this morning i spoke on a panel called ‘how an idea catches fire’, hosted by the young professionals network of the raleigh chamber of commerce. one of the questions asked of the panel of entrepreneurs was ‘what advice to you have for someone with a big idea who’s ready to take the next step’.
i suggested that they ask for help.
i’ve found that for me, as well as for several aspiring business-owners I’ve worked with, that asking for help from your friends and family — the people closest to you, most invested in you, and who care about you the most – is an invaluable resource for building a new idea from the ground up.
i saw this particular magic work a few weeks ago when a friend who’s developing an in-home make-up class business model invited a few of her close friends to a brainstorming session to help name her new idea. she’d been stuck for weeks, and couldn’t find the name that was quite right, and after 1.5hr of ogling, seriously considering, stream-of-consciousness associating and thoughtful inquiry, she had a new name that she seriously loved, an instagram account, and a website. she was ready to take her concept to the world, and did it with the help of the people who knew her best, and supported her most.
i tap into my people on the reg now for inspiration, advice, constructive criticism, to be challenged and encouraged, and to grow my business, and to grow my dumb-ole self. i need help. we all do.
a few weeks ago, i asked a few blog-loving, trend-savvy, sharp-as-a-tack ladies to lunch a Bhavana, and asked them to help me with my blog. over dumplings and dim sum, they gave thoughtful feedback, about a million amazing suggestions and examples and they challenged me to do better. with this meeting of the minds, by cultivating this fertile ground for ideas, i am ultimately now held accountable for taking their advice not only to heart, but to practice. because i put it out there that i want to make changes, now i’m more likely to do so, because i have a group of women supporting me, and looking forward to seeing what their ideas and my execution produces. a win-win for everyone.
i strongly encourage you to pull on your people if it’s time to break your shell open and hatch an idea. if it’s starting from scratch and you need a name and a mission statement, or it’s reworking a current concept that needs some new life – your friends and family are the most invested in your success and i think, the most under-utlizied source of support and strength when you need it most. starting a business is brave — and you’ll need help, take my word for it.
who’s on your list?
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