It's Funny How Things Work Out

Brice Wheeler

Brice Wheeler

Strategic Business Development Expert

Published Sep 16, 2019

   Earlier this year I decided to help a friend who was toying with the idea of taking her vast skill set to the freelance market. There was no question when it came to the decision to help a friend. What I really struggled with was how to help her without pushing her to jump when she wasn't ready.  I figured at the very least sharing with her any knowledge I'd acquired while working with Upsell Group as well as a variety of other companies and employer could help her gain the last bit of confidence in herself. I've spent the greater part of the last decade working for or working with a variety of businesses and I felt that I had acquired the right set of skills and know-how to help her launch her consulting career. I knew she had it, why not help her know she has it too. It cost me nothing but my time, and to be honest she was a great study, and it was fun. We got her entity set up, built her online and social media presence, set up her accounting structure, marketing strategy, and even mapped out her ongoing growth plan. Along the way I learned so much from her in the areas of self-promotion, getting out there, networking and genuine relationship building. To be honest, I went into this thinking I was helping her, but at the end of the day, I gained so much from the experience. The biggest lesson learned came in the form of a pure shock when about halfway through the launch process, somewhere between refining her business plan and soft launching her website something unexpected happened.   She Jumped! To say I was shocked would be an understatement. She was so unsure of herself just days earlier that I had to talk her down and remind her that people believe in her and all she needs is to believe in herself. It's amazing how often we can see the spark in others, but we doubt it in ourselves. I knew she had it, others had been telling her for years she had it, but none of that mattered until the moment she believed it herself.  I was worried the leap was possibly premature and I braced for the potential fallout. However, that super-low spot a few days earlier was just her final bout with the fear of failure, and she walked away from that battle victorious and knowing exactly what was next on her business launch blueprint. She went to work the next day, sat down with her boss and put in her notice. She loved working there, she respected the company and all they have built, and she would miss the people she worked with, but nothing was worth not being able to say that she believed in herself and she went for it. She knew it wouldn't be perfect, she knew there were risks but once she'd seen past her own fear of failure, she knew the score and knew the risks were calculated enough that it was time to fly. To be honest I am not sure she has touched the ground since she took the jump several months ago and if you need proof take a peek at her thriving property management consulting company Jean Adam Consulting. Better yet check out the smile, she rocks every day and you'll know how she feels about her decision.  Congratulations Jeannie! You have been a great friend, great student, powerful mentor, and have been a truly inspiring business partner….

Partner?

Surprise! As good as this story is it is far from over!

I had spent a few months working with Jeannie and helping her set her business up for success, but the real value I offered was helping her understand that she had what it takes. The rest was just sharing with her how to navigate around the potential potholes and many pitfalls along the way using personal experiences gained through years of launching other companies. Going into this I believed that I was mentoring her "pro bono" and I was satisfied with feeling good helping a friend bring their dream to reality. But as time went on a persistent thought kept hanging out in the dark corners of my mind. Was there another business concept buried in this whole experience? I couldn't shake it, but also couldn't quite hold the fleeting thought long enough to make out what it was saying. I decided to just start recording the process and the experience of helping Jeannie launch. I would jot quick notes on paper scraps, typed stuff up on an ongoing word doc (known as Document2), recorded voice memos when I was driving, and I even used the basic note's app on my phone. I will never forget the day that it finally hit me. I was helping Jeannie decide on a help desk software solution and she was going through the various options. I had one of my "fleeting thoughts and I typed a few words into Document2 that I believe changed my life forever. "Starting a Business Doesn't Have to Be Scary!" I sat back and looked the sentence over for several minutes. On the surface, it's not what you would call a life-altering statement and until that moment would not have ever been what I thought I was writing about as my aha moment. But at its core, it was profoundly impacting. It's what had been floating around in my head waiting for me to finally come to it. I wasn't just setting up the structure, I wasn't building confidence, I wasn't just helping her avoid the traps that you fall into when starting up if you don't have someone to point them out, I was pulling back the curtain and showing her the old man behind the great wizard. Showing her that being prepared is great, but its nothing if not paired with the liberation of knowing that you don't have to be afraid. Jeannie wasn't lucky when she jumped, she simply was no longer afraid of the fall or the impact if she fell. She knew what could be far outweighed the worst-case outcome and that is why she knew it was ok to take that leap.  I remember saying to her "I think this is a business… I think this is a really good business!" It took the better part of six months planning, building, strategizing, and working behind the scenes with a small group of very understanding and very dedicated clients, but it is finally time for us to talk publicly about our joint venture. Jean Adam Consulting and Upsell Group have developed, tested, and have now as of this post officially LAUNCHED our newest company. We are proud to announce the arrival of Launch Lab, Inc. We are less than perfect, our website still needs work, we don't have everything figured out, and likely never will, but we are good with that!  We can be ok with being real and being less than perfect because we love what we do, we love helping those we work with find their balance between planning and doing, and we love that we are always growing and evolving as we move forward. We are a virtual business incubator, we help launch small businesses, we love what we do, and above all else, we will never let you forget that you can do it and 'Starting a Business Doesn't Have to Be Scary!"

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