The Art of Showing Up (even when it's tough) - How to Keep Going When Business Feels Hard

I’m incredibly lucky in my work. I get to work with business owners that are exceptional at what they do, and we get to navigate the hard stuff together (because best believe we all go through it.)

One of the biggest obstacles many of us come up against is how to keep going when business feels hard, when we keep getting knocked back, or it feels like momentum isn’t getting us anywhere.

This is especially true, when we know what we’re building is incredible and has the ability to bring ease to our ideal client, save them time, save them money, whatever that may look like for you. But how do we keep on keeping on when it feels like the whole world is working against us?

I don’t have a magic wand, but I do have an abundance of experience, so I’d like to share what works when all of it feels a little too much (and you feel like throwing the towel in.)

Now, I could spin off a generic list that either Chat or Claude has pulled together for me, but that’s not going to really help you, that’s just a collective of points pulled together by technology. The biggest hurdle we face in today, is how to trust in our authenticity to show up as our truest self amongst all the noise and how to continue that trust when life gets hard AF.

Tell me, do you find yourself in a comparison loop on social media, watching and saving videos non stop, looking for the answer that’s going to solve this problem or this feeling that you are facing? Or maybe you’re just disassociating and looking for anything and everything to numb or give you the magic key to push forward?

As human beings, it’s our initiative to follow what works, but what if all of this information wasn’t available to you to follow? What would you do then?

We’ve lost sight of exactly what makes us unique in ourselves and in what we do, and people are missing connection most of all. Connection is everything, honesty speaks volumes and integrity makes people see themselves in what you’re navigating, because it’s what makes you human.

So instead of sharing a generic list, I’ll share my real human experience with hope that this will give you the answers that you’re looking for within…

Building a business is hard. I know that’s not what everyone says but anything worthwhile is tough, it’s why so very few of us are able to achieve what our hearts truly desire in the work that we share.

When you’re in the state of feeling beaten down by the difficulties, it’s very hard to see the next best step and it’s very hard to pull yourself out of bed to show up again and again, but you can, and you will.

This is a season, and it does not stay like this forever, you know this.

It feels particularly heavy because you know your works worth. You know it’s right, you know it needs to be shared and you know the transformation, joy, or ease it can bring to someone.

So, in this moment I encourage you to step back, stop consuming and take pen to paper.

Write down what you are feeling. Write down exactly what comes up, clear your mind and once it’s clear, begin writing a list of points from the conversations, set backs, questions and compliments you have received all surrounding your work.

Look at this list, your answers are there. They were always there, you just forgot to trust yourself.

Whenever you feel stuck or unmotivated, revisit this list for both an uplift to carry you through the tough times and content ideas you can build from the evidence that will speak directly to your clients desires. Check data, tweak accordingly and compound on what’s working, then lean into it.

And when momentum builds again, look back and remember this was only ever a season.

You have the ability to show up as your true authentic self, and you have much more knowing than you give yourself credit for.

The answers aren’t out there, they’re within you, they always were.