Success is Never a Solo Journey

I really don’t mind traveling alone.

In fact, I love loading up my car with a stack of CD’s, a thermos of coffee and a well worn map close by on the front seat. Hitting the road with miles in front of me to drive as I wish is a tiny thrill I never quite grow tired of.

There’s just something innately freeing about the whole experience, because I set the course.

I can stick to main roads if I’m in a hurry, or sample back roads if I want to explore. I can go the way I’ve always gone or try a completely different route if I want. If I drive some weird road just to see where it goes, no one complains, and getting lost becomes part of the fun.

I also get to set the pace. I can drive as fast as I want, if I can get away with it. :)) Or I can mosey along and take my sweet time, if that’s how I feel.

I am, quite literally, in the driver’s seat.

So no, I really don’t mind traveling alone at all.

But sometimes, having the right friend along can really make a difference.

Like, when I’m driving a stick shift.
From the right side of the car.
On the left side of the road.
In an unfamiliar city with 9.7 million people.
During the morning rush hour.
While fighting a really bad case of jet lag.

Sometimes, having the right help, well, helps.

I once spent a week with a friend exploring England and Scotland before she took up residence to do some graduate work in Oxford. Our very first challenge was to find our way from the airport to a B&B where we planned to stay that first night.

Right off the bat we were deep into Adventure.

I managed the car and the traffic. She did her best to make sense of the map. We made several trips around the same block, I’m sure of it, and earned quite a few glares as we stumbled our way across London.

It’s probably a good thing you weren’t there to see that part. :)

But stumble across town we did, by jove. And eventually we arrived, which was in fact, a small miracle in and of itself.

I could have made it by myself, but it would have been much, much harder to do. And nowhere near as much fun.

Entrepreneurs like to travel alone, too.

In fact, just like a good solo road trip, being an entrepreneur can be pretty intoxicating stuff.  We love diving deep into a new Adventure – testing our skills and seeing what’s possible.

We set the course. And we set the pace.

We do what we want, the way we want, when we want.

We, too, are in the driver’s seat.

But the road to success is never a solo journey.
Not really.

In fact, no one, and I mean no one, makes it to the top of any field or any endeavor without help along the way.

And lots of it.

I’ve been running one business or another for over 20 years, and I’ve always, always surrounded myself with support. Over time, that’s ranged from meeting colleagues for a cup of coffee and brainstorming, to taking courses on running a business, to joining Facebook forums and Linked In groups.

But I have, by far, made the most progress
and experienced the greatest success
when I was willing to invest
in my own growth as a business owner.

And I’ve done that by hiring the best teachers I could find – whether I could afford it or not.

I hired my first business coach in 2005, and have had others off and on ever since. At each stage of the journey, I’ve made a bigger commitment, scaring myself to death every time.

Never, have I regretted it.

These days, I work with 2 coaches, AND an accountability partner that I talk to weekly, AND I’m part of a mastermind group with members from all over the world. In fact, I just got back from our quarterly retreat last week over in Asheville, North Carolina.

And this is what my support group looks like these days. :)

The Uplevel Academy Gold Mastermind

So where are you are in this process, right now?

Do you want to start your own business, but don’t know how?

Have you been in business for a while, but find yourself stuck in struggle, unclear and unsure of what your next steps should be?

It may be that you’re doing well, but that overwhelm is leering over your shoulder, threatening to throw you off track.

Wherever you find yourself, don’t travel alone.

My private coaching clients are women who are serious about building a business, and a life, that feeds their families AND their souls.  They put everything they have into this work, and their growth is tangible. They start treating themselves, and their business, with a new kind of respect.

It’s not always easy – hardly ever, in fact.

But it’s real. And good.
Incomes go up. Confidence goes up.
Joy comes back.

And on the days when all of that feels a little shaky, they have someone there to get them through the inevitable rough spots and back on their feet.

If you’re an entrepreneur, or want to be, I encourage you to seek out the support you need to get where you want to go. There’s a ton of help out there, just waiting for you to ask for it.

If nothing else, gather a few like-minded friends and start a mutual mastermind. Reach out to someone you admire and ask her to mentor you. Join a Linked In group for business owners and start asking questions. Find someone on the same path and hold each other accountable to your goals. And dreams.

And if it feels like some private coaching could make a difference, then reach out to me. There’s a really good chance that I may be able to help.

I’ve been doing this a long time, and I don’t mind traveling alone. But on this trip, personally, I want company.

I really encourage you to find the same.

_{Photo Credits: Riza Nugraha, Christine Kane}