Five years ago at this time, I was working with my advisory council to launch a formal pivot from my former leadership institute into launching a sales agency. That’s right – The Doyenne Agency is turning five!
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I started the agency, but I’ve also learned, grown, and accomplished so much in this time. Professionally and personally, I am a vastly different person from who I was when we first made the shift.
In honor of our fifth anniversary, I had a chance to sit back and think about some of the invaluable lessons I’ve learned over the past five years. Now, I want to share them with you.
Key Takeaways
1. I can do hard things. Anyone who’s taken the leap and done it knows that starting your own business is hard. Not only does being a business owner have the tendency to expose all your insecurities, but there are so many unknowns and uncertainties to overcome (especially if, like me, you’re transitioning to a new skill set and client base). If there’s one thing that becoming a business owner taught me, it’s that I can do hard things and thrive – and you can, too.
2. There’s value in experimenting. Like I mentioned, there are so many uncertainties when you’re first starting a business. To find the answers, it’s important to give yourself space to experiment. When I was first starting out with the agency, I experimented a lot with pricing structures, pitching various pricing models in different sales conversations to see what stuck. I still experiment when introducing new offers or making other pivots. The one caveat here is that you still need to go in prepared; decide which tack to take before going into the sales conversation instead of just winging it.
3. Focus is powerful. At the very beginning, my council set out one job for me: have conversations with my network to let them know about the pivot. Similarly, I had one goal: to secure six clients in my first six months of business. Sticking to a singular focus helped me calm the squirrels, all those distracting ideas scurrying around in my head. I was also shocked at how quickly I saw the results I wanted, which helped me feel more confident in what I was doing and stay motivated in those early days
4. Relational currency is invaluable. One of our main tenets here at The Doyenne Agency revolves around relationship-based sales. With so much noise these days, far too many sales professionals get stuck in the moment and view people as transactional, simply a means to an end for that sale. But relationships are so invaluable in business. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met someone in passing to have it lead to a valuable connection or opportunity (sometimes years) down the line. Remember, it’s not only about what you can receive, but what you can give back. Plant those seeds now, and I guarantee you’ll reap the harvest sooner rather than later.
5. There’s nothing like having a good team. If there’s one thing I could change about the last five years, it’s that I would have brought on a team sooner. I see way too many business owners trying to go at their big vision alone and carrying all the weight of that on their shoulders. Have you ever seen a skyscraper built by one person alone? As business owners, we need help and support in bringing our visions to life. If you’ve been considering bringing on a team, I would urge you to do it sooner rather than later. It will only get harder the longer you wait as more and more responsibilities build up.
Additional Resources
Thank you for your support and being a part of our community for the last five years. If there’s any way we can support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out by scheduling a free consultation on our website: https://thedoyenneagency.com/
