A few things no one tells you about running a business

By Tricia Scott.

Most of business is a bit, well, weird, but no one really tells you that, do they?

I’ve mentored more than a hundred women, and I've been reflecting on the conversations we have and the recurring themes and, of course, where it all started for me, and here's what I know for sure.

It's not linear.

We hear talk about strategy.
Mindset.
Funnels.
Visibility.
Confidence.

But not usually about the bit where you:

• Reread an email six times to make sure you don’t sound “too salesy” or “not professional enough.”
• Feel wildly capable one minute and deeply (deeply) suspicious of your own self-confidence the next.
• Give brilliant advice to everyone else while completely ignoring it in your own life.
• Have a military-style colour-coded plan and a little cry into your coffee before lunch.

Somewhere along the way, we decided that being professional meant being polished at all times and at all costs. Calm. Certain. In control.

But most of us are out here building amazing businesses while overthinking captions, avoiding one specific task like our lives depended on it, and having imaginary heated conversations in the shower where we finally say the thing we should have said, like, 4 years ago to that HR manager who made us cry.

This doesn’t make you bad at business. It makes you human inside your business.

You’re allowed to be strategic and sensitive.

Confident and cautious.

Clear on your purpose and still figuring out the next step (or five).

You’re allowed to lead without having all of the answers.

This week, stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” And start asking, “What if this is just what it looks like to grow?”

You don’t need to harden up, and you don’t need to become a shinier, perfected version of yourself (please don’t).

You’re building something real. And real things are a bit messy.

And that is totally ok.

I believe in you (always).

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 Tricia Scott is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Female CEO — a global platform, magazine, and community dedicated to helping women build confident, aligned, powerful businesses.

A startup mentor and multi-company director, she’s spent the past decade helping women move from overwhelmed and isolated to empowered and intentional.

Most days, she’s juggling her MacBook, her next big idea, and a very necessary caffeine supply. Connect with her at thefemaleceo.com.