By KenQwonna Clarke

So many things cross your mind as you venture out and start a business. Some of those questions and concerns need to be addressed immediately, while others can wait until later down the road. I will share some start-up advice that may speak more to mindset and attitude positioning in this article rather than the technical stuff. I’ll keep it short, powerful and sweet. It’s up to you to shift your mind and attitude about yourself as a business owner.

You’ve Got This!

First, I need you to believe that “you’ve got the goods!” You must pull your chair to the table knowing that you are the authority and expert in your field. Know without a doubt that people want to and need to hear you speak in your field of expertise. As a business owner, your voice is your first and most valuable product. No one can sell you better than you. So don’t be afraid to share your story. Doing that will help you to build rapport with your clients and ideal audience.  

Define Success in Your Terms

The next thing I’d suggest is that you define/ design success in your own lane. If you are busy concentrating on everyone else and how they define and execute success, you’ll become distracted and disappointed that your vision is failing. Define your version of success and reach for it daily. You may even have to call it by name, that’s how powerful your vision and your words are. It will hear you and manifest it.  

A course, business textbook, and mentor may not share this with you but to be extraordinary, you must get out of your comfort zone. In order to do this, you must break away from the norm and get comfortable in your cape. Take a moment to jot down your genius ideas on paper. Make a list of what you’ll bring to the table in your business. These are your highest income-generating tasks. Things that you should spend the majority of your time executing while delegating or automating the other tasks. Get comfortable with bragging about yourself in a confident, client-acquiring kind of way.  

“If you can’t articulate how big of a deal you are and sell it confidently, building your business and tribe will be difficult for you.”

I’ve now shared some nuggets for you to take with you: 

• Know that you are the expert/authority.
• Value your voice as a product in your business
• Be willing to share your brand story so that you can build rapport with your clients
• Define/design success in your own lane (no comparing and competing)
• Call your success to you daily by name
• Get comfortable in your cape (by listing your genius and making it the priority in your business. 

Prepare Yourself For the Next Level of Confidence

The last piece of advice I have for you is loaded with start-up goodness. You must grasp the concept that success is one size fits all. We can all be successful. However, how we reach that accomplished and profitable space is by a combination of various routes and avenues. Therefore, you must stay in your own lane at all times. Here are seven ways to achieve your success individually or combined:

1. You have to be comfortable asking for it! – Be willing to ask for whatever you need in your business. Whether it’s via conversation, a formal proposal, a business plan, or an application. Know what you need and make the ask.

2. You must have the audacity! – Audacity is the more assertive cousin of confidence. This fuels you to do things out of the box and gain success at a faster pace. This works because it’s impossible to be audacious and listen to the small talk of fear whispering in your ear.

3. You must be decisive! – Many people have trouble making small everyday decisions like what to eat and what to wear. As a boss, you must be willing to make the decision and stand by the outcome, good or bad.

4. You must be willing to bet on yourself! – During the pandemic, my husband and I welcomed our first child after 20 years of marriage. Three months after she was born, we took all our savings and started a Logistics Company. We bet on ourselves to start the next chapter of our lives with our daughter and in business. We bet on ourselves and as we approach her second birthday we are still thriving, gaining profits, and we’re successful in our lane.

5. Never be afraid to invest! – Some things will be complimentary on this journey towards success. While other things will require an investment. All I will say here is- be willing to invest at the level that you desire to earn. Invest in continued development, opportunities, equipment, systems and your team as you scale and grow.

6. Stop asking for Permission! – You are a “water walker” and you are still seeking the advice and approval of people that are standing onshore or sitting in the comfort of their boats. Seek out other audacious, successful, and profitable water walkers to keep your company out in the deep waters with bare feet!

7. Take Action! – Without that first step, you will never get where you are going.  

“Start today and become confident on your way to success and profit.”

I believe in you wherever you are in the world “water walker”. I’m out here with you making incredible life-changing moves. Everything I shared here is in my new #1 International Best-Selling book #I’mOnYourHeels. Revisit these steps every time you need to be reminded of how great you are. Best wishes and much success as you Start-Up! 

About KenQwonna Clarke 

KenQwonna Clarke who also goes by ‘K.Moneak’ is a wife, mother, businesswoman, and a #1 best-selling international author speaker. Her history with Brand Messaging as a Branding Strategist led her to aspire for women to gain credibility, visibility, and generate income by writing their own books. She uses an eight-week course to create new authors and helps them write, brand and publish their work.

KenQwonna has been speaking and coaching for years in places like Harvard Law School and Teachable NY.