A lot of people feel fear when they make the decision to start their own business, and even through the early stages of the business itself.  I wanted to post this article so that people know that 1) it is perfectly natural, and 2) it can be pretty easily overcome.

This will let me bring a little bit of personal history into the story so you can get to know me a little better.

By the time I was 26 I had spent most of my time growing up in Oklahoma.  I had been to a few other cities, and overseas a few times, but for the most part, I had grown up in Norman, Oklahoma (home of the OU Sooners, go Big Red!) and had really decided that I needed a major change in my life.

Through a car club I became familiar with some folks in Las Vegas and decided that it seemed like a really interesting place to be, lots of new people, lots of lights, and plenty of opportunity.  I said “that’s where I want to go” and within a month my bags were packed and I was ready to head out the door.

Now, a friend of mine had hooked me up with a job so I would have some income when I made it out into Vegas and the transition would be a smooth as possible.

Then September 11th happened.  And if you remember those days the message was very clear, “keep going like you’ve been going, or the terrorists have won.”  My parents actually asked me not to go because they thought it would be too dangerous going to a big city, but I went anyway.  After 3 days of driving (I was towing my car and could barely do 70 mph) and not being able to cross the Hoover Dam, my bulldog Scarlett and I rolled into Vegas on September 23rd, 2001.

The city was eerily quiet from previous times I had visited.  There was still no air traffic, and the strip seemed almost empty at times.  And, as the tourist economy in Vegas hit a major roadblock, my job I was supposed to have on arrival wasn’t available any more.

I decided that instead of hunting for a job when everyone and their dog was getting laid off, I’d have to start my own business and try and bring in money that way.  I had a few bucks to live on, a roof over my head, an internet connection, and a telephone, and that was pretty much what I took to get started.  I decided I would offer some SEO services to people in town.  I had spent time learning different forms of Search Engine Optimization, and I knew that those companies that had websites would especially need help with the downturn in the economy.

The idea of cold calling businesses to most people is pretty nauseating.  And honestly, I think it’s truly a horrible way to drum up business as today we have ways to make interested prospects come to you instead.  But, I had worked in sales before, and I knew I could do it, so I just smiled and dialed.

Besides, what’s scarier: Not eating or having someone hang up on you?

I didn’t even have a kid or a wife, all I had was my dog, but still my brain said “what am I going to do, give her to strangers?  Am I going to let her down by not sacking up and taking care of what needs to be done?”

Failure is/was not an option.

That, in my mind, is how you face your fears in your business.  Think about those that depend on you.  Are you going to let a little discomfort picking up the phone get in the way of your daughter getting the education she truly deserves?

If you concentrate on what YOU lose you really find ways of making yourself ultra resilient.  ”Well, I don’t really need a nice car… I can always just ride a bike”.  Or, “I don’t need to move into a house, all that room is just a cleaning headache.”

If you concentrate on what your loved ones stand to lose, then you pretty much turn into a super hero because we are built to protect the things that we love and care about.   Maybe you have a son or daughter that you would gladly take a bullet for.  Do you fear writing that next article more than death?  Somehow I doubt it.

 

If anyone or anything counts on you, you owe it to them to give 1000% of yourself.

Your children, your spouse, your parents, your pets, etc… They all deserve to have the best of everything.  You are the one that can make that happen, so DO IT.

Oh, and just as a quick aside, after you’ve done those things that cause you fear a time or 10, you become desensitized to them and a week or month down the road you say to yourself, “I was really afraid of THAT?!?”

Be fearless!