What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business

I’ll be honest—when I started my business, I was wildly optimistic. I thought that if I just worked hard enough, everything would fall into place. Clients would magically find me, sales would roll in, and I’d be sipping coffee in a perfectly curated home office while my business ran smoothly in the background.

Spoiler: That’s not how it works.

If I could sit down with the fresh-faced, slightly terrified version of myself from those early days, I’d pour us both a coffee (or maybe something stronger) and give her a few reality checks. Not to scare her off—but to prepare her for what’s ahead. Because the truth is, running a business is amazing, but it’s also harder, messier, and more rewarding than I ever imagined.

Here’s what I wish I knew before I started.

1. Success Isn’t What You Think It Is

Before I started, I thought success was a specific number—hitting six figures, getting a massive audience, or working with high-profile clients. I was convinced that once I reached those milestones, I’d finally feel successful.

Reality check? Success is different for everyone. And if you’re chasing someone else’s version of success, you’ll always feel like you’re falling short.

Some months, success means landing a big client. Other months, it means covering your bills and still having time for your family. And sometimes, success is shutting your laptop at 3 PM because you’ve built a business that lets you do that.

One of the biggest turning points in my business came when I stopped measuring success by someone else’s standards. I realized that financial goals were important, but so was my quality of life. If I was hitting a revenue goal but working 80-hour weeks and miserable, was that really success?

For me, the answer was no.

Define what your version of success looks like. The sooner you do, the happier you’ll be.

2. You Can’t Do It All (And You Shouldn’t Try)

At first, I thought I had to do everything myself—marketing, bookkeeping, tech support, customer service. The problem? That’s a one-way ticket to burnout.

I wasted so much time on things I wasn’t good at, trying to DIY everything because I thought that’s what real entrepreneurs did. In reality, the sooner you learn to delegate, automate, and focus on what you do best, the faster your business will grow.

Here’s a hard truth: Doing everything yourself doesn’t make you a hero. It makes you exhausted.

If you’re not in a place to hire help yet, start small:

• Use templates for emails, contracts, and social media posts.

• Automate repetitive tasks (hello, email scheduling).

• Batch your work instead of context-switching all day.

• Set up systems that allow your business to run smoother without you needing to be involved in every detail.

  
  

I once spent an entire weekend trying to DIY my website because I didn’t want to invest in hiring someone. The result? A mediocre site that I ended up replacing months later anyway. I should have just outsourced it from the start.

Your energy is your most valuable resource. Protect it.

3. Not Everyone Will Get It—And That’s Okay

Some people will cheer you on. Others will look at you like you’ve lost your mind. And a few will say things like, “So, when are you getting a real job?”

I spent way too much energy trying to convince people that my business was legitimate. But here’s what I learned: You don’t need everyone’s approval.

Your friends, your family, even your former coworkers might not understand why you left a stable paycheck to build something from scratch. And that’s fine. Your business isn’t for them—it’s for you.

Find your people. Connect with other entrepreneurs who do get it. Those are the voices that matter.

4. Mistakes Aren’t Failures—They’re Lessons

I have made some spectacular mistakes. Pricing my services way too low. Taking on nightmare clients. Spending money on tools I didn’t need.

Each time, I felt like I had failed. But looking back, every mistake taught me something valuable. The key is to learn from them, adjust, and keep moving forward.

So, if you make a bad call, don’t beat yourself up. Ask: 

• What did I learn? 

• How can I avoid this next time?

And then—keep going.

5. Burnout Is Real—And You Need to Watch for It

I used to think burnout was just something that happened to people who didn’t love what they did. Turns out, burnout happens to people who love their work the most—because they pour everything into it and forget to take breaks.

The first time I hit burnout, I didn’t see it coming. I thought I was just in a temporary slump, so I pushed harder. I worked longer hours. I skipped breaks. And then one day, I realized I was completely exhausted and uninspired.

Here’s what I wish I had known earlier: 

• Rest is part of productivity. You cannot create your best work when you’re running on empty. 

• If you don’t set boundaries around work, your business will take over your life. 

• You don’t have to “earn” rest—you need it to function at your best.

Take breaks. Build downtime into your schedule. Your business will survive

(and thrive) because of it.

Starting a business is one of the hardest, most rewarding things you’ll ever do.

Some days, you’ll feel on top of the world. Others, you’ll wonder why you ever thought this was a good idea.

But if I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be this:

You’re going to be okay. Keep going. Because all the mistakes, doubts, and challenges? They lead to something amazing.

And if you ever need support along the way, you don’t have to do it alone. Check out our services, and let’s make this journey a little easier together.

entrepreneur advice, small business tips, business growth, startup mistakes, female entrepreneur insights