How it all began!
“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling what if you fly?” -Erin Hanson
The quote above has held true for me on many occasions. What if I fall? This question happened when the first thought came to mind about starting a business. I talked myself out of it faster than the idea came. My ego said ‘You aren’t disciplined enough’, ‘You don’t like tough conversations, what if you have a problem?’, ‘If you fail you won’t have enough money to survive!’, ‘You aren’t smart enough’, and so many other untrue and fear-based statements, I could fill a whole book. I let the idea go…or so I thought.
A little Background
If you’re new to my story let me take a moment to introduce myself. (If you already know and love me you won’t mind hearing it again!) Let’s start with my company name, The Spectacular Middle. I’m a middle child and have always identified with being in the middle, a natural mediator and connector. In my twenties, I had the desire to start writing and I thought I would start a blog – which I assumed no one would read! I struggled with a name and then stumbled upon the idea of playing on my middle-ness, something I’ve always felt was a gift. In the middle, you are really digging into the good, the bad, and the messy, and you often get to see both perspectives in a situation and – it’s spectacular! And, so it was, The Spectacular Middle.
So how did I go from writing a blog that was collecting cobwebs to being an entrepreneur? I listened to my heart, engaged my head, and went with my gut! I let go of the what if I fall notion and embraced the, but what if I fly idea! I transitioned out of my traditional 9 to 5 career into building my own business. I took all the skills I gained working in Administrative, Human Resources, Tech, and some teaching, along with what I learned from my previous bosses, most of whom were entrepreneurs and people who were open and willing to share their experiences and knowledge, and carried that knowledge into my own business. I also brought with me the many moments of closed-off, micromanaging bosses too.
Holding tight to how I wanted to show up differently for myself. I had a big toolbox full of skills all of which were transferable to working in the Virtual Support world. My goal was to give myself the freedom of time, money, and location. It worked, and it’s working. In my first year, I replaced my corporate income, I had many learning moments both good and messy. I have stretched, I have definitely fallen, I have grown and I am still growing. Making the leap from a traditional job, 9 to 5, or corporate career to being your own boss is possible and it is pretty Spectacular. Taking the LeapIn 2021, I started The Spectacular Middle, a Virtual Support services company providing support to heart-centered entrepreneurs as they build, manage, and grow their businesses. For the first 6 months, I worked my 9 to 5 and did my business as a side hustle. This gave me the security of my paycheck as I got my feet firmly planted in my own business. When it reached the ‘too much’ mark I took the leap and I gave my notice. I left the corporate world and I didn’t look back.
I now help my clients tackle their to-do lists and work alongside them, with ‘boutique services’ that let them choose a level of support that fits them. I get the joy and privilege of helping them bring their big visions into reality. I gave myself freedom of time– I set my schedule and decide what tasks I work on and when. I gave myself freedom of money– I am in control of my earning power, what products and services I offer, and how I scale my business. I gave myself freedom of location– this one may not fit everyone’s dream, but my dream was a Virtual Support company which meant I could work anywhere with a good internet connection. I now work from my home office, my car, a local coffee shop, or wherever I find myself.
Three Things You Can Do If you are dreaming of your own leap, here are three things you can do now to get started:
Write it down – Write down your dreams, goals, and vision. Writing things down helped to keep me motivated and enabled a higher level of thinking, and therefore, more focused attention. I told a close friend about my dream, and she and I both wrote my end date of my corporate job on the calendar.
Talk it through – Share your goals and dreams with a trusted friend or family member – choose someone who you know will build excitement, not cast judgment. By sharing your ideas you can increase alignment, get clearer on your direction, and they can help you evaluate your ideas in a positive way.
Set yourself up for success – Look at your ‘toolbox’ of skills and focus on those that ‘light you up’. What do you enjoy doing? What makes you get lost in the ‘flow’? I will hazard a guess that this passion is your ‘zone of genius’ and it’s where you’ll find your success.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I’m very grateful you’re here, and I’m so excited for you to embrace your opportunity to fly! I hope this blog will be one of those trusted places you go to for inspiration, learning, and support as you grow through your messy middle.
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