5 ways to prepare yourself to leap into Entrepreneurship

“Sometimes you have to be willing to let go of something old to grab onto something new. You have to be willing to let a part of you die that you used to be comfortable with in order for another part of you to be born” – Lisa Nichols

This quote resonates SO MUCH with me when I decided to take the leap!! For those of you that are new here; I have been an entrepreneur since June 2017 (so a little over a year and a half now). I worked in corporate America for eight years before I found my passion for building my brand Bolden Creative Media. My “glow up” did not happen overnight. I’ve been in the influencer industry for about 5 years, but consistently blogging for around 3 years now. So, becoming my own Boss 2 years into this game is the biggest blessing!

2018 was definitely my year! I earned so many amazing opportunities that I am so thankful for- but I prayed and worked hard for this. I prayed for the moment to be able to impact, inspire and empower women around the world. Taking the leap was not an easy decision, but it was literally the BEST decision of my life. I honestly am so thankful I stuck to my gut and followed my heart.

In March of 2017, I made the decision to make the leap. I was getting opportunities, growing extremely busy, making income and working hard. I worked a full-time 9-5 job, so I was at a point in my business where I was constantly putting in PTO days to fly out to different cities for events, photo shoots and projects. I mentally felt like I was “checking out” of my full-time job- and it showed. I had countless conversations with my managers and I was actually put on an action plan- yikes. It was my first time in my career that I was ever on a disciplinary action, but that was honestly because I was not there, mentally and physically. I was not happy.

I remember the day I decided I was going to quit like it was yesterday. It was a Wednesday and I had just come back from shooting a national campaign in Atlanta where I had to request off Monday and Tuesday from my full-time job. I came back into the office and I was drained. I sat at my desk and I asked, why am I doing this? I cannot do it anymore. I got up from my desk, went to the bathroom and cried hysterically. I called my husband and told him how I felt, and he agreed that I needed to move on.

I left my job in corporate America!!!

As I mentioned, the decision was hard, but it was so worth it! I could say I prepared myself for a good 3-5 months to be confident enough to make this leap and here is how I prepared myself for this leap.

1. BUILD YOUR BUSINESS
That blog, or brand you want to build- BUILD IT. Make it happen. You can’t leave your job and not already have your business ready to go. That is major! When I was working my full-time job I put a ton of energy into getting my business up and running. While working, this is the perfect time to build because you won't have to solely rely on your "side hustle" income. Treat your 9-5 as an investment into your business. Get that LLC, or new laptop- whatever you need to build your business.

2. SAVE:
I had about $10k in the bank saved up. I worked my butt off to save this money. I literally treated every job that I got from my “side hustle” as a bonus, and added it to my savings account. Since I had a full-time job already, this money was just extra for me and I put it into savings. I knew I wanted to have a good enough cushion to support my family once I left the full-time job. I think it is SUPER important to have a cushion when you are leaping because it will save you a ton of stress to not live paycheck to paycheck, or in my case job to job! Half of the, these brands will pay net 30 or net 60 (which means 30 or 60 days AFTER the job is done!). So you have to be prepared for that and have a cash flow already.

3. BUILD AN INCOME STREAM
Before I quit, I had to know that I could make money to sustain myself.  So I made sure my cash flow was in place. I started taking clients and setting up projects so that I knew I would have work and money coming in. My advice would be to start to think about how you will make money and map out potentially how your cash flow would look each month so that you will have an idea on how you will make money. 

4. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP YOU
Connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs or people in your industry who can support you along your journey is huge! Before I quit I was networking, building connections and telling people my goals. I got a business mentor that helped me and was able to be a source for me. Sometimes it is not about what you know, but who you know; so networking and building connections is a great way to build future opportunities. 

5. HAVE FAITH & BE WILLING TO BET ON YOURSELF
You have to be willing to BET on yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself who will? I remember asking my parents for advice on quitting my job and they initially said I needed to keep my job. But honestly, I didn’t let anyone’s opinion steer me away from my decision. Be willing to BET ON YOURSELF! Have faith and know that you can do it!! 

That's all folks!! I am so thankful that I am able to share what I have learned along my journey and I pray I can continue to empower, motivate and inspire all to achieve their goals and dreams. Continue to walk in faith and your purpose!!

With Love, Passion & STYLE,
Dayna