How to Choose Between 2 (or more!) Business Ideas - When I Grow Up

How to Choose Between 2 (or more!) Business Ideas - When I Grow Up Lemme take a shot in the dark here. You’ve been told, since you were a wee lass, that you have to Pick One Thing as a career and then do that one thing for the 43 (!) working years you have until you retire. I know it’s what your parents and/or teachers and/or counselors told you, because it was what they were told they could do. We were all expected to go to school, pick a college major before we graduated high school, stick with that major until college graduation, get a job in a field related to said major (or not â€" but it still needs to be one that’s high paying and “stable” and impressive to others), climb the ladder to become the boss (if not in the same company than at least in the same industry), be the boss, retire, and â€" if you’re a Jew from Long Island like me â€" move to Florida until you die. But what if you’re creative? Multipassionate? Want to do fulfilling, lucrative work on your own timeline? What if you want to control your schedule, hand-pick your team, and decide the clients or customers who you serve? I’m here to stand on my soapbox and shout that it’s time to shed the absolutely outdated way of thinking about your career trajectory and, instead, imagine what you have to offer as a business owner. What would it be like to lean in to your multi-passionate nature? To have things feel expansive yet focused? To feel secure in giving yourself the biggest chance of following through for the years decades? of work you have left? Yeah, you guessed it: It’d feel pretty freakin’ magical. Now, the bad news: There’s no way to answer a few questions about your skillset, personality type, etc. that will spit out a satisfying answer as to what business you should launch. If you, like me, threw “What Color Is Your Parachute?” across the room out of frustration (that book was *not* meant for creative, smart, multi-passionate women, nuh uh), then you just aren’t meant for all those career tests. And that’s okay. The good news? I know you already have some ideas (yup, us multipassionate creatives do not lack in the ideas department), and you no longer have to torture yourself to just pick one. Here are 3 things you can do to get the “What should I offer in my business?” answer that you’re seeking: Find the “And” of your business idea instead of the “Or”. I know you want a focused and streamlined business, one that can easily be communicated and understand both within yourself and with The World At Large. And you can have that (I promise!), but if it needs to feel expansive on the inside so you can satiate your multi-passionate nature. Let’s take my own business, for example. I can be a coach AND a speaker AND a writer AND a marketer AND a teacher (I can go on, but I’ll spare you) while wrapping that all up in a Business Coach for Creative Women bow. Now, let’s say that you are trying to decide between a business as a caterer or a graphic designer. Can they connect in any way? Is there an overall message that’s similar? You might decide to move forward with the catering business because you know you can be the designer, too, and that works well for you. That way, you can be a caterer AND designer AND marketer AND copywriter (I can go on, again) wrapped up in a Caterer bow. Or you might realize that the ideal clients for both of these businesses are couples getting married! If so, you can then launch a business that offers wedding branding, invite design, AND catering. Whoa! Talk about serving a need that’s not usually met and embracing your multi-passionate nature, huh? Whatever you choose, it’s exactly right! Move forward with what feels ease-iest. We’ve all been taught that work is called “work” because it’s not play (if not in those words), and that you have to “pay your dues” and “work hard” to be successful. But guess what: it’s not true. I find that whatever my client claims as being “Too easy” or “Something that anyone can do” is the right thing for her to move forward with, oh, 100% of the time. No Sarah, everyone can not sew their own capsule wardrobe. No Jane, everyone can not help job hunters ace their interviews. No Karen, everyone can not make a birthday cake so beautiful and delicious that you fool everyone at the party into thinking it’s bakery-bought. So stop saying so, own your talent/skill/passion, and turn it into whatever size empire you’re dreaming of, please and thank you. Decide to take the first step with whatever ranks highest on the scary/excitement-o-meter that you can offer now. Here’s a little exercise: Set a timer for 3 minutes and make a list of everything you can do for $50+ tomorrow. When the timer goes off, ask your loved ones and besties and add to that list. Then put it on your nightstand and add to it when more things come to you as you drift off to sleep. Then, in the morning, consult your scary/excitement-o-meter with each and every idea. Here’s what to ask yourself: How does that idea make you feel, in your gut and your heart? The more it feels both scary and exciting, the more I care about it. If you give it a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “I’d dread this” and 10 being “This would be the biggest dream ever and I’m super terrified of it”, I want you to circle everything that’s above a 7. Then give those circled ideas their own numbers from 7-10. Take the idea that’s at or closest to 10 and move it forward.   Yup. It can be that easy. Go find a guinea pig client. Submit a guest post to your favorite blog. Finish one single painting. See what happens when you keep following the fear/excitement all the way to whatever “clicks.” And if you have more than one “highest number”, consult the first 2 ideas above. Still unsure? Then just do something anything! Only by getting out of your head and into your hands can you get real clarity into your grown-up business. Your Name: CEO. Such a nice ring to it Theres a reason why business coaches have business coaches its because its *so* hard to get clarity on your own! Thankfully, the doors to Discover Your Dream Business will open on 4/22 with immediate access to the first lesson *and* early bird pricing. Get on the list and get the guidance, support, and camaraderie you need to make your CEO dreams a reality!