I learned more in 2.5 years of entrepreneurship than in almost a decade in corporate

Jun 5

Oh the things I have done in these last 2.5 years. Some of them I never even dared to dream or think of when I was still working in my old role in the corporate world. This post is not a rant about corporate, I absolutely believe you can have dreamy soul-aligned careers that are aligned with your purpose and your core values. This just wasn’t the case for me, obviously.

I have said it before, but being an entrepreneur is like taking on 10+ new jobs at the same time. You as the CEO of your business hire yourself as Marketing Expert, CFO, Product Developer, Website Programmer, Content Creator, Copy Writer, UX Designer, Event Planner, Workshop Host, Project Manager, Sales Person, Video Editor, Podcast Editor, Book Editor, Photographer, Business Operations Manager, Customer Service - all next to the actual work you left your old job for, in my case: coaching. Bear in mind I knew nothing about most of these roles, that others do as full-time jobs. I dived in, learned, and adapted along the way.

I do have to say, I’m actually quite surprised I managed to achieve some other big goals next to doing all of this and wearing all these different hats. Humble brag incoming - we need to celebrate more of what we achieve (this is a note to everyone with Imposter Syndrome and struggling with owning their achievements and expertise!)

I coached dozens of people worldwide for hundreds of hours
I published hundreds of blog posts, posts on Instagram and LinkedIn
I have been guest on several podcast shows
I published articles on several other platforms
I hosted dozens of workshops and masterclasses
I launched my own podcast and YouTube Channel
I created my own notebook range
I got certified and accredited as a coach
I achieved my Diploma in Higher Education in Economics & Management
I reached L2 and am a qualified Fitness Instructor (working on L3 Personal Trainer)
I wrote and self-published my debut book

The best thing about it? I LOVED doing all of this. Every single thing is a passion project, comes straight from my heart, or lights my soul on fire. Did I ever experience that in corporate? No. Forced to work for someone else, doing work in which I could not see the value like I do in coaching, no freedom to express myself for who I am. It was like someone tried to shape me into something that I’m not. Working in a way that doesn’t bring the best out of me, having to suppress opinions, or feeling like I’m hopelessly talking against a wall.

Which leads me to all the other things that I learned in these years of entrepreneurship:

I grew way more confident in myself and my skills
I learned how to manage myself in challenging situations
I skyrocketed my resilience - shit hits the fan? I’m game!
I’m almost unbeatable in emotional regulation, so much so others wonder how I can stay this calm
I healed wounds that I didn’t even know I had but that held me back
I overcame fears, limiting beliefs, and self-doubt
I reaped the benefits of investing in myself over and over again, benefits no one can take away from you
I got to know myself on completely new levels and in completely new situations
I improved on my coaching skills, tools and frameworks and put my own stamp on it to the benefit of my clients
I massively improved communication skills
I know how to set and stick to strong boundaries
I adapt quickly to new challenges, systems, situations
I mastered habit formation and routine building to maximise my productivity
I’m dancing happily in the zone of discomfort - DAILY
the list goes on…