Struggles & Mindset Blocks All Entrepreneurs Face

Audio Transcript

(5s):
The Wanderlover Podcast was created with a mission to enable travel and freedom through entrepreneurship. I’m your host, Danielle Hu: business mentor, content creator, and founder of The Wanderlover. Tune in every week for episodes about travel, online business, social media, and mindset that will inspire you to take massive action towards living the life of your dreams. Hello guys. And welcome back to another episode of The Wanderlover Podcast. Hello from sunny Puerto, Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.

(46s):
Can you believe it’s been an entire month since Ragz and I got here? Time flies so fast, and I think the entire month it’s only rained, maybe like once or twice and every day, it’s literally just been eighties and nineties and perfect, beautiful sunny weather. We have chosen to extend our stay at our current Airbnb for another few weeks, and we’re moving to a different area of Puerto Escondido next month. But I think in mid December, we’re going to go back to New York for the holidays to celebrate with my friends and family.

(1m 28s):
Until then we’ll definitely just be surfing and working and enjoying this Mexican sunshine and food and weather. We have some really exciting projects here at The Wanderlover headquarters. So if you guys are tuning into this episode on Monday, November 16th on its launch day, this is going to be happening tomorrow, November 17th. I am launching my first ever designer dress in collaboration with The Adventure Dress, whose mission is to empower women around the world and support local Balinese artisans. So if you’ve been following along on Instagram the past few months, back when I was still in Brazil, I had asked you guys about different dress styles and different patterns, and really wanted to make it really interactive and get your opinions on what type of adventure dress you would like to see designed.

(2m 24s):
And I just finished shooting the past few weeks. The dress came out beautiful. It’s just really bold and represents everything the Wanderlover is about it. It doesn’t wrinkle either. So the material – you can pack it, you can put it on. It’s so comfortable. You can wear it up to like 24 hours on long plane rides, you know, and it’s a dress so you don’t have to worry about matching. I love it so much and I cannot wait for you guys all to see it. So it’s going to be launching on the 17th and you will have two weeks to make a purchase. Every purchase supports local volunteers, artisans, and you guys know I’ve spent so much time in Bali.

(3m 5s):
Everyone there is just so genuine and so warm and it’s, it just makes me so happy to be working with this company. And if you want to see how my first designer dress came out, follow along on Instagram and I’ll be providing a 20% off discount code for when it launches. And if you make a purchase within the first two weeks, you get 20% off and you’ll also support local volunteers artisans. The second announcement from The Wanderlover headquarters this week is we are working on our second ebook, Instagram for Business, the ultimate branding and client attraction guide. So a few weeks ago, I polled all of you on my Instagram story asking about what you guys are struggling the most with on Instagram.

(3m 51s):
And most of you said Instagram for Business. So I’m going to break it down A to Z and also include tips on content creation on sales, on monetization, and on personal branding. The Waitlist is open, so if you go into my Instagram bio, you can sign up for the waitlist and be the first one to know when it launches, or you can go to thewanderlover.com/ifb-waitlist. And then the last thing is not really an announcement, but I do want to all my podcasts listeners to get the inside scoop, we are working on our first ever Black Friday Sales. So I’m still playing around with dates.

(4m 31s):
I’m thinking about launching it from next Monday to Monday or next Friday to Monday. So I’m unsure yet, but you guys are the first to know; there will be so many offers that I’m really excited to share, including a pre-launch of my newest e-book, as well as a lot of different bundles to help you in your entrepreneurship journey whether you are just starting out or whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur looking to grow your business to the next level. So stay tuned for that and follow along on Instagram. If you don’t already, I am Danielle at The Wanderlover T H E W A N D E R L O V E R. All right.

(5m 11s):
Those are all of the updates for the hour. Let’s get started with this week’s episode: Struggles and Mindset Blocks All Entrepreneurs Face. And I felt really called to do this episode this week, because it’s something that I see in most, if not every single one of my clients’ journeys at one point or another. These struggles and mindset blocks are things I have faced in my personal entrepreneurship journey. And as you guys may know, I started a brand new Facebook group. And in the questions when people request to join, I ask them what their biggest struggles are. And more often than not they are so common. There are things that I have went through, you know, I’ve seen over and over again, but I feel like for new entrepreneurs, or maybe even entrepreneurs looking to make that next level leap, we all face the same things, but we don’t know it because a lot of times on Instagram, you know, on social media and the internet, it’s always a highlight reel and you don’t see behind the scenes of what people are actually struggling with.

(6m 16s):
So when you’re going through this by yourself, you may think that you’re the only one. And it’s only until talking to other people or maybe listening to this podcast and me telling you I’ve seen it so many times, you know, like I’ve experienced, you see you are not alone. And so I just really want this out in this world to make you guys really see it’s a phase. If you’re feeling any of those, it’s normal, we’re in it together, we’ll get through it. The first struggle and mindset block all entrepreneurs face at one point or another is imposter syndrome. And this is when you feel like you are not qualified to do whatever it is that you want to do, that there are so many other people doing it already who are so much better than what you are capable of doing.

(7m 7s):
You know and I know that I have felt that this at one point or another, you know, like you’re familiar with how I went from drop shipping to Amazon FBA, to becoming a travel and influencer, to becoming a business coach. And when I went through all of these stages in the beginning, I was always like, who am I to be doing this? Like, I do not have the background for it. Look at all of these other people with so much to show. So many years of experience, so many assets, right? And I see this with every one of my clients, if they don’t have a company or a business in front of them, yet, this mindset block really prevents them from taking the action necessary in order to create the business and the brand that they want.

(7m 51s):
And I also see this when entrepreneurs are going from like 1K months to 5k months to 10K months to 20K months. And before all of these, imposter syndrome kicks in the time and time again – where they start questioning themselves when they start doubting themselves. And the whole thing about imposter syndrome and actually about a lot of these struggles are that there are all in your mind. So “whether you believe you can or cannot, you are right.” My brother, shout out, he actually introduced me to this quote. And it is so true, right?

(8m 31s):
“Whether you believe you can or cannot, you are right.” And this is why I stress mindset so much because if you are going through this new entrepreneurship journey by yourself, or maybe you have a coach, you know, who’s there to tell you from a third person perspective that you know, what you’re going through is normal. But if you’re going through this by yourself and you’re really thinking, I can’t do it, why am I different?…There’s already so many people out there. You really just need to snap out of that mindset. And you need the inner knowing that, you know, what’s best for yourself and that it will work out, that you won’t quit and you will continue on this path until you see success.

(9m 16s):
And I know this is so much easier said than done. And so an exercise I have for you, if you are experiencing imposter syndrome is write down every single thing that makes you qualified for what it is that you want to do. And if you think that you lack qualifications, go and learn it, you know, like go and invest in a course, invest in a book, invest in a coach until you are where you want to be, because everything is learnable and everything is figure out-able right. So instead of thinking, I don’t have the experience or the qualifications or this or that, either realize that you may have more than you think you do.

(10m 1s):
And also the opportunities that are out there for things that you can learn, right? Every single time I pivoted in my business, I had no experience in what it is or what it was that I wanted to get into, but I knew that I could figure it out. I could learn. And with enough time and dedication, it would all work out. And I can confidently say this. I think it’s getting easier and easier for me because I’m more familiar with Entrepreneurship. I’ve been a full-time entrepreneur for the past few years, and I’ve also helped so many people navigate this path. But I will say when I was first starting out, when I first quit my corporate job, that was when imposter syndrome had hit me the hardest, because of all these other creators who had already a brand name for themselves.

(10m 53s):
Right. And over time, the resilience that every single time I’ve personally faced imposter syndrome, I basically just give myself a pep talk, right. And I just write down every single thing that I’m struggling with and seeing the other side of the coin, shifting my future from thoughts stemming, from fears to thoughts, stemming from faith and possibility and opportunity. And when you have the power to change your mindset, like in a snap, that will make all the difference. I guarantee you, if you want to talk this out with anyone, if you want like a reality check for yourself, or if you just want to talk through maybe some imposter syndrome that you’re currently going through, feel free to DM me.

(11m 40s):
And my DMS are always, always open. And it makes me so happy to hear from all of you and especially the ones who listen to these podcasts. Oh my God, all my listeners, I love you all so much. And before we dive into the next common struggle and mindset block, I really just want to stress how important mindset is and go back to the fact that most of these struggles and mindset blocks, you know, are all in your head. And it’s so common to kind of dismiss these as struggles because a lot of times, you know, like I studied finance and marketing, I went to business school and I remember when things would come up in marketing terms or mindset terms like I would automatically characterize things like that as fluff, you know, there’s no numbers behind it.

(12m 31s):
There’s no data supporting it. I would see Tony Robbins and Mindset Mastery and just brush it off and be like, this is ridiculous. It doesn’t teach me how to become an entrepreneur. It doesn’t teach me how to make money. And I was so, so skeptical and I’m on the other side now, you know, like I’m preaching mindset, I’m looking up to Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk. I am in that world. And I came from a completely different finance world, you know? And now that I’m here as a business owner, I know how important mindset is. I work through it with every single one of my clients and all of these struggles come down to whether or not you have the inner knowing that things are going to work out and that you are going to be successful if you put in the time and energy and effort, right?

(13m 30s):
And that’s a mental thing. I think that you are destined for success if you firmly believe it, and you know, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve whatever it is that you want and will never quit. You have this inner confidence, this inner surety where no struggle, no failure, nothing can get in your way. And that is all in your head. And that is what all successful entrepreneurs have. That is the mentality. So I just want to stress this over and over, because you cannot listen to this episode skeptical. You cannot listen to it, trying to find fallacy in every statement that I’m making. And I don’t know how else to reiterate this.

(14m 11s):
Like I’ve been on that side where everything, where it’s not driven by data or science or numbers, I’m like, what is this? Why do I have to listen to it? It’s all fluff and BS. And so I really urge you to do that…to take like, take this episode in with an open mind. The next biggest struggle and mindset block that I see all entrepreneurs face is confusion. Confusion in what to invest in, what to work on, you know, like, how do I manage my time? How do I hire other people? How do I find my first VA?

(14m 54s):
And just information overload on everything on the internet and everything on social media. Again, it’s all highlight reels. It’s posts about people figuring things out and reaching these new milestones with no one really sharing about what happens behind the scene, you know, but every single person, when you’re doing something new for the first time, whether it’s posting your first post on Instagram, posting your first post on Tik Tok, launching a new product or service for your business, hopping on your first discovery call, having to verbalize your rates in real life. You know, like all of these things, no one enters this world, knowing how to do things for the first time.

(15m 40s):
And if you’re only relying on information from the internet without actually doing it yourself, or finding someone to tell you exactly what it is you need to be working on right now, you know, and if you’re just reading anything and everything for free on the internet, it causes so much confusion. And so if you are currently going through this, you are not alone. You know, like everyone goes through this period and time of confusion and the easiest way out of it is to either A take action and figure out what works or doesn’t work for yourself or B invest in something that will tell you exactly what it is that you need to do, or find someone to give you specific advice on what you should be working on.

(16m 31s):
And preferably someone who has already been there, done that, tested it out a few steps ahead of you. They can tell you exactly what it is you need to be working on in your business right now, because if you don’t take specialized advice to your situation specifically, how are you going to know what to look for? If you’ve never done it, or if you’re never, if you’re not there yet, like it’s basically trying to get to a destination without having a map without knowing even where the destination is. And you don’t have anything to navigate to where you want to go.

(17m 17s):
Right? So take directions from people who are where you want to be. If you are an entrepreneur or want to be an entrepreneur and want to be part of an all-inclusive high vibe, community of side hustlers, digital nomads, and creatives, I just created a brand new free Facebook group called The Wanderlover Community. And everyone in it is here to support, inspire and take massive action together, learn about all things social media, online business, mindset and travel and feel free to ask the questions I am in it. Every single day entrepreneurship is full of ups and downs.

(17m 57s):
And we are here to help you through the lows and celebrate the highs. I’m really excited because I’m going to be doing live trainings, Q and A’s, wine nights. So please join us and don’t miss out on the fun. You can search on Facebook, the Wanderlover Community, or click on the link in the description. I’ll see you inside Next struggle and mindset block all entrepreneurs face is impatience. It’s this feeling that things aren’t working out the way I want them to and things aren’t happening fast enough. You know, like I started my business a month ago and I’m not making six figures yet, or I started my Instagram three months ago and I don’t have a a hundred thousand followers yet.

(18m 47s):
And if you know me in real life, or if you ask Ragz, I am literally at one of the most impatient people you can come into contact with. I will admit this, but in terms of my business, I am infinitely patient. So if you have gotten over the confusion phase, you know, like the second struggle where you were just confused about what your next steps should be, if you had gotten over that phase and currently you have guidance and mentorship and you know more or less how to run a business, but you’re just judging your success based on the super official timeline that you’ve created for yourself, then you are essentially trying to control what you can’t control in business, right?

(19m 42s):
And if you’re focusing on your failures or why things aren’t going according to your timeline, you’re only going to quit prematurely, or you’re going to stop showing up for your business in a way that’s necessary for success. Or you’re just going to give up on being consistent or, you know, give up entirely. And this is so important to note because this impatience and trying to basically control your business from A to Z, and that’s not healthy. And that comes from a place of fear. You know, a place of, if it’s not going the way I really think it should go, then it means that I’m a failure.

(20m 33s):
And ultimately, if you have the inner knowing that things are going to work out, that you’re destined for success, you don’t judge based on superficial metrics, right? You don’t judge your value and your business based on how many followers on Instagram you have or how much money you’re making in month three. You are just so sure of your path and your worth and your value that these things don’t even matter. So for example, The Wanderlover Podcast Instagram page right now. I think it has around like 150 followers. And I started it more than a month ago and I’ve been posting every single day and that’s completely fine to me.

(21m 19s):
I view it as a success. I view that I have a Podcast page that I’m consistent with, that I’m providing value for. I get DMs all the time saying how much value it provides them and how I’ve changed their life. Like that is where I focus my wins and successes. But if I had wanted it to grow to a thousand followers after a month, I wouldn’t have seen all of that success or all the things I’ve listed as successes, right. And things like follower count, things like features, things like income, all of those are out of your control.

(21m 60s):
But if, you know, if you’re so sure of this one path that you’re on, it’s not even going to phase you. And you know, this is another example, right? Like I think I can be more patient now in terms of business because I know more or less what is required for success. And it’s basically just time and consistency and value. But for example, on LinkedIn, you know, I’m doing a 90 Day LinkedIn challenge where I’m posting every single day for 90 days. Ultimately I know that success is going to take longer than 90 days on LinkedIn. It’s just a challenge to get me started, but ultimately it’s not going to be this one challenge that makes The Wanderlover successful on LinkedIn.

(22m 52s):
It’s posting consistently, posting valuable content every day for basically the rest of the Wanderlover brands like… What do you call it? Lifespan! And because I know that if I just do this every day for years to come success is a guarantee. I’m not judging it based on how it’s doing after 90 days. It’s so much more than that. And so I think the key thing is knowing that the universe will provide. That is the key to solving your impatience. And if you’re still trying to control what you can’t control, if you’re trying to put a time to it, it’s just a confirmation you have your fears and maybe have your inadequacy, or, you know, basically trying to just prove to yourself that you can’t do it.

(23m 47s):
And that’s not where we want to be because I know that you are capable of success, but you have to believe it yourself. And so try to be patient, you know, practice self-love, self-awareness, do things in your business. Take action from places of inspiration and take action every single day. You don’t want to be just so hung up on your thoughts and, you know, struggling putting all this negative energy and being like, why aren’t things working out? Why am I not a millionaire yet?

(24m 27s):
I quit my job yesterday! And all of this frustration – you don’t need that in your business. All you need is to be sharing valuable information every single day, and knowing that you are going to be successful. Okay. The last struggle that all entrepreneurs face is sales. And I go through this a lot. I’ve gone through it in my own business, but sales is something that doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people. And more often than not, it’s a learned skill. You know, like no one is born knowing how to sell. And I know that in some movies, like in Wolf of Wall Street, or, you know, there’s like sales kings in there, but it all comes down to practice.

(25m 19s):
It does. And if you think about it – without sales, you don’t have a business. And in terms of entrepreneurship, every single entrepreneur needs to sell something, whether it be a product or a service. And I feel like- and this comes down a lot to money mindset, right? Like maybe you grew up in a family where you really had to work hard for a paycheck, or you have to save every penny for a rainy day. And I have struggled with this too. Like growing up, I saved every single penny and that was just who I was. And I needed to have X amount in my savings account. And that just made me feel secure. And so a lot of it is money mindset.

(26m 2s):
And there are all of these stories that you tell yourself about how easy it is to make money, about whether or not you deserve to be compensated for your time and energy in products and services, right? And these are all stories that you tell yourself. And I really want to speak to the freelancers here in terms of charging what you are worth. Do not price your services based on other people’s limiting beliefs about their prices, right? Know your value and stick to it. If you know that you can offer quality service at a hundred dollars an hour, while everyone else on the market is charging $50 an hour, charge what you are worth if you know you can deliver at that quality.

(26m 50s):
Because more often than not, people are going to see the value in that. And people aren’t even going to see the competitor’s prices because they want to work with you. And who knows, you know, the other person charging $50 an hour may think that they’re worth a hundred dollars an hour, but they just have all of these limiting beliefs around money that prevents them from doing that. So I encourage you to charge what you are worth. And this all comes from practice and sales and this whole practice of pricing in entrepreneurship. So in terms of sales, again, I see a lot of people come to me being like, “I don’t know how to sell sales.

(27m 41s):
This is gross. It feels really gross to me like a used car salesman.” You know, like sales is so hard. I’ve had a few like sales calls and none of them went well. And again, practice, practice, practice, and also change the script. If you’re not sure, constantly telling yourself that you don’t know how to sell, that you don’t know how to run a business, that you don’t know how to work this entrepreneurship route… You’re not going to try to figure it out. You know? And for me, like I get so, so excited to buy my flight tickets because it brings me joy and new experiences. And other people are so excited to pay for their college tuition because they know that it’s going to open a world of new experiences and opportunities for them.

(28m 32s):
It’s debatable in this market right now, but I know college is like a very exciting experience for a lot of Americans. And so a lot of these transactions, those are all sales. And if you can apply that same mentality into your business, like after they buy this from me, their life is going to be this much better, then it’s so worth the $60 that I’m charging for it. If you bring that energy and that flow into your business, I guarantee you sales from service is going to feel so much better for you. And you’re never going to view it again as like I’m really trying to push this thing that they may or may not want, and I need them to buy it so that I can get my paycheck.

(29m 17s):
That is not the energy that you want in your business. And that’s not even what you are about. Everyone I work with – they have such quality content. They deliver such amazing content to their clients and customers and it should never feel like you are pushing like this cky products to someone when they don’t want it. And so these are the most common Struggles and Mindset Blocks that I see a lot of entrepreneurs face. I have gone through them myself so I know exactly how you feel and what it feels like to go through them. I’m here to say, it’s not going to be like that forever.

(30m 1s):
Take action, practice, make mistakes, reach out for help. You can do this. And I want you to like count – if you choose to listen to this episode again – count how many times I say mindset. But ultimately it all comes down to your mindset. If you enjoy this episode, if you’re enjoying this podcast, it would mean so much to me if you could rate and review it on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts, I will see you in the next episode and have an amazing week guys. Sending you all so much love!

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