A soul-led business leads us on a path to our own self-discovery where we find that we don’t need to have all the answers, we just need to start showing up. So stop overthinking it and just start your online business already!
In this article, I break down the mindset hack I've used to simplify my online business, even when I was super overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. It's a simple, 4-step process that looks like this:
Find Your "Why"
Monetize Your Interests
Collect Information
Share Your Knowledge
Sound too simple? It's not, you're probably just over-complicating things :)
Starting Your Soul-Led Business
If you’ve stumbled across my little corner of the internet, I’m guessing you are interested in living life on your own terms, making money from wherever you want, and leaving the “rat race” that so many of us call life.
I’m with you. I was you. And now I’m here! Talking to you and teaching you what I've learned from my own experience (by the way, that’s really all my business is).
We tend to overcomplicate things out of fear or as a means of self-sabotage. But if you honestly plan to change your life, at some point, you have to drop the excuses and just freaking start.
Finding Your Why (Mission Statement)
Think of your "Why" as the Mission Statement for your business. Some common motivators people have for starting their own business are to spend more time with their family, be their own boss, or support a cause they're passionate about—all fabulous reasons to start an online biz.
My “Why” has evolved over time, but began as a means to find my Self again. I had just been laid off from my freelancing job and was forced to take a long, hard look at my life and what I wanted to do with it. It definitely wasn’t managing someone else’s social media account and I was sick of trading my time for a paycheck that should have been bigger. No wonder I was laid off, right?
I knew that something needed to change and that my mental health would suffer if I continued spending my days working on shallow-minded, unethical marketing campaigns. So, I finally decided that I was worth the investment and that my dreams were worth the risk I needed to take to make them happen.
If you’re having trouble finding your “Why”, I have a program called The 7-Day Soul Reset that may help you find an answer. It’s a great place to start if you’re interested in meeting your Self on a whole new level.
The 7-Day Soul Reset shares the tools and practices I utilized to get myself out of the funk I was in and finally grow into the person I needed to be to start my own business. You'll learn how to use meditation techniques and custom journal prompts to help get you where you need to go in life.
If you've been flirting with the idea of starting your own business, but fear, anxiety, and lack of confidence are holding you back, you just need to find yourself again. Once you've figured this piece out, the rest will fall into place. Now, let's move on to the next important phase of your business plan.
Monetize Your Interests (Niche)
This is the part where people tend to bog themselves down. Instead of taking inventory of the skills, hobbies, and interests that come easily to us, we focus on the things we don’t have, like extra cash laying around, a huge social media following, or a degree.
“We need to learn how to want what we have, not to have what we want in order to get steady and stable happiness.” – Dalai Lama
Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Your "Niche"
What are my hobbies?
What could I spend hours researching and have a blast doing it?
What compliments do I receive most often?
If you’re having trouble with this part, it may be helpful to ask your close family or friends. Sometimes it’s easier to have these things pointed out to us. We judge ourselves enough, right? Let's get some feedback from people who love us, unconditionally.
Now that you have settled on an idea, interest, or hobby you enjoy, congratulations! You have also discovered your target audience or niche! Just imagine the person you were about two to three steps behind where you are now in life. Those are the people you want to be talking to.
You can also take some hints for your branding in this step. Did people say you are bubbly, friendly, and personable? Use that to inspire your brand colors and fonts!
Collect Information (Research & Development)
This is the part where we really start to growwww. The more research you do and the more knowledge you curate for your future clients, the more confident you will become about putting yourself out there.
The best thing about this phase of your journey is that if you chose a topic/niche that truly lights you up, learning more about it will fill your cup in the process!
Have you ever heard the saying, “Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life”? This is the sweet spot that will make your business plan fail-proof. Passion is what makes a successful entrepreneur and if you have that, you will be unstoppable.
This time that you spend cultivating your content and your message will also give you a better understanding of your target audience. Remember, they are just like you–searching the same terms, asking the same questions, and looking for the same products!
Share Your Knowledge (Marketing)
Again, you don’t have to be an expert to share what you know. I promise you, there are people out there who are searching for the information you have and are craving to see it presented to them in the unique way that only you could.
As scary as it may be, one of the best parts about sharing your knowledge with others is that it will help you retain all that information even more. They say the best way to learn is to teach!
Another piece I see a lot of solopreneurs and online business owners getting caught up on is where they will share their information. Just follow your intuition. Forget everything you hear from the marketing bros and just pick your favorite platform and roll with it!
Creating a soul-led business not only asks - but requires you to shut out all the static and dial into what’s true to you. If social media feels like a black, sticky tarpit in your gut every time you sign in, then you probably won’t find much success marketing your business there.
Wherever and however you choose to share your knowledge, just be authentic, cite your sources, and give a shit about the people you care to serve and you’re already halfway to a successful business!
Final Thoughts
If you’re sick of “Keeping up with the Joneses”, creating your own online business is an excellent path toward that non-traditional lifestyle you crave.
Don’t waste time overthinking, over-analyzing, or being self-critical, and just start! If this is something you want, then life wants it for you, too. It’ll happen.
In The 7-Day Soul Reset, you’ll learn the tools I used to go from lost and laid-off to being refreshed and committed to my future. This program will help you not only to find clarity in your business idea but give you a path back to yourself, as well.
I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments section below!
So much love,
Haley
