Does the ground beneath you feel a little shaky?

With over 20 years of the entrepreneurial life under my belt, I have a few principles I have learned that feel counterintuitive but that have served me well through the years.

Here is one I learned in the midst of the 2008 recession: The last thing I will eliminate from my budget when things feel uncertain is an investment in me.

Allow me to take you back a decade or so. In 2009, I had a 3 year old and a 5 year old. Revenue and my income from my business was down. I was exhausted from five years of hard-core “momming” (babies and toddlers are no joke!) and building a business.

Anthony (on the left) with his buddy Wesley in the summer of 2009 – Age 3
Avery in the summer of 2009 – Age 5

Ryan was an athletic director with a super-demanding schedule. The budget felt tight and we were watching our spending closely when I got an opportunity to fly across the country and work with a business coach.

While everything in me knew I needed a recalibration, a pause to evaluate things and some professional support in my journey, this kind of investment felt…frivolous…selfish…risky (no guaranteed return on the investment)…like it wasn’t the best time. Every business owner at this time, including me, felt uncertain at best.
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Thankfully, my mom told me I should go even when it didn’t make sense logically. I’m not sure but she may have also used some of her frequent flier miles to get me there also (Thanks mom and yes, I promise I’ll pay it forward!).

So I made the investment. And I went.
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​It was a transformational experience and I credit the work I did with that coach over the next six months for the next few years of steady growth in my business. I wouldn’t have been able to create what happened without that support. There’s just no way.
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If you are a leader or an entrepreneur, it can feel tempting to “save money” when things feel uncertain and to stop investing in your own growth. Resist this temptation with all you’ve got! If anything, you need it more than ever when the ground beneath you feels a little shaky.

Say yes to the coaching engagement, to the online course, to the experience that will elevate you. Investing in you is even MORE important in times of uncertainty!

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