Fake it until you make it.

One of the biggest misconceptions about business and really “adulting” in general, is that everyone who comes before you knows what they’re doing.  You gotta take that initial leap into the unknown and decide who / what you want to be and wear that with confidence. Ever heard the phrase “Fake it until you make it”? It’s all true. You gotta start somewhere.

The thing that many people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be an expert in your field before you start your business. A lot of this stuff is learned and earned over years of  actually doing it.

I’ve met so many who will tell me about their business ideas to which my reaction is generally along the line of, “Do it!”  But there’s something that holds so many back from ever trying.  A paralyzing step for many is that first one – a determination to just go for it.  Resistance comes in strong from a combination of fear of failure and anxiety over how much one needs to know.

I started my first real business (I’m not counting my elementary school gossip column or junior high scrunchy business here) when I was a freshman in college. I had always been interested in the music business. As such, was studying business in school, and planning to go intern at some record label.  That’s what you gotta do, right?

One of the parents affiliated with my mom’s school happened to be a pretty successful producer. Mom decided she’d introduce me (thanks mom!). Next thing I knew, I was heading to his studio to learn about how I could crack into the business. I was shocked when he gave me my first assignment – to come up with a business name.

From there, I began to build my business around my own persona before I had any tangible product at all. Over time, I found myself releasing records with some of my favorite bands, managing local musicians, and booking national tours for nearly a decade.  More on all of that later…

Working through the struggles of starting a business when I was young helped me gain the confidence and know-how to continue with my entrepreneurial passion and drive that got me to where I am today.

And it all started with a name. So, I suppose that’s step one.