out mirroring what you see from others online, or from your business coach or business besties. But what works for them and their place in the market might not work for you. Plus, it’s not going to help you stand out. In fact, if you’re replicating something, it’s going to encourage you to blend in.

So create something unique to you.

Push the boundaries, do something you don’t see anybody else doing. If something bothers you about your niche or industry, change it, offer something different, or do it in a different way. That is how you stand out. That is how you get noticed.

Stand up for what you believe in, stand strong in your convictions, your core values, and how you serve your clients. And remember to be unapologetically you.

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So that’s it! These are the core 24 things I learned while running my business in my first two years. It has been an amazing experience and I am so thankful for every step of the journey.

I cannot wait to roll into Year 3 and beyond. Me and the KC Team have some amazing things coming up that I want to bring you in on, so make sure you bookmark our blog page and subscribe to our email list to stay up to date with everything that’s going on.

For now, take note of your favorite pieces of advice I’ve shared and implement what really speaks to you. 

Remember that there is no roadmap or anything you have to follow. Just go out there and do what feels authentically good to you. 

If you’re looking for high-touch business mentorship from someone who’s been through it – I’m here to help you step into your next wave-making moves with ease. Whether you’re just starting out or are ready to scale to 20k months and beyond, let’s create something that truly supports your ideal lifestyle. You can also follow me on Instagram for content on creating a freedom-based business with ease and tips for crafting high-converting copy that resonates.