The Secret to Building a Business You Truly Love

You thought that running your own business would be an all-day good time.

You imagined waking up every day feeling like it’s the best day ever, full of gratitude and excitement that THIS is what your life looks like now.

You thought sitting down at your computer would feel magical. Like you couldn’t wait to get started. Like you’d be so happy you’d have a hard time pulling yourself away from the glowing screen.

You believed “work” wouldn’t feel like work at all.

But in reality…

Some days you simply dread sitting down to work.

Maybe you feel like you’re forcing yourself to do things that don’t feel fun or enjoyable, and are just downright HARD.

Even worse, your business isn’t growing and, on your toughest days, you wonder if you should go back to your old job where you felt just as bad but at least got paid for it!

Or maybe I’m alone here?

Maybe this is just how I felt for the first few years in business but it’s all been roses and rainbows for you?

Well, if not…

If you’ve been struggling, I want you to know there’s a fix. You can build a business that lights you up and inspires you…

But you have to do this one thing first.

Start with YOU

The biggest mistake I see business owners make is starting with everyone BUT themselves.

They put all the emphasis on what the market says they want, what a Facebook ad told them to do, the latest tactic their favorite list-building guru is promoting…

But they don’t give any thought to themselves—what they like, what’s fun for them, how they like to communicate, and where they like to hang out.

You know what you get when you’re building your business based on someone else and what they like? A lot of misery because nothing feels quite right.

But, if you start with YOU, it’s so much easier to build a business you truly love and enjoy.

Sound like something you want?

Here are three questions to get you started.

Who are you?

This seems like a big question, I know, but it’s not complicated, I promise!

The first thing you absolutely need to do when you’re starting your business is get clear on who you are.

Knowing who you are, what makes you come alive, and what you value will set the foundation for all your business decisions.

When you know these things about yourself, it becomes that much easier to decide what kind of business feels good for you..

But, when you look to others to tell you what to offer and what marketing activities to do, you can’t help but feel frustrated because you’re not thinking about what you want.

Click to TweetWhen you look to others to tell you what to offer and how to market yourself, you can’t help but feel frustrated because you’re not thinking about what YOU want.

You’re effectively building a business based on someone else’s likes, dislikes, and personality!

Once you’re clear on who you are, the next thing you need to figure out is…

What do you love to do?

Another common reason people get tripped up?

They go with what the market wants or what people will pay for.

Yes, of course you need to have a viable service. But unless you want to run a business that you’re not passionate about, you must consider what you love doing.

To figure out what you love to do, take a look at the experience you have doing your job.

Where have you thrived and felt like you were using your superpowers? Maybe it’s when you’re helping people learn something. Or helping people solve a problem. You might even enjoy helping people identify issues and make a plan for moving past them.

You also need to consider how you like working with people.

Do you like to work with people by coaching, teaching, telling, or showing? Do you like to work with your clients in groups, one-on-one, virtual, or in person?

Knowing what you’re really good at and how you do your best work will point you toward a business that lights you up every single day.

Click to TweetKnowing what you’re really good at and how you do your best work will point you toward a business that lights you up every single day.

And then you need to know…

Who do you love working with?

Right now you might be thinking, “Jenny, not another ideal client avatar exercise!”

I get it! Even if you haven’t worked with a ton of clients or ideal client exercises haven’t worked in the past, you can still do this the right way (meaning, the way that actually works, not that arbitrary exercise most people tell you do to).

You don’t need to have a ton of client experience to know the kind of people you love working with. I bet you can think of people from your last job or even from school that you were excited to work on projects with.

What were they like? Maybe they were diplomatic, caring, funny… picture their personality and what made you really enjoy partnering with them.

And if you have direct client experience, imagine a few of your favorite clients.

Ask yourself what you loved about working with them.

Maybe they respected your time. They were open to feedback and suggestions, they genuinely wanted help, and they left you feeling energized and inspired.

Whatever it is about these dream clients, remember that! When you’re not working with clients you love, your motivation can suffer, and you might not deliver amazing results. But when you zero in on who you love working with you’ll notice how things shift, how you’re motivated, and how awesome your clients are doing.

When you can answer these questions honestly, you’ll stop worrying about what everyone outside of you is saying and start tuning into what’s right for YOU. Your business will become something you truly love.

And you’ll do a happy dance every single day.

My Personal Recommendation for You“So, what do you do?” My step-by-step method for quickly explaining what you do in a way that people understand