Are you an entrepreneur with a desire to serve but feel held back by not being ready to launch your idea? In the world of entrepreneurship, you'll frequently hear that you need a proper plan, an email list, and a product or service ready to go before you launch your idea. But what if I told you that's a myth?
Today, I'm here to dismantle these misconceptions that keep many ambitious people from launching their dreams. Let's explore why ‘not feeling ready' is a just a barrier your mind constructs, and discover how you can overcome it to jumpstart your launch success!
My accidental first launches
In my early entrepreneurial days, I had a Facebook group aimed at helping business owners who were receiving less than stellar advice from ‘experts.' It was honestly born out of sheer frustration that I would find myself in groups seeing people get the most terrible advice, I'd chime in with best practice to get shot down by the “leader” because I disagreed with their shoddy approaches. Rather than argue, I created my own group instead š
I had been running my group for a couple of months, and got to about 300 members before I recognised 2 thingsā¦
1 – I didnāt have time to keep answering questions by typing out long answers.
2 – The only way I could REALLY help with a particular website challenge they were having, was to create a workshop and I knew couldnāt work for free.
So I took a brave leap, put out a post with a Paypal link and to my amazementā¦. 42 people signed up.
I made nearly $3000 in sales in a matter of daysā¦ and I had never made money so easily, in such a fun way and in such a short space of time.
No list. No product created in advance. Simply giving my audience what they wanted.
So I did it again…
Another course I launched after this, came from getting on the phone to people who had answered my survey about their challenges because I was trying to figure out what my market wanted.
I got onto 12 people on the phone to find out more about their struggled, and in a brave āwhy not?ā moment on the first call I decided to pitch my idea for a course.
They signed up there and then, and 10 out of the 12 people did too – generating $14,000 in sales in days.
No list. No product created in advance. Simply giving my audience what they wanted. No sales page. No launch.
Of course if you want to go big from the outset and launch your idea with a full launch strategy you could hire my agency team, but its not essential to get started!
Reframe Your Excuses into Opportunities
“I donāt have a product.”
“I donāt have an email list.”
“Iām not sure how to launch.”
“I donāt have the skills to create a product.”
“I donāt have the budget to create a sales page.”
“Iām an introvert.”
Does this sound familiar? Are these the reasons you're putting off your launch? You're not alone. These are the very fears and concerns that plague many entrepreneurs. But here's the truth: These “I donāt have” and “Iām not” sentiments are often just excuses holding us back.
Fundamentally your brain is wired to keep you safe, and sometimes, that means cooking up reasons to prevent you from taking brave leaps into the unknown. (Thanks brain) But if we reframe these ‘limitations' into opportunities for learning and growth, we can break free from our self-imposed shackles and step into the entrepreneurial arena with courage.
My excuse was “there's already people doing what I want to do, how can I ever compete?” which I reframed to “I might not have the credibility yet, but I know I can out-care any coach out there and that's what my dream clients need”.
It empowered me with enough confidence in myself to sell offers in markets I didn't have enough experience in, and over time the credibility grew – even when I decided to launch a launch coaching company when I had next to no experience launching š
How can you reframe what's holding you back?
Nurture Relationships and Deliver Value
There's someone out there, right at this moment, eager for what you can offer. They're looking for someone to connect with, someone who understands their unique challenges and can provide solutions. Rather than trying to come up with an elaborate social media strategy to attract thousands of that person, spend some time thinking about how you can get in front of just ONE person who needs you – and scale from there.
My approach was my Facebook group, and if I were to go back I'd do the same thing all over again, or be in the groups where they're already hanging out and spend time getting to know them better. Because really if you think about it, how many customers do you need to get your idea off the ground?!
Reach out to them. Engage them. Become a part of their world. Listen to their needs, and create offers that address those needs. You'll be amazed how much you can achieve with just understanding, connection, and a genuine desire to serve.
I truly think that one of my keys to success is that I've simply spent the past 9 years making friends in this wonderful online space, and although its not the sexy “hack” people want it's the thing that has helped me the most.
Take Bold, Brave Leaps to launch your idea
Fear of rejection and failure can stop us dead in our tracks. But here's a perspective shift: if you think you'll get a ‘no,' remember that they're already at a ‘no' if you don't launch. By not taking action, you're denying yourself the opportunity to turn potential ‘nos' into ‘yeses.'
In the entrepreneurial world, brave, ‘why not?' moments often lead to the most surprising and amazing results. Take a leap, pitch your idea, and you might just end up turning prospects into clients faster than you think.
Let me assure you as a launch strategist, while an email list, a sales page, a ready-made product or service, and a launch strategy are powerful, they're not mandatory to get started. The most important things you need are a voice, a true desire to serve, and an understanding of your audience's needs.
Feeling ready to launch your idea?
Probably not, but the truth is you're never really “ready”.
Let go of those excuses, and just start. You have a unique voice and a burning desire to make difference, and there's someone out there literally waiting for you to come and help them!
If you already know what they need but are too scared to launch, remember my story and countless others – if its possible for other people, it is for you too
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