What Tough Times Have Taught Us (And What We Wish We Knew Earlier)
Running your own business sounds exciting – and it is. But there are times where things get rough. Really rough.
We’ve been there. And instead of pretending like everything has been smooth sailing, we’d rather share a few honest lessons we’ve learned from the tougher periods – the kind of things we wish someone had told us earlier.
1. Don’t lose momentum
When things are going well – maybe you’ve got a bunch of warm leads or projects lined up – it’s tempting to slow down and “get organized”. That’s exactly what we did.
Back in early 2024, we had good momentum. Lots of calls, leads, and opportunities. But instead of keeping that pace, we paused to get everything sorted… and that cost us. Only 1–2 leads turned into real clients, and we were left standing still – no new leads, no new outreach.
The lesson? Keep going. Keep building. Even when it’s busy. Just make sure your quality doesn’t drop.
2. A deal is never done – until it is
At one point, we were sure we had landed one of our biggest clients. Everything looked locked in. But because of internal changes in their company, it suddenly got pushed aside – and nothing came out of it.
It sucked. But here’s what we learned: Don’t treat it like a huge loss. You probably still learned something, and you got one step closer to the next big thing. Move on fast.
3. Keep showing up – even when it’s quiet
There was a time (many times) when we literally had zero clients. Not fun. But we didn’t stop – and that’s probably the best decision we made.
It’s not always just about grinding hard. Sometimes, you also need a bit of timing, luck, or the right connection. But if you stay in motion and keep doing the work, those small breaks eventually show up. Create your own luck!
4. Stop chasing “perfect”
We spent way too much time early on trying to get everything just right – the website, Instagram, logo, invoicing systems, and so on. But we should’ve just focused on one thing: getting clients.
Perfection slows you down. You’ll figure things out as you go. So build while moving – it’s the fastest way to learn.
5. Not every client is worth it
In the beginning, it’s easy to say yes to everything. We did. But we quickly learned that some clients take up more energy than they’re worth.
It’s hard to say no when money is tight – but it’s key to know your limits. Good clients give you energy. Bad ones drain it.
Final thoughts
We’ve had our share of low points – and let’s be honest, there’ll probably be more.
But the main thing is: don’t stop. Stay in the game, stay sharp, and keep moving.
Even when it feels like nothing’s working… that’s when it matters the most.
