Do it afraid: 5 tips for every Chica Entrepreneur
So before I get into the meat of this post, I would like to make this quick disclaimer. I’m indeed a young entrepreneur with experience dating back as young as 8 years old (more on this later), but I am still very much IN this process. We mostly hear and read from those who’ve “made it” and they, in my opinion, often lack those very raw mushy details that occur on this journey to “success”. Note that this is by no means a “formula for success”, these are just a few consejitos that I’ve learned throughout the years.
When I was in the 3rd grade I use to buy sports trading cards during regular visits to the Goodwill with my abuelita. I would buy packs of 15 cards for around $3 and sell them at $.5 and $1 a card to the boys in my grade. I was soon caught by my teacher, Miss Bonnelle, but had managed to make enough money to move onto other business ventures like baking brownies, buying books and investing in cute notebooks where I would write down my ideas. Fast forward 20 years and I am now the proud owner of my own curly hair salon in the Dominican Republic. Here are just a few tips for all chica entrepreneurs out there who love to dream awake like me.
1. Take the time to define what success means to you
A lot of times we begin chasing a dream and seeking success without realizing that we are actually chasing after someone else’s definition of success and not our own. Maybe some of your peers define success as owning a home, buying a new car, getting married and having children all by the age of 30. These things might not be as important to you, or at least not yet. You might want something completely different and you need to define this so that you don’t waste time longing and working towards things you didn’t even want in the first place. As you define success always keep in mind the importance of enjoying the journey and living fulfilled in the moment even during the absence of rewards.
2. Be afraid
Now you might be thinking, “What does she mean be afraid? Shouldn’t I be fearless and unafraid?” The truth is that fear is a very normal feeling that every human being experiences and acting like it’s not real or like it’s not there won’t help anyone. We have to recognize that it’s there, say hello and then move on with our plans. We can be afraid without letting fear paralyze us. When I discovered this, a huge load was taken off my back because I use to spend more time trying to get rid of my fears, than working towards my dreams.
3. Sleep, workout, and eat well
I’m still trying to master this, but the truth is that the more consistent I am about getting good sleep, exercising and eating healthy, the better I think, the better I am at making decisions and the more I get done. It’s as simple as that.
4. Say yes to positive people
Oprah once said, “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” I live by these words and this alone can have an incredible impact on your life, not just as an entrepreneur, but as a human being. The toughest part in this process of saying yes to positive people is saying no to those pessimist, negative and dark people in our lives. With time you’ll learn how to love them, while keeping them at a healthy distance.
5. Don’t give up
As a blogger, I get to look back at my pictures, posts, and videos and literally see my life documented right in front of me. If you check out my YouTube videos from winter 2013, you can notice that I am nearly 20 pounds heavier than my previous videos and that my eyes were swollen from crying before recording some of them. That winter I was going through a really tough time suffering from PTSD and feeling very depressed, yet I kept making videos, I kept writing, and I kept posting through it all. All this to say that it’s so important to stay consistent with your calling regardless of what’s happening in your life. There will be doubts, tears, fears, really tough days, yet the key is to keep going- “¡no pares, sigue, sigue!”
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