Happy Birthday Rock Solid!
It’s our birthday!
April is my favorite month of the year for a myriad of reasons, but up near the top of that list is that it's our birthday month! Rock Solid is 6 years old this month!
6 years. Wow. That leads me to a place of wonder and awe. I've been quietly considering what I've learned and grown through and what it all means to me, and I'm delighted to be able to share some of my biggest takeaways with you.
Find value in yourself.
We have to see the value in ourselves first. It’s not self-centric like it sounds. Bear with me!
If I begin to understand where I shine the brightest and into what areas of life and business I bring the greatest benefit, I’ll begin to see that there truly are things I’m not good at and don’t have passion for. My time is valuable. My brain space, creativity, and passion are incredibly valuable. I bring a lot to the table and have a lot to offer.
Learning that has led me to see the value in others as well. Maybe they can’t do what I do, but I’ve got that covered. I need someone who handles their own areas with the same passion and care which I handle my areas.
This has taught me that the gifts and talents I choose to use are also being used to enrich the lives of others! Building your business and growing your team provides space for others to use their gifts and talents -- and to pay them well while doing so!
If we don’t see our own value and that of others, our focus will immediately switch to numbers and money. UGH! Now the monetary value of passions, dreams, and talents will not only be used to measure what you can afford, but you’re simplifying your own worth down to a number. Entrepreneur - your value is unmeasurable when you use it to bless others!!
The perfect person is not always the right person.
That statement is nonsensical in every way. First of all… perfect person, ha! Let’s don’t waste time trying to define that! Instead, let’s dive into what it means in the context of building your team. “Perfect,” according to skills, doesn’t make the perfect teammate within business!
I’m not trying to be all gooey here, but you have to engage the heart. Let me explain!
We all have extended to-do lists. We may call them jobs, tasks, demands, necessities, etc.; that’s what they are. But if your next teammate is only a master of completing tasks, there will be problems. Yes, even if her skills are off-the-charts, it may not work.
I’ve spoken with so many people who have looked at their to-do lists and gone out in search of the person who can check every box. They look at the systems they use within their business and seek an “expert” in that system. It makes sense, I guess… but on only one level. It leads to a poor experience at best and a frustrating, strenuous, problematic one at worst.
Often, this is where most of our clients find themselves when they reach out to me at Rock Solid!
So, what’s the solution?
It’s 2-fold!
Find someone passionate about YOUR specific business, pain points, and work! Seek someone you will enjoy working with and with whom you’ll feel excited to collaborate! Don’t be afraid to go after the one who is better than you in your weak areas -- that is how this works! Here at Rock Solid, we match according to personality first for this exact reason! Of course you will consider skills and experience, but only after you’ve found a good fit for your personality and work style!
Delegate and communicate well! You must let her into your world and work with a teamwork mindset. Build the work relationship! If you don’t engage her heart, she’ll get bored, creatively shrivel up, and begin working like a robot. She won’t care about much more than the checkmark. Done. Move on. Next. Before you know it, things are going to fall back on your plate, and you’ll find the quality of her work quickly declining.
Take time off!
Get out of the office. You have to. Work will be there when you get back. I didn’t start a business to lose friends, place my family on the back burner, or destroy my marriage. Those words sound dramatic, but please consider the cost and the consequences of overworking. Burnout is real, and it’s horrible. It’ll sneak up on you if you don’t plan to avoid it! Revisit your priorities often and adjust accordingly.
Surround yourself with high-quality people.
If you’re the smartest person you’re hanging out with, something’s wrong. And you won’t grow. Choose to have high-quality, intelligent, business-minded people around you at work and similar-minded people around you in life! Always learn and grow ~ and that won’t happen if you’re the smartest person in your circle!
Complaining and a bad attitude truly change everything.
It’s a choice! Watch your words and your attitude. This includes the words you’re saying to yourself. Ease up on yourself! Make the choice -- intentionally and strenuously -- to start each day with a great mindset!
The difference between hunger and starvation.
The latter causes resentment toward the one who can help. It causes you to eat anything- whether it’ll kill you, cause failure, or isn’t even meant for you. Hunger causes you to learn more, develop and refine extra skill sets, and look for places to serve - not BE served.
It truly is all about trust.
Without this key piece, it’ll fall apart. Trust is a choice, initially. It will grow organically if you do things well. It only grows if you get to know each other. Trust doesn’t grow via email. If you’re going to agree to the financial investment, then plan to invest in ALL areas, and that begins with planning to trust from day one. I’m not talking about blind trust here. You’ve done your due diligence and hired well. You’ve made a wise business decision. Now it’s time to go all in and choose to trust, collaborate, and share!
The people that work with Rock Solid aren’t in this role because they couldn’t make it as a venture capitalist, a doctor, a lawyer, or any other profession that you might think is “higher.” They are passion-filled entrepreneurs who are ridiculously skilled and talented and have a heart for serving others! They do what they do because they appreciate helping you reach your goals and continue finding success! …and they will rock your business world!
Failure is inevitable.
And if handled properly, causes wonderful, beautiful growth. Humility. Learning from others. Willing to be led. Knowing you don’t “got this.” The internet lies to you - all those beautiful curated pictures of success are either manufactured or the results of tears, trials, failures, and growth. Let’s seek growth, knowing ahead of time it’ll be bumpy. Let’s set our expectations on reality and find beauty in the journey.
It’s an absolute relief not to be 100% responsible for everything. It frees my brain space to be able to go and do what I am called to go and do! Yes, at the end of the day, it all comes back to me. But having an exceptional team that is empowered, encouraged, and sourced to do their work well means I’m not carrying anything alone! —and not only that, which is huge in itself but knowing that they can work in a fulfilling career using the gifts and talents they’ve been blessed with is the cherry on top.
Things I would tell 2017 Tracy:
You’re doing a great job.
Yes, simply THAT.
There will be days that you have no idea what you’re doing, and there will be failures.
Stop.
Breathe.
Learn.
Carry on.
For the past 6 years, I’ve grown so much professionally and personally. One thing I missed in the journey was someone confidently telling me I was doing a good job. Don’t get me wrong - I may have objected along the way! Ha! However, I still think it would have been beneficial to hear.
When we’re listening to podcasts, reading books… trying to glean any tidbit of learning and growth from any source we can find, we tend to hear that hustling more, working harder, and being smarter is the answer. Those are great nuggets of wisdom, and they have their place. But in the moments when I was drowning in comparison and imposter syndrome, they felt very heavy and the exact opposite of helpful!
If I could go back in time -- or rather, just share my best advice with you after 6 years into this journey, I would tell you that you’re doing a great job. Yes, there will be hard days. Mistakes will be made. Sometimes, you’ll feel like the last person on earth who should be sitting in that chair behind the CEO/Founder/”Boss” desk. The road can be bumpy. You’re building and growing and …
You’re doing a great job!
Breathe.
Learn.
Carry on.
