Solopreneur Smarts: Find Someone Who Will Dish It Out!

Anyone who has spent even minimal time on this blog knows that I believe in the balance of reality and positivity.

That’s not to say that I’m not a positive person. I betcha bunches of bucks that if you ask almost anyone I’ve ever worked with, you’ll be told that I’m actually quite nice, upbeat, perky and, GACK, positive!

I just prefer to pepper my positivity with a heaping tablespoon of reality.

The Solopreneur Gig? It Ain’t All That Glamorous!

Part of being real with myself, my clients and my peers means I’ve got to admit that there’s no easy button when it comes to branding, digital marketing or digital design.

Sure, there are tools and systems, templates and tutorials, available to make much of your day to day doings a little less fraught with frustration and freelancer foibles.

But that giant red easy button, unlike the R.O.U.S. in the fire swamp, just doesn’t exist.

And much like Westley needed to get the shit kicked out of him by that lumbering rodent, sometimes we, too, need more than a pat on the back and a gentle reminder to remain positive.

Sometimes You Need A Kick In The Ass …

Not A Consoling Pat On The Back!

The best coaches I’ve ever had were those who had no problem blowing the whistle on me if I was lazy, failed to use proper form, or simply didn’t have my head in the game.

We all need that same honesty and willingness to “tell it like it is” when it comes to our business mentors and accountability partners.

As busy solopreneurs we need more than sugar-coated, syrupy kudos and lackluster laments when things aren’t going so well.

[clickToTweet tweet=”#Solopreneurs often need a healthy dose of no-nonsense reality! #realyourealbiz” quote=”Sometimes what we need most is a healthy dose of reality, delivered in a no-nonsense fashion.”]

Sometimes we all need to be asked one, or more, of the following questions:

• Who told you it would all be easy?
• Is the hustle worth it?
• Do you still love what you’re doing?
• Have you thought about taking a break?
• Where’s your plan?

Passion & Positivity Aren’t Enough

Here’s the savvy skinny. No matter how much you love your products or services, no matter how passionate you are about the hustle, you’re going to find some days more difficult than others. You can’t wing it with passion and a positive outlook.

The hard work and the hustle never go away. The early mornings and late nights don’t disappear either. Sure, you can plan a bit better and you can certainly learn to better manage your time. But when a big gig is on the calendar, and you’re going it solo, the work has to get done.

That means sometimes you have to skip a family dinner. Sometimes you have to get up before the crack of dawn on, GASP, a Sunday!

Sometimes The Solopreneur Gig Sucks!

And we really need to be reminded of that suckitude from time to time.

You’ll sometimes fight through lowest of lows on your journey to the highest of highs, including your first sale, your first speaking gig, your first rate increase, etc.

You want your clients and prospects to be open and honest about their needs, their expectations, right? Why wouldn’t you want the same from your peer group, your business partners, your mastermind group, your coach or mentor?

Sometimes you’ll have to take off the rose-colored glasses and view your solopreneur gig through the reality lens. It won’t be perfect. It won’t always be pink and pretty. But it will always be pretty ding-danged sweet when you remember you’re the boss!