Edges, Ledges and Baby Steps; The Journey of The Courageous Entrepreneur

By Tricia Scott.

Let me ask you something? When was the last time you found yourself on the edge?

You know the place when you can feel a change coming, the ground starts to feel unsteady, and it feels like beyond where your standing, nothing is certain — that edge.

I’ve reached my own edge many times in the last few years. Both in my business and my personal life. The days and weeks where I’ve asked myself, what if? When it feels so exciting, I could burst and, at the same time, so utterly paralysing that I want to literally climb back under the covers and hide forever.

I’ve also noticed that the edge is sneaky. Sometimes it’s disguised as an obstacle or a hurdle that we hit, usually in my case face first, and just when we are apparently floored, we look up and see it’s an opportunity, albeit a well-disguised one.

One such edge came for me when my business started to grow. After two years of side hustle work, I had subscribers, my Facebook community took in its 1000’s member, my blogs were becoming recognised, and I was invited to speak and give opinions across the world on all kinds of platforms. Exciting? Yes. Terrifying? Absolutely. You see, I was a 20+ year corporate company Director. My work leading teams, solving problems and handling multiple accounts was my zone of safety and assurance. I knew what I was doing, and I was doing it well, day in and day out. My edge became scarily time-sensitive, like standing on a cliff edge that was being wethered away in each passing moment.

Back up away from danger or possibility = Safety and stability.

Step forward into the unknown = Opportunity and uncertainty.

My edge, in this case, was time-sensitive because I couldn’t continue working on both things, keeping all of the plates spinning. I was about to start smashing crockery left, right and centre, and I knew it. As my business expanded, my capacity to ‘do it all’ diminished, and I had to decide.

My brain went something like this (and maybe yours is similar?):

What if I step forward, and it all gives way?

What if that beautiful horizon is a mirage, and the closer I get, the faster it fades? By that time, I’ll be so far beyond the edge I’ll never find my way back.

What if I take that one step and all of the things I’ve worked for and dreamed of are realised, and it’s even better than I could have ever imagined? Will people even still like me?

Edges, I’ve realised, are those unique places we’re taken to when action is required when we have to make some sort of move to progress or retreat — the make or break moments. They are also the loneliest of places. You see, no one can decide what happens on the edge except for you; it’s your decision. Your moment of choice and action, and the longer we procrastinate in this place (and you will), the more the weather comes in. The fog hits, the rain comes, and before we know it, we can see sod all — otherwise known as decision fatigue.

In this place of uncertainty, we have to remind ourselves that this is our edge, and it’s different from anyone else’s. Sure, you’ve seen Mary down the road taking a running jump off her own edge and look at her fly! She made that shit look easy! Trust me, if Mary we’re sitting here now, she would tell you that she slipped, fell, cut herself on the way down and cried over the scraped patent leather on her Louboutins. But likely, she would also tell you that what she learned (and what I learned) from our own experiences is that all you need to do is find your feet again. Know that to be here in this place is a sign that you have arrived. It’s OK that it’s scary and overwhelming and uncertain; that’s kind of the entire point.

The procrastination you are feeling is a message and a safety system. Give yourself a break and weigh up your options. The more used we get to trusting our choices, the more comfortable we will be when we find the next edge along the way.

And that’s how it should be. A series of edges, ledges and baby steps — some will take serious navigation, safety harnesses, bump cap and all. Some will require a firm mindset and a pair of walking boots and others, nothing more than a pair of cute flats and a confident hair flick as we take a step forward to make your move, but move you must.

The world is waiting. What’s your next step going to be?

Tricia Scott is the Founder and Editor of The Female CEO - Create Evolve Overcome, a platform and digital magazine holding the space to showcase female entrepreneurs from all over the world. She works and collaborates with various organisations to bring the most inspirational journeys, stories and training to help entrepreneurs on their own personal success mission.

The Female CEO is growing, expanding and gaining global recognition daily and Tricia is able to bring her own level of expertise as a start-up coach, mentor and multi-company director to her very exclusive table along with her team of brilliant Guest Editors and Bloggers. You'll usually find her with her MacBook in one hand and a coffee or a glass of something fizzy in the other and she always have sunglasses in her hair. Reach out anytime!