Entrepreneurship is a muscle, and if you’re fitness aware like me, you only build that muscle if you put in the practice and work so you can experience growth in your business and life.
All of this is a skill in itself.
Just like writing persuasive ad copy is a skill.
Or playing the saxophone.
Or riding a skateboard.
And just like any other skill that you want to develop, productive and effective entrepreneurship requires that you practice.
But here’s the problem with practice…
You’re scared of doing it (I can’t read your mind but if this statement is true, keep reading)
So…
Why are you scared to practice entrepreneurship?
We’re not here to judge or shame you for not practicing your entrepreneurship. But The Copy Cartel seriously wants to have a heart to heart with you as a small business owner.
You’ve heard practice makes perfect. But practice also requires patience. For some reason, beginner entrepreneurs want to be perfect while they practice.
Maybe you’re in discomfort when you struggle to pull off that first push up.
Or you keep getting frustrated because you can’t keep the soccer ball up with your feet
Or you get tired of falling off the skateboard when you try to land that big ollie.
Because all these things are painful reminders of how much you suck and how far you have to go.
That’s the ultimate case of “Catch-22.”
It’s a perfect setup for frustration and disappointment.
Eventually, you just quit.
Trust me, I’ve been there and still go there sometimes.
But trying to pursue perfection while you practice entrepreneurship is a sign of fear. And you limit yourself to the mindset of “If I had more time or wasn’t so busy with my day job, I could work on my business and have the success I dream about.”
That’s the trap of “have-do-be” instead of living the be-do-have mindset.
First, you have to be a successful entrepreneur by doing things a successful entrepreneur would do before you can have the growth you desire in your business and life.
So, just practice.
Just do it.
Don’t worry about how it looks or the “branding” just yet. Stop worrying about living up to your impossible expectations of perfection.
Instead, focus on the humble beginnings of production as an entrepreneur.
Here’s how…
How to not give a f*** about perfect entrepreneurship
As I said, toxic perfection is the prevention of production.
Take a look at the first animation sketch for The Simpsons in 1989…
I don’t know about you, but this initial sketch is far from perfect.
But did the creators give a f*** because it wasn’t “quite there yet?”
No…
They kept working on production of the show.
Eventually it was animated to this.
As you can see, the animation just looks dated and low quality in comparison to what The Simpsons is now…
If the creators kept wasting time on perfecting their animation, they would have kept missing deadlines and The Simpsons would have never developed into the iconic show it is today. (with 23 seasons running to date)
So what can you do to practice more productive entrepreneurship?
Well, there are two ways to go about it.
The Dumb Way of practicing productive entrepreneurship
The Dumb Way is to practice productive entrepreneurship that doesn’t lead to any growth.
For example, new entrepreneurs can blog and create content all they want but if they don’t promote and distribute their content and then monetize it, then they’re being really dumb.
They warm-up… they practice the stuff they are good at for 80% of the time… then they wrap up the last 20% of practice time with the new stuff they want to try to get better at.
Then they struggle with perfection obsession and just stop.
That’s a great way to stay mediocre.
These are the entrepreneurs who waste time on everything else except for the very crucial things that develop themselves and the business.
Which is product development, marketing, and sales.
People who do not practice these aspects of entrepreneurship often find that their businesses hit a plateau.
And if they are not practicing these aspects of entrepreneurship, it usually means that they are not spending enough time outside of their comfort zone
So their skills don’t grow.
The Smart Way of practicing entrepreneurship
The Smart Way to practice entrepreneurship solves that problem by increasing the amount of time you spend outside of your comfort zone.
By spending more time practicing the hard stuff that you’re not good at, you’ll get better at doing those things.
Plus, you’ll become even better at the stuff you’re already good at.
In fact, we have the perfect workout to help you build those entrepreneurship muscles to ensure you are constantly growing in your business and life.
Warm Up
Practice opposites first:
The Copy Cartel wants you to get out of your comfort zone and embrace sucking at entrepreneurship a little bit.
Think of it as an assessment.
The point is to realize why you suck so much at it and improve.
So yeah, go ahead and start sucking…
- think of the reasons and objections past customers didn’t buy from you and address them
- Watch videos of terrible sales tactics or things that would pressure or force your customers not to buy from you
- now think of how you would scheme to get their money without bringing any value
Why?
Trust me this is a great way of learning what terrible entrepreneurship looks like. You won’t believe how low the bar has been set.
This way, you can improve for the better.
Just watch this satire of terrible entrepreneurship in this hilarious dumpster fire below.
Working Sets
Now, let’s get to work and practice the hard stuff that you really want to improve. This is the stuff you want to work on to build your business. For example:
- write and launch a sales letter or landing page (with this 10-question template)
- jump on a sales call
- negotiate a new contract with a partner or client
- prospect for new leads
- develop your content marketing (record an episode of your podcast)
- apply for small business loans or grants
- create new channels in your business through which more customers may buy
Remember, someone out there is dying to give you their money. They have unmet needs, unsolved problems, and unfulfilled desires.
And they would give just about any amount of money within their power to resolve.
All you have to do is figure out a way to give that to them and they will gladly pay for what you offer.
Cool Down Sets
This is the stuff that involves working on yourself instead of directly building and developing your business. But it’s just as important, the navigation of a ship’s destination depends on the captain and its crew, right? For example:
- practice new leadership skills (volunteer or present at a conference)
- build and maintain genuine relationships with people you admire or care about
- improve your decision-making skills (use your time to develop your business)
- outsource complex projects or tasks so you can focus on what you do best
- find some leisure to read and educate yourself regarding your business and mindset
Again, don’t worry about unrealistic perfection. Just practice and keep working out that entrepreneurial muscle.
But you have to do the work to the best of your ability. Just because you are not worried about perfection is not an excuse to disregard excellence and follow the fundamentals.
If you practice productive entrepreneurship consistently, you’ll be that much closer to the growth in your business and life.
Until then, stay blessed
~K
P.S. Overwhelmed with all the nuance and complexities of entrepreneurship? Remember you can always outsource and work with us. We’d love to help.
